Promoting Health and Addressing Disparities Amongst Indigenous Populations

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About this Research Topic

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Background

Indigenous populations have experienced centuries of oppression, marginalization, and discrimination. In the present day, this has left these populations even more vulnerable as they must confront a significant number of public health challenges to uphold their health and well-being.

Indigenous peoples' life expectancy is up to twenty years lower compared to non-Indigenous people which can be attributed to the fact that these populations have an increased likelihood to be disproportionately affected by social determinants of health with poorer health outcomes. These health outcomes contribute to the wide range of health burdens and disparities experienced by Indigenous populations, including increased prevalence of chronic disease, infectious disease, and availability and accessibility of quality health care and treatment.

Where the current literature recognizes these disparities amongst Indigenous populations and their origins of colonization and other historical events, current strategies to promote health amongst these populations are not universal or broadly applicable, as they have not been originally developed for Indigenous populations but non-Indigenous populations. It is important that in this context health promotion refers to and encapsulates culturally appropriate physical, mental, and spiritual promotive strategies that are grounded in traditional Indigenous frameworks. In addition, this matter requires holistic and culturally personalized approaches to address the underlying causes of health disparities. This collection aims to gather literature that promotes change throughout the life course of Indigenous people and provide insight to sustain change that can be applied to Indigenous populations.

Considering these points, this Research Topic aims to address the following themes, but not limited to:
• Describe and seek to alleviate unique health burdens and disparities amongst Indigenous populations (i.e., including physical, mental, and spiritual health);
• Offer strategies within public health or clinical settings that utilize the strengths and resilience of Indigenous peoples to improve their health and well-being;
• Evaluations of current strategies that promote health and reduce health disparities amongst Indigenous populations;
• Conduct innovative and culturally embedded/sensitive strategies to address and overcome health burdens and disparities amongst Indigenous populations;
•Public health efforts to improve health and wellness related to social, behavioral, physical, mental, and environmental factors.

The following article types will be considered for this collection: perspectives, case studies with innovative methodologies, original research, and mini-reviews.

Keywords: health, health care, indigenous, inequalities, burden of disease, culturally embedded strategies

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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