Participatory Methods for Inuit Public Health Promotion and Program Evaluation in Nunatsiavut, Canada

Abstract

Engaging stakeholders is crucial for health promotion and program evaluations; however, understanding how to best engage stakeholders is less clear, especially within Indigenous communities. This thesis research used participatory methods to: (1) co-develop a whiteboard video as a public health promotion tool in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and (2) develop and validate an evaluation framework for Inuit public health initiatives in Nunatsiavut, Labrador. Data were collected through interactive workshops, community events, interviews, focus-group discussions, and surveys. Results indicated the whiteboard video was an engaging medium for sharing public health messaging due to incorporation of contextually relevant elements. Inuit participants identified four foundational evaluation framework components to conduct appropriate evaluations, including: (1) community engagement, (2) collaborative evaluation development, (3) tailored evaluation data collection, and (4) evaluation scope. This research illustrates stakeholder participation is critical to develop public health initiatives including their evaluations in Nunatsiavut, Labrador and should be considered in other Indigenous communities.