Substance use care innovations during COVID-19: barriers and facilitators to the provision of safer supply at a toronto COVID-19 isolation and recovery site.

BACKGROUND: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to establish isolation spaces for people experiencing homelessness who were exposed to or had COVID-19. In response, community agencies and the City of Toronto opened COVID-19 isolation and recovery sites (CIRS) in March 2020. We sought to examine the provision of comprehensive substance use services offered to clients on-site to facilitate isolation, particularly the uptake of safer supply prescribing (prescription of pharmaceutical opioids and/or stimulants) as part of a spectrum of comprehensive harm reduction and addiction treatment interventions. METHODS: We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 clients and 25 staff (including peer, harm reduction, nursing and medical team members) from the CIRS in April-July 2021. Iterative and thematic analytic methods were used to identify key themes that emerged in the interview discussions. RESULTS: At the time of implementation of the CIRS, the provision of a safer supply of opioids and stimulants was a novel and somewhat controversial practice. Prescribed safer supply was integrated to address the high risk of overdose among clients needing to isolate due to COVID-19. The impact of responding to on-site overdoses and presence of harm reduction and peer teams helped clinical staff overcome hesitation to prescribing safer supply. Site-specific clinical guidance and substance use specialist consults were crucial tools in building capacity to provide safer supply. Staff members had varied perspectives on what constitutes 'evidence-based' practice in a rapidly changing, crisis situation. CONCLUSION: The urgency involved in intervening during a crisis enabled the adoption of prescribed safer supply, meeting the needs of people who use substances and assisting them to complete isolation periods, while also expanding what constitutes acceptable goals in the care of people who use drugs to include harm reduction approaches.

Meeting Indigenous youth where they are at: knowing and doing with 2SLGBTTQQIA and gender non-conforming Indigenous youth: a qualitative case study.

BACKGROUND: Research carried out in partnership with Indigenous youth at The Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN) demonstrates that Indigenous youth can (and do) develop and implement public health interventions amongst their peers and within their communities, when supported by non-youth allies and mentors. METHODS: Together, NYSHN and Well Living House researchers co-designed a qualitative case study to demonstrate and document how Indigenous youth can and do practice their own form of public health implementation research (PHIR) in the realm of mental health promotion for 2SLGBTTQQIA and Gender Non-Conforming Indigenous youth. Academic and Indigenous youth researchers were: participant observers; conducted a focus group; and designed and implemented an online survey with Indigenous youth project participants. Governance, intellectual property, financial terms and respective academic and NYSHN roles and responsibilities were negotiated using a customized community research agreement. The data were thematically analyzed using a critical decolonizing lens that recognizes the historic and ongoing marginalization of Indigenous peoples while also highlighting the unique and diverse strengths of Indigenous communities' knowledge and practice in maintaining their health and wellbeing. RESULTS: Analysis revealed how colonialism and intergenerational trauma have impacted Indigenous youth identity and the value of self-determination as it relates to their identity, their relationships, health and wellbeing. We also learned how knowing and doing about and for Indigenous youth needs to be youth determined - 'nothing about us, without us' -- yet also supported by allies. Finally, our analysis shares some promising practices in knowing and doing for and with Indigenous youth. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a reminder of the need to centre Indigenous youth throughout PHIR in order to realize sustainable benefit from research, services and programming. It emphasizes the need to recognize Indigenous youth as leaders and partners in these initiatives, support their efforts to self-determine, compensate them as partners, and prioritize Indigenous youth-determined frameworks and accountability mechanisms.

Unweighted regression models perform better than weighted regression techniques for respondent-driven sampling data: results from a simulation study.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether weighted or unweighted regression is preferred in the analysis of data derived from respondent driven sampling. Our objective was to evaluate the validity of various regression models, with and without weights and with various controls for clustering in the estimation of the risk of group membership from data collected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). METHODS: Twelve networked populations, with varying levels of homophily and prevalence, based on a known distribution of a continuous predictor were simulated using 1000 RDS samples from each population. Weighted and unweighted binomial and Poisson general linear models, with and without various clustering controls and standard error adjustments were modelled for each sample and evaluated with respect to validity, bias and coverage rate. Population prevalence was also estimated. RESULTS: In the regression analysis, the unweighted log-link (Poisson) models maintained the nominal type-I error rate across all populations. Bias was substantial and type-I error rates unacceptably high for weighted binomial regression. Coverage rates for the estimation of prevalence were highest using RDS-weighted logistic regression, except at low prevalence (10%) where unweighted models are recommended. CONCLUSIONS: Caution is warranted when undertaking regression analysis of RDS data. Even when reported degree is accurate, low reported degree can unduly influence regression estimates. Unweighted Poisson regression is therefore recommended.

