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- Page navigation anchor for RE: Disparities in infant hospitalizations in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Quebec, CanadaRE: Disparities in infant hospitalizations in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Quebec, Canada
Given the disparities in health outcomes for Indigenous populations in Canada, He, et al.’s work in infant morbidities is Quebec populations is an important contribution to the understanding of the problem. The sizable cohort allowed for good comparison to between Indigenous and non-indigenous populations and there was recognition of the disparity in resource allocation and living conditions. There were, however, several assumptions made in this article which should be viewed and challenged from an Indigenous perspective.
The first of these is the assumption that an unmarried Indigenous mother, living on reserve is living alone. Culturally, a young woman would live with and have the support of her extended family, and a shortage of housing on reserves eliminates the option of living alone. The housing shortages on reserves contribute to the quality of the living environment, and significantly more First Nations peoples live in overcrowded homes, 27% vs 4% than non-Indigenous Canadians 1. Secondly, the article states that the leading causes of illness are infection and respiratory diseases. The article deduces that the disparities are preventable as it acknowledges the substandard living conditions and high smoking rates experienced by many First Nation populations. The paper goes on to highlight immunization programs and breastfeeding as possible factors which could be improved to address the increased risks of these diseases. The evidence does not support these fac...
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