Survey Sheds Light on Health Disparities in Native Reservations
Survey Sheds Light on Health Disparities in Native Reservations
Ciera Tsosie
Attendees to the UNITY Midyear Conference participated in discussing and filling out a survey focused on health disparities affecting their reservations. While focusing heavily on mental health, the survey highlights challenges that are geographical that affect access to healthcare, prevalence in chronic diseases, and socioeconomic factors that play into the wellness of our people.
Understanding the Data
So far, we have collected 76 responses to the survey. From this data we can pick out a few key issues Indigenous students see in their communities. 75% were high school students aged 14-19, 5% in middle school under 14, and 19.7% were attending college or a part of the workforce, aged 20+. More than half of survey-takers lived on the reservation reporting that long wait times, cost, and limited providers were the biggest barriers to medical access in their area. 50% reported that they experienced mental health challenges often or almost always. 18.4% described getting help for their mental health as very difficult. Now why is this number so low? The majority reported their reasoning to be due to cultural stigma and familial beliefs.
So, what’s the solution?
73.7% trust traditional and western medicine equally, and programs to integrate them are being put into effect to improve healthcare for Indigenous communities. As far as reducing the stigma though? Our current solutions have shifted to educating elders on mental health challenges, treatments, and guidance.
More than half of survey-takers agreed to allow me to reach out to them with further questions. If you have any questions or are interested in participating in this research you can reach me by email askciera@gmail.com.
Student Engagement and Action
Native American Club members are working to get more Indigenous youth to fill out this survey as it has proved itself to be an essential data point for figuring out where our current healthcare systems fall short. Not only do these problems affect our physical health, but bleed into every aspect of our inter-personal lives. Advocating for better healthcare access, discussing ways to address challenges, and reflecting on our past isn’t just an individual need, but a community need.
Survey Section