Effective strategies to reduce commercial tobacco use in Indigenous communities globally: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: All over the world, Indigenous populations have remarkably high rates of commercial tobacco use compared to non-Indigenous groups. The high rates of commercial tobacco use in Indigenous populations have led to a variety of health issues and lower life expectancy than the general population. The objectives of this systematic review were to investigate changes in the initiation, consumption and quit rates of commercial tobacco use as well as changes in knowledge, prevalence, community interest, and smoke-free environments in Indigenous populations. We also aimed to understand which interventions had broad reach, what the common elements that supported positive change were and how Aboriginal self-determination was reflected in program implementation. METHODS: We undertook a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications and grey literature selected from seven databases and 43 electronic sources. We included studies between 1994 and 2015 if they addressed an intervention (including provision of a health service or program, education or training programs) aimed to reduce the use of commercial tobacco use in Indigenous communities globally. Systematic cross-regional canvassing of informants in Canada and internationally with knowledge of Indigenous health and/or tobacco control provided further leads about commercial tobacco reduction interventions. We extracted data on program characteristics, study design and learnings including successes and challenges. RESULTS: In the process of this review, we investigated 73 commercial tobacco control interventions in Indigenous communities globally. These interventions incorporated a myriad of activities to reduce, cease or protect Indigenous peoples from the harms of commercial tobacco use. Interventions were successful in producing positive changes in initiation, consumption and quit rates. Interventions also facilitated increases in the number of smoke-free environments, greater understandings of the harms of commercial tobacco use and a growing community interest in addressing the high rates of commercial tobacco use. Interventions were unable to produce any measured change in prevalence rates. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of this research in Indigenous communities globally suggests a growing prioritization and readiness to address the high rates of commercial tobacco use through the use of both comprehensive and tailored interventions. A comprehensive approach that uses multiple activities, the centring of Aboriginal leadership, long term community investments, and the provision of culturally appropriate health materials and activities appear to have an important influence in producing desired change.

Prescription opioid prescribing, use/misuse, harms and treatment among Aboriginal people in Canada: a narrative review of available data and indicators.

INTRODUCTION: Prescription opioid (PO) misuse and related harms are high in Canada, and a major public health challenge. In Canada, 1.4 million individuals (4.3% of the total population) self-identify as Aboriginal, among whom substance use and related harms are elevated. While there are reports of PO use and associated problems among Aboriginal groups, no comprehensive data review currently exists. METHODS: A review of available data sources (ie journal publications, public reports and 'grey' literature) was conducted following principles of a scoping review. Information and data were identified, extracted, and organized into major indicator categories: PO prescribing/dispensing, use/abuse, morbidity/mortality harms and treatment, and narratively reported. RESULTS: Data suggest that PO dispensing, use and misuse levels among Aboriginal populations are high and/or rising in select settings when compared to the general Canadian population. High levels of PO-related dependence and pregnancy harms exist (mainly in Northern Ontario); there is some indication of elevated opioid mortality among Aboriginals. Vast discrepancies in availability and access to interventions exist; some recent pilot studies suggest improved care. CONCLUSIONS: Data regarding PO use and harms among Aboriginal people are limited, even though elevated problem levels are indicated; improved monitoring, and more effective yet culturally and contextually appropriate interventions for this acute problem are needed.

