What is Our Health Counts?
Our Health Counts is a population-health study methodology, designed by Dr. Janet Smylie (Cree-Métis) through the Well Living House research centre. It focuses on measuring the health of Indigenous people living outside of home communities and traditional territories. This is done through an "Our Health Counts Respectful Health Survey," which asks questions about participant health, wellbeing, and relationship to services. The study has been done in 7 cities in Ontario, as well as in Winnipeg, MB. This is the first time the study is being done in Atlantic Canada.
* This includes First Nations people living off-reserve, Métis people living outside of Métis homelands, and Inuit living outside of land-claim territory.
Dr. Janet Smylie
Why?
There is no population health data that can be disaggregated on Indigenous people living off-reserve in New Brunswick
This kind of data works for Indigenous service providers who advocate for their people, set up relevant programs, and apply for critical funding
Our Health Counts projects have Indigenous people as the leaders, the collectors, and the users of their own health data
This project builds on kin networks between Indigenous peoples to reach out to one another to collect the data
How?
Participants sit down with a community member who goes through each survey question with them
There is also a shorter survey about children that is completed by the adult taking the survey who has one or more Indigenous children in their home
The Our Health Counts survey is completed by anyone over the age of 15 on their own behalf
At the end of the survey, the participant receives up to three tickets to refer their family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances to take the survey
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