A new study reveals unique health issues facing urban Aboriginal people in Canada

A new study reveals unique health issues facing urban Aboriginal people in Canada -

For the first time, researchers have access to detailed information on how urban Aboriginal population in Canada uses the health care. A new study, called Our Health Counts, uses this health database to clearly demonstrate the unique challenges facing urban Aboriginal people in Canada - according to researchers at St. Michael's Hospital

the findings, published today BMJ Open , illustrate the striking disparities between urban First Nations and the general population.

researchers interviewed 554 First Nations adults in Hamilton, Ontario. - Chosen for its large indigenous population and a strong infrastructure of social and health services and Aboriginal communities. The researchers collected data on factors that influence a person's health, such as poverty, disease and income for the First Nations population of Hamilton.

"Compared to the general adult population of Hamilton, we found high utilization

emergency room, multiple barriers to health care access and high rates of chronic disease in Aboriginal adults in urban areas "said Dr. Michelle Firestone, associate researcher at the Centre of St. Michael's Hospital research Inner City Health.

over 10 percent of adult First Nations visited the emergency room six or more times in the previous two years. - only 1.6 percent of the general adult population Hamilton could say the same thing

"Hamilton extended health and social services, but 40 percent of respondents felt that their access to health care as fair or poor, "said Dr. Firestone, who holds a doctorate in public health." This shows the geography is not the only health care barrier for First nations. "

Nearly half of the respondents indicated that the long waiting lists to see a specialist was an obstacle. Other common barriers include not being able to arrange transportation; not being able to pay the direct costs or transportation; services not covered by non-insured health benefits and lack of trust in health care providers.

Over 60 percent of Aboriginal people living in Ontario live in urban areas. A growing number of First Nations are moving to urban areas to find better housing, employment opportunities and education and to available services and facilities.

The most common chronic diseases of First Nations adults Hamilton included arthritis (30.7 percent), high blood pressure (25.8 percent), asthma (19 percent) and diabetes (15.6 percent)

Among First Nations adults living in Hamilton :.

• 73 percent of respondents reported an infection of the upper respiratory tract in the last 12 months
• 25 percent reported having been injured in the last 12 months
• 78 percent earn less than $ 20,000 per year
• 70 percent live in less income areas of the city

indigenous peoples are often excluded, unidentified or under-represented in most databases of information on health in Canada. Our heads of health accusation fills this void by using health information based on respondents sampling - a research method used to recruit hidden or stigmatized populations based on participants to identify the next wave of recruits to the study. Counts our health is the first directed sampling by respondents of the member cities of First Nations in Canada.

"Our health has an important contribution to public health," said Dr. Firestone. "These data have important implications for the provision of health services, programming and policy development. It should directly inform the strategic direction and improve the health of urban Aboriginal people in Ontario."