The multiple makings of a supervised consumption service in a hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: Whereas supervised consumption services (SCSs) are common in many community settings, they are seldomly found in acute care hospitals. As hospitals present unique circumstances that can shape the impacts of an SCS, careful consideration of local implementation contexts and practices is required. We explored the pre-implementation stage of an SCS, to examine how an SCS is made and made differently in relation to the material-discursive context of the hospital. METHODS: We conducted 11 focus groups with 83 staff and clinicians at an inner-city hospital in Toronto, Canada. Data analysis followed principles of grounded theory and was informed by an 'evidence making interventions' framework. RESULTS: While most participants indicated they would support the establishment of an SCS at the hospital, multiple enactments of an SCS emerged. An SCS was enacted: as a means to reduce drug-related risks for all people who use drugs, as an opportunity to intervene on patients' drug use, as a means to centralize drug use, and as a transformative intervention for the hospital. In our findings, harm reduction, abstinence, security, and risk mitigation goals existed closely together, yielding overlaying realities. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed various enactments of an SCS, some of which are likely to negatively affect people who use drugs and service access. As more hospitals consider the implementation of an SCS, understanding how an SCS is made in practice will be key to building a service that focuses on the needs of people who use drugs.

Exploring the Lived Experience of Self-management Practices of Indigenous Men, Women and Two-spirited Individuals Living With Type 2 Diabetes in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Indigenous men, women and two-spirted individuals have been significantly impacted by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications. It is believed that T2DM in Indigenous peoples is a direct result of colonization and the introduction of changes to traditional Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and living. The broader question will guide the aim of this scoping review: What is currently known about the lived experience of self-managing diabetes in Indigenous men, women, and two-spirited individuals living with T2DM in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand? Specific objectives of this scoping review include 1) exploring the lived experience of self-management practices of Indigenous men, women, and two-spirited individuals living with T2DM; and 2) describing how self-management experiences differ from physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual perspectives. METHODS: A total of 6 databases were searched, including Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane, and the Native Health Database. An example of keywords searched included "self-management," "Indigenous," and "type 2 diabetes mellitus." A total of 37 articles were included in the synthesis of results, and the 4 quadrants of the Medicine Wheel were used to organize and interpret data. RESULTS: The use of culture within self-management practices was important for Indigenous peoples. Demographic data were collected for many of the studies, including sex and gender characteristics, but only a small number of studies addressed the influence of sex and gender on outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our findings inform future Indigenous diabetes education and health-care service delivery and future research.

Intraurban mobility and its potential impact on the spread of blood-borne infections among drug injectors in Tijuana, Mexico.

We explored intraurban mobility of Tijuana, Mexico, injection drug users (IDUs). In 2005, 222 IDUs underwent behavioral surveys and infectious disease testing. Participants resided in 58 neighborhoods, but regularly injected in 30. From logistic regression, "mobile" IDUs (injecting ≥3 km from their residence) were more likely to cross the Mexico/U.S. border, share needles, and get arrested for carrying syringes-but less likely to identify hepatitis as an injection risk. Mobile participants lived in neighborhoods with less drug activity, treatment centers, or migrants, but higher marriage and home ownership rates. Mobile IDUs should be targeted for outreach and further investigation. The study's limitations are noted.

