Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39363358›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2024

Indigenous Peoples' evaluation of health risks when facing mandatory evacuation for birth during the COVID-19 pandemic: an indigenous feminist analysis.

Melanie Murdock, Erika Campbell, Sarah Durant, Carol Couchie, Carmel Meekis, Charitie Rae, Julie Kenequanash, Arthi Erika Jeyamohan, Jacob Barry, Lisa Boivin and 1 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Frontiers in public health · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Melanie MurdockDepartment of Gender Studies, Queen's University, Robert Sutherland Hall, Room 419 138 Union Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 2P1, Canada. melanie.murdock@queensu.ca.
Erika CampbellDepartment of Global Health, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
Sarah DurantSchool of Indigenous and Canadian Studies, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
Carol CouchieAnishinaabe Elder Midwife and Founder of Zaagidwin Ndaknaan: A Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Midwifery, 322 Sweetgrass Miikan Road, Garden Village, Nipissing, ON, P2B 1B0, Canada.
Carmel MeekisMaternal Child Health Worker, Sandy Lake First Nation, P.O. Box 12, Sandy Lake, ON, P0V 1V0, Canada.
Charitie RaeMaternal Child Health Worker, Sandy Lake First Nation, P.O. Box 12, Sandy Lake, ON, P0V 1V0, Canada.
Julie KenequanashMaternal Child Health Worker, North Caribou Lake First Nation, P.O. Box 158, Weagamow Lake, ON, P0V 2Y0, Canada.
Arthi Erika JeyamohanDepartment of Cultural Studies, Queen's University, B176 Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Jacob BarryDepartment of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
Lisa BoivinToronto Rehabilitation Institute, 550 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2A2, Canada.
Karen LawfordMidwifery Education Program, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.

Funding

CIHR 463557
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndigenous Peoples living on the land known as Canada are comprised of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people and because of the Government of Canada's mandatory evacuation policy, those living in rural and remote regions of Ontario are required to travel to urban, tertiary care centres to give birth. When evaluating the risk of travelling for birth, Indigenous Peoples understand, evaluate, and conceptualise health risks differently than Eurocentric biomedical models of health. Also, the global COVID-19 pandemic changed how people perceived risks to their health. Our research goal was to better understand how Indigenous parturients living in rural and remote communities conceptualised the risks associated with evacuation for birth before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsTo achieve this goal, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 parturients who travelled for birth during the pandemic and with 5 family members of those who were evacuated for birth.

resultsParticipants conceptualised evacuation for birth as riskier during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified how the pandemic exacerbated existing risks of travelling for birth. In fact, Indigenous parturients noted the increased risk of contracting COVID-19 when travelling to urban centres for perinatal care, the impact of public health restrictions on increased isolation from family and community, the emotional impact of fear during the pandemic, and the decreased availability of quality healthcare.

conclusionsUsing Indigenous Feminist Methodology and Indigenous Feminist Theory, we critically analysed how mandatory evacuation for birth functions as a colonial tool and how conceptualizations of risk empowered Indigenous Peoples to make decisions that reduced risks to their health during the pandemic. With the results of this study, policy makers and governments can better understand how Indigenous Peoples conceptualise risks related to evacuation for birth before and during the pandemic, and prioritise further consultation with Indigenous Peoples to collaborate in the delivery of the health and care they need and desire.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultFemaleFeminismHumansIndigenous PeoplesOntarioPandemicsParturitionPregnancyQualitative ResearchRisk AssessmentSARS-CoV-2TravelCOVID-19Evacuation policyHealth riskIndigenous feminist methodologyIndigenous feminist theoryRural and remote Indigenous health

Identifiers

PMID39363358
PMCPMC11447931

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.