The approaches used here can guide the development, implementation, and testing of culturally-informed health education for AIAN populations. Key themes that emerged from the data included the importance of discipline, positivity and mindfulness in the context of Hózhó.Ĭulturally safe and meaningful engagement with cultural leaders and the use of qualitative research methods can inform deep-level cultural adaptations essential to developing tribe-specific diabetes education programs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis method.ĭiné healers and cultural experts informed the development of an educational tool called Diné Health. Three specific self-care behaviors relevant to Type 2 diabetes self-management were discussed: (1) healthy eating, (2) physical activity, and (3) healthy coping. Tribe-specific health information and programming, such as integrating Diné worldviews and Indigenous knowledge among Diné people as described here, are essential to creating a culturally relevant and effective and meaningful approach to disease self-management.Ī conversation guide, based on the Hózhó Resilience Model-a Diné framework on healthy living, was used to engage key cultural experts in interviews about traditional stories and teachings regarding health and wellness. This approach does not properly address the need for tribe-specific cultural health messaging, defined as incorporating cultural elements deemed relevant to the population. Though the recommendation to culturally adapt health education curricula was meant to improve health education for American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIANs), it has inadvertently created a “one size fits all” approach. The purpose of this study was to culturally enhance a diabetes education program for Diné (Navajo) community members with Type 2 diabetes. Indigenous-centred approaches to public health research and policy analysis contribute to understanding the cultural knowledge, practices and beliefs that are protective of the health and well-being of Indigenous people. Specifically, we juxtapose this analysis with a conventional qualitative analysis to illuminate and interpret Diné perspectives on the health and economic impact of commercial secondhand smoke and smoke-free policy.įocus groups were conducted throughout Navajo Nation to assess the appeal and impact of several evidence-based messages regarding the health and economic impact of smoke-free policy.ĭiné perspectives have shifted away from family and cultural teachings considered protective of a smoke-free life, and struggle to balance the ethical and economics of respect for individual and collective rights to live and work in smoke-free environments.
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We describe the process for applying the Diné (Navajo) paradigm of Są’áh Naagháí Bik'eh Hózhóó (SNBH), a belief system that guides harmonious living, and demonstrate how the application of SNBH enhances understanding of Navajo principles for well-being.
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Indigenous worldviews and research approaches are fundamental to make meaning of complex health issues and increase the likelihood of identifying existing cultural protective factors that have contributed to the resilience and survival of Indigenous people worldwide.