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A new study published in the Journal of Child Development looked at the determinants of socioemotional and behavioral well-being among First Nations children living off-reserve in Canada.

“Our study focused on positive health outcomes among young First Nations children,” study author Sawayra Owais told us. “Specifically, we examined Indigenous and non-Indigenous-specific determinants associated with positive well-being among First Nations children living off-reserve in Canada.”

The study used the ecobiodevelopmental framework which suggests that both proximal (e.g., parental health) and distal (e.g., community supports) factors experienced in childhood can impact behavior across the lifespan. The research team postulated that a number of individual, family, and community-level factors would all be associated with positive socioemotional and behavioral well-being among First Nations children. 

“The majority of Indigenous research focuses on negative health outcomes which can often stigmatize Indigenous peoples,” Owais told us. “Accordingly, it’s important to look at positive health outcomes because they align with many First Nations views of health and well-being being strengths-based, and they identify positive factors of well-being that can guide the appropriate allocation of resources that can, in turn, help optimize the health of First Nations children.” 

The researchers used the largest survey of First Nations children living off-reserve (2006 Aboriginal Children’s Survey) to identify factors associated with positive socioemotional and behavioral well-being. They selected a number of factors to examine based on previous studies. They measured positive socioemotional and behavioral well-being through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. They then conducted linear regression models to see which factors were associated with positive well-being. 

“We found that being taught an Indigenous culture, greater community cohesion, caregiver nurturance, good parental health, and fewer household members were associated with better socioemotional and behavioral well-being among First Nations children,” Owais told us. "We weren’t surprised to see that both Indigenous and non-Indigenous-specific determinants were important to the socioemotional development of First Nations children. Many First Nations views on mental health focus on a holistic understanding and encompass spiritual, emotional, physical, and community health. One unexpected finding, however, was that knowledge of an Indigenous language did not show any association with socioemotional development. In our paper, we go into more details on these somewhat surprising results and what we think they mean.”

The researchers believe the study results add to the growing evidence that both Indigenous-specific factors, like culture and community cohesion, and non-Indigenous-specific factors, like parental health, are integral to the well-being of First Nations children. 

“Hopefully these results encourage policymakers, researchers, and First Nations community members to leverage both Indigenous and non-Indigenous-specific factors to further optimize the well-being of First Nations children,” Owais told us. “This work is part of our ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the many strengths of Indigenous youth and that culture, community, and family are all essential to positive developmental outcomes.”