Mental health and cultural continuity among an urban Indigenous population in Toronto, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Mental health and psychiatric disorders significantly affect individuals on personal and social levels. Indigenous populations in Canada have disproportionately high rates of mental health diagnoses. Our Health Counts (OHC) Toronto assessed mental health, racism, family disruption, and cultural continuity among urban Indigenous people. The objectives of this study were to understand (1) the demographics and characteristics of Indigenous adults with a diagnosed psychological/mental health disorder and (2) potential associations of psychological/mental health diagnoses with experiences of colonization and cultural continuity among Indigenous adults in Toronto. METHODS: Using community-based participatory research methods, Indigenous adults in Toronto were recruited by respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to complete a comprehensive health assessment survey. RDS-II weights were applied to calculate population-based estimates, and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were produced using logistic regression, controlling for age and gender. RESULTS: Among Indigenous adults, nearly half (45%) reported receiving a mental health diagnosis. Participants reported lifetime anxiety disorders (53%), major depression (51%), and high rates of suicide ideation (78%). Of Indigenous adults with a diagnosed mental health disorder, 72.7% reported participating in ceremony. Attending residential schools (OR: 7.82) and experiencing discrimination (OR: 2.69) were associated with having a mental health disorder. CONCLUSION: OHC Toronto responded to the gaps in health assessment data for urban Indigenous people. Despite historic and ongoing trauma, Indigenous people have maintained cultural practices and a strong sense of identity. Efforts aimed at supporting Indigenous well-being must respond to the roots of trauma, racism, and existing Indigenous community knowledge and strengths.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Les troubles psychiatriques et de santé mentale ont des effets considérables sur le plan personnel et social. Les populations autochtones du Canada ont des taux démesurément élevés de diagnostics en santé mentale. L'organisme Our Health Counts (OHC) Toronto a évalué la santé mentale, le racisme, les perturbations familiales et la continuité culturelle de personnes autochtones en milieu urbain. L'étude visait à comprendre 1) le profil démographique et les caractéristiques d'adultes autochtones ayant un trouble psychologique ou de santé mentale diagnostiqué et 2) les associations possibles entre les diagnostics psychologiques ou en santé mentale et les expériences de colonisation et de continuité culturelle chez les adultes autochtones de Toronto. MéTHODE: À l'aide de méthodes de recherche participative communautaire, des adultes autochtones de Toronto ont été recrutés par échantillonnage en fonction des répondants (EFR) pour répondre à une enquête d'évaluation globale de la santé. Des pondérations EFR-II ont été appliquées au calcul d'estimations populationnelles, et des rapports de cotes ajustés avec des intervalles de confiance de 95 % ont été produits par régression logistique, après avoir apporté des ajustements pour tenir compte des effets de l'âge et du sexe. RéSULTATS: Chez les adultes autochtones, près de la moitié (45 %) ont déclaré avoir reçu un diagnostic en santé mentale. Les participants ont déclaré avoir connu au cours de leur vie des troubles anxieux (53 %), une dépression majeure (51 %) et, dans une proportion élevée, des pensées suicidaires (78 %). Chez les adultes autochtones ayant un trouble mental diagnostiqué, 72,7 % ont déclaré participer à des cérémonies. La fréquentation des pensionnats (RC : 7,82) et l'expérience de la discrimination (RC: 2,69) étaient associées au fait d'avoir un trouble mental. CONCLUSION: OHC Toronto cherchait à combler les lacunes dans les données d'évaluation de la santé des populations autochtones en milieu urbain. Malgré leurs traumatismes présents et historiques, ces populations ont conservé leurs pratiques culturelles et un fort sentiment d'identité. Les démarches pour appuyer le bien-être des personnes autochtones doivent tenir compte des racines des traumatismes, du racisme, ainsi que des connaissances et des forces existantes des communautés autochtones.

Using Concept Mapping to Define Indigenous Housing First in Hamilton, Ontario.

BACKGROUND: The lasting impact of colonization contributes to the disproportionate rates of homelessness experienced by Indigenous people in Canada. METHODS: This study used participatory mixed methods to evaluate an urban, Indigenous-led Housing First program in Ontario to fill knowledge gaps on wise practices addressing the unique dimensions of Indigenous homelessness. Using concept mapping, staff perspectives were engaged to generate 65 unique statements describing program delivery and their interrelationships using a six-cluster map. RESULTS: 'Team's Professional Skills' and 'Spiritual Practices' rated high in importance (mean = 4.75 and 4.73, respectively), and feasibility (mean = 4.31 and 4.33, respectively). While fairly important, 'Partnerships and Agency Supports' was ranked least feasible (mean = 3.89). On average, clusters rated higher in importance than feasibility. CONCLUSION: Concept mapping draws from local knowledge, elicits strong engagement, and captured the holistic and client-centred approach of an Indigenous Housing First Model.

"They have their security, we have our community": Mutual support among people experiencing homelessness in encampments in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unaffordable housing is a growing crisis in Canada, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet perspectives of people living outdoors in encampments have primarily gone unheard. We conducted qualitative interviews with encampment residents to explore how mutual support occurred within the social context of encampments. We found that mutually supportive interactions helped residents meet basic survival needs, as well as health and social needs, and reduced common health and safety risks related to homelessness. The homelessness sector should acknowledge that encampment residents form their own positive communities, and ensure policies and services do not isolate people from these beneficial social connections.

Knowledge translation approaches and practices in Indigenous health research: A systematic review.

