Chapter 8 - Well-Being of Aboriginal Children in Canada
8.1 Introduction
The health and development of children are often affected by the socio-economic and environmental conditions they face. Aboriginal children's experiences are often distinct relative to those of non-Aboriginal children because of the environments in which they grow up.
In Canada, the Aboriginal population consists of three groups: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. Each Aboriginal group is unique with its own culture, language, and history.
Generally the statistics we have to date on the health of young Aboriginal children under six years of age are particular to First Nations children on-reserve and have already been reported in previous editions of this report in 2002 and 2003. This year efforts have been made to report on indicators that are representative of all Aboriginal children. In the future, the Aboriginal Children's Survey, which is currently in progress, will help enhance our knowledge by providing information that will be representative of all three Aboriginal groups. Further information on this survey is presented below.
It is important to note that the indicators presented in the main body of this report focus on mainstream models of health. Within the Aboriginal population, well-being takes into consideration both mainstream and the Aboriginal holistic models of health.
8.2 The Health of Young Aboriginal Children
8.2.1 Overview of the Population of Aboriginal Children
The Aboriginal population continues to be much younger than the non-Aboriginal population. Even though the fertility rate is gradually declining among Aboriginal women, it is still almost double the rate of Canadian women generally.90 In 2001, there were 102,610 children between birth and four years of age for whom Aboriginal identity was reported. This represents 10.5% of the total population with Aboriginal ancestry91.
8.2.2 Healthy Birth Weight
Differences were found in the birth weights of Aboriginal children when compared to non-Aboriginal children. Eight percent (8%) of Aboriginal children (off-reserve) had low birth weights according to the Aboriginal Peoples Survey 2001, which is higher than the 5.6% of children with low birth weights in the general population of Canada92,93. There were no significant differences in the proportions of children with low birth weights among the three major Aboriginal groups living off-reserve. The rate of low birth weight among First Nations children living on-reserve is comparable to the general population at 5.6%94.
High birth weight is more prevalent and significant in the Aboriginal population than in Canada as a whole. Twenty one percent95 (21%) of First Nations children born in 2002/03 had a high birth weight, compared to 13.1% nationally.
Why is this Important?
Both low and high birth weights carry the same health concerns for the Aboriginal population as they do to the mainstream population as described in Chapter 4. However, these concerns are magnified for those living in isolated and remote locations where there is less access to health care professionals, including family doctors, Pediatricians, and obstetricians / gynaecologists.
Complications due to birth weight may be more difficult to address at birth and later in life when living with limited health care access.
8.2.3 Breastfeeding
The incidence of breastfeeding among the Aboriginal population remains somewhat lower than the general population in Canada. Seventy-three percent (73%) of off-reserve Aboriginal children ages three and under were breastfed compared to 82% of other children in Canada in the same age group96. Despite this lower incidence, there appears to be a trend towards increased breastfeeding among the Aboriginal population; 60% of First Nations children living on-reserve were breastfed in 2002/03, compared with 50% in 199797. A similar trend exists for breastfeeding in areas off-reserve.98
Why is this Important?
Breast milk is understood to provide optimal nutrition for infants and is equally important to both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations. This is of particular importance to Aboriginal parents who live in isolated and remote locations where access to health professionals for an ill infant may be limited. Breast milk may also be the most secure form of nutrition when living in areas where formula or healthy food choices may be limited, difficult to access, or too expensive, or where the quality of the water used to make formula may be questionable.
8.2.4 Self-rated Health
According to the 2001 Aboriginal People's Survey, 83% of parents of Aboriginal children aged five and under living off-reserve ranked the health and well-being of their children as either very good or excellent. This is slightly lower than the ranking of ‘very good' or ‘excellent' by parents in the Canadian population as a whole at 90%.99
Why is this Important?
As mentioned before, for many Aboriginal peoples, the concept of holistic health is of more importance than merely physical health. Integral to the well-being of an individual is the balance of the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical self.
8.3 Looking to the future — Aboriginal Children's Survey
While there is currently limited data available on young Aboriginal children, work is under way to address this gap. The Aboriginal Children's Survey (ACS) will collect information on the health and development of Aboriginal children (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) under 6 years of age, living in Canada. Data collection for this survey began in the Fall of 2006 and will be repeated every five years following the Census.
The main objective of the survey is to provide a picture of the development of Aboriginal children under the age of 6. With limited information available on the development and well-being of young Aboriginal children, the ACS will fill an important gap in the availability of information on the health, social and economic characteristics of Aboriginal children.
The survey was developed by Statistics Canada and Aboriginal advisors from across the country and is being conducted in partnership with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. A unique process was used to develop the survey involving direct participation of parents, front-line workers, early childhood educators, researchers, various Aboriginal organizations and others.
The survey is holistic in nature and collects information on a wide range of topics. It is designed to produce information to help decision makers at all levels address the needs of young Aboriginal children. Specifically, data from the ACS could be used by researchers, Aboriginal organizations, community planners, governments and the public to:
- gain a holistic perspective of the well-being of Aboriginal children;
- identify and raise awareness of the issues that affect Aboriginal children;
- help in decision making about resources and programming; and
- monitor changes over time.
8.4 Conclusion
The population of Aboriginal children is growing proportionally higher than that of the entire Canadian population100. In light of this, the health and well-being of Aboriginal children will define the future health and well-being of Aboriginal communities in Canada. Therefore, it is important that the indicators of well-being examined reflect the unique situations of Aboriginal peoples. The Aboriginal Children's Survey will help by addressing current information gaps for this population. The survey will also provide a more holistic picture of young Aboriginal children in Canada regardless of whether they live on reserve or off reserve.
90 Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Aboriginal Women: A Profile from the 2001 Census. Ottawa: Government of Canada.
91 Statistics Canada. Population Reporting by Aboriginal Identity (2001 Census). Statistics Canada, 2005. http://www40.statcan.ca/101/cst01/demo40a.htm
92 Statistics Canada. "A Portrait of Aboriginal Children Living in Non-reserve Areas: Results from the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey". Statistics Canada, 2004.
93 Statistics Canada. Low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams), rate and confidence interval, by sex, three-year average, Canada, provinces, territories, health regions and peer groups, 2001. Statistics Canada, Health Indicators, January 2005.
94 First Nations Centre, National Aboriginal Health Organization (2005). Preliminary Findings of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS) 2002-03: Children's Survey. First Nations Centre, National Aboriginal Health Organization.
95 Ibid.
96 Turcotte, Martin and Zhao, John. "Well Being of Off-Reserve Aboriginal Children" Statistics Canada Canadian Social Trends Winter 2004
97 First Nations Centre, National Aboriginal Health Organization (2005). Preliminary Findings of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS) 2002-03: Children's Survey. First Nations Centre, National Aboriginal Health Organization.
98 Turcotte, Martin and Zhao, John. "Well Being of Off-Reserve Aboriginal Children" Statistics Canada Canadian Social Trends Winter 2004
99 Statistics Canada. "A Portrait of Aboriginal Children Living in Non-reserve Areas: Results from the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey". Statistics Canada, 2004.
100 Government of Canada. The Well Being of Canada's Children: 2003