Overview
Indigenous people living in Canada face significant healthcare inequities, particularly in basic, primary, and secondary prevention, leading to higher rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. This program aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the contextual and individual determinants influencing Indigenous health, and to address health disparities by using tailored community-led participatory research and care initiatives. The investigator and research team use a Mobile Healthcare Unit travelling to Indigenous communities, providing customized, impactful, and sustainable preventive care that adapts dynamically to the evolving needs of each community. The initiative places a strong emphasis on equity and inclusivity, aiming to generate original data in Indigenous and remote underrepresented/underserved populations. This proposal will improve opportunities of identifying facilitators and barriers to preventive care in Indigenous and remote communities. This focus is vital for reducing health disparities and aligns with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. To maximize knowledge mobilization and ensure culturally appropriate initiatives align with community needs and priorities, this research program collaborates with the Indigenous University Hub at Laval University, local community members and leaders, and Indigenous peoples with lived experience. Existing national and international collaborations with Indigenous communities further enhance the initiative's potential impact and foster knowledge mobilization on a global scale. The ultimate goal is to empower Indigenous peoples and communities to advocate for systemic changes to fight inequities in healthcare in accordance with appropriated truth and reconciliation efforts.
Description
This pilot study will take place in the Mobile Healthcare Unit (motorized vehicle) that will travel to 10 Indigenous and/or remote communities.This study aims at collecting cardiovascular (CV) data and delivering culturally appropriate research and care in underserved/underrepresented populations. Collaborating members of the communities visited will be involve in the mobile care service and will assist as translators. Recruitment and data collection will be carried out by the investigator at the IUCPQ-ULaval in collaboration with the participating communities. This study was co-designed and accepted by health departments and participating communities. Each participant will undergo a comprehensive assessment of CV risk factors and CV conditions at the beginning of the study. This assessment will be standardized and will include the following elements:
- Clinical examination including anthropometric measurements;
- Auscultation by a cardiologist with a digital stethoscope;
- Translated and validated questionnaires on demographics and medical history;
- Pregnancy and reproductive health questionnaires;
- Blood pressure, assessed by oscillometry;
- Peripheral artery disease assessment;
- Cardiometabolic blood markers (NT-proBNP, HbA1C, hs-CRP, CBC, lipids, etc.)
- Arrythmia and atrial fibrillation, assessed by electrocardiogram;
- Anthropometric indices and body fat distribution by elastography;
- Maximal stress test on a treadmill;
- Questionnaire on participant satisfaction and areas of improvement in health equity.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- BMI \> 27 kg/m\^2
Exclusion Criteria:
- Being pregnant;
- Known heart condition