Knowledge translation (KT) is a critical component of any applied health research. Indigenous Peoples' health research and KT largely continues to be taught, developed, designed, regulated, and conducted in ways that do not prioritize local Indigenous Peoples' ways of sharing knowledges. This review was governed and informed by Indigenous health scholars, Knowledge Guardians, and Elders. Our systematic review focused on answering, what are the promising and wise practices for KT in the Indigenous health research field? Fifty-one documents were included after screening published literature from any country and grey literature from what is now known as Canada. This included contacting 73 government agencies at the federal, territorial, and provincial levels that may have funded Indigenous health research. Only studies that: a) focused on Indigenous Peoples' health and wellness; b) documented knowledge sharing activities and rationale; c) evaluated the knowledge sharing processes or outcomes; and d) printed in English were included and appraised using the Well Living House quality appraisal tool. The analysis was completed using an iterative and narrative synthesis approach. Our systematic review protocol has been published elsewhere. We highlight and summarize the varied aims of Indigenous health research KT, types of KT methodologies and methods used, effectiveness of KT efforts, impacts of KT on Indigenous Peoples' health and wellness, as well as recommendations and lessons learned. Few authors reported using rigorous KT evaluation or disclosed their identity and relationship with the Indigenous communities involved in research (i.e. self-locate). The findings from this review accentuate, reiterate and reinforce that KT is inherent in Indigenous health research processes and content, as a form of knowing and doing. Indigenous health research must include inherent KT processes, if the research is by, for, and/or with Indigenous Peoples.

Frequency of fatal and non-fatal overdoses and response to grief and loss among people who inject drugs: An unexplored dimension of the opioid overdose crisis.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the relationship between overdose events and grief and loss responses among people who inject drugs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, tablet-based survey with a convenience sample of people who inject drugs (n = 249) from four community-based harm reduction programs in Toronto in 2019. We examined the association between frequency and types of overdose events (own, witnessed, death of significant person) in the last 6 months with grief and loss responses, identified using latent class analysis. RESULTS: Among respondents, 70 (48.6 %) reported 2 or more personal overdoses, 173 (79.5 %) witnessed 2 or more overdoses, and 69 (41.4 %) experienced overdose deaths of 2 or more significant persons in the last 6 months. We identified 2 latent classes with probability of membership of 38.6 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]=31.0, 46.7) for medium/low intensity of responses to grief/loss and 61.4 % (95 % CI= 53.3, 69.0) for severe responses to grief/loss. In adjusted Poisson regression models with robust standard error estimators, severe responses to grief/loss were associated with exposure to two or more own overdoses (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.44; 95 % CI=1.12, 1.84, p-value=0.004), and having witnessed one (PR=2.09; 95 % CI=1.05, 4.15, p-value=0.04) or witnessed two or more overdoses (PR=2.25; 95 % CI=1.24, 4.09, p-value=0.008). Severe grief/loss responses were also more common in individuals exposed to all three types of overdose events (PR=2.42; 95 % CI=1.08, 5.41, p-value=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Cumulative overdose events were associated with severe responses to grief and loss. Bereavement interventions should consider the complex nature of grief and loss following overdoses.

Conceptualising cultural safety at an Indigenous-focused midwifery practice in Toronto, Canada: qualitative interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients.

OBJECTIVE: Cultural safety is an Indigenous concept that can improve how healthcare services are delivered to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. This study explored how Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients at an urban, Indigenous-focused midwifery practice in Toronto, Canada (Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, SGMT) conceptualised and experienced culturally safe care. DESIGN AND SETTING: Interviews were conducted with former clients of SGMT as a part of a larger evaluation of the practice. Participants were purposefully recruited. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically using an iterative, consensus-based approach and a critical, naturalistic, and decolonising lens. PARTICIPANTS: Saturation was reached after 20 interviews (n=9 Indigenous participants, n=11 non-Indigenous participants). RESULTS: Three domains of cultural safety emerged. Each domain included several themes: Relationships and Communication (respect and support for choices; personalised and continuous relationships with midwives; and being different from past experiences); Sharing Knowledge and Practice (feeling informed about the basics of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period; and having access to Indigenous knowledge and protocols), and Culturally Safe Spaces (feeling at home in practice; and having relationships interconnected with the physical space). While some ideas were shared across groups, the distinctions between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants were prominent. CONCLUSION: The Indigenous participants conceptualised cultural safety in ways that highlight the survival and resurgence of Indigenous values, understandings, and approaches in cities like Toronto, and affirm the need for Indigenous midwives. The non-Indigenous participants conceptualised cultural