Social, economic stressors on Aboriginal adults

University of Lethbridge researchers are examining how social and economic adversity faced by Aboriginal peoples may affect their biological health. This first of its kind study, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will be co-led by public health researcher Dr. Cheryl Currie, kinesiology researcher Dr. Jennifer Copeland, and neuroscientist Dr. Gerlinde Metz. Working together with the Aboriginal community in southern Alberta, the cross-disciplinary team will examine how a range of factors – including adverse childhood experiences, poverty, unemployment, single parenthood, living in overcrowded housing and racial discrimination – impacts the stress response and biological functioning among Aboriginal adults living in the Lethbridge area. The study will also build on past research by Currie indicating that Aboriginal cultural practices promote resilience against alcohol and drug abuse within Aboriginal populations. In this new study, the team will examine the extent to which Aboriginal cultural practices may promote biologic resilience and improve health. Further, the study will examine the ways in which western approaches to wellness, such as regular physical activity, may also promote resiliency in these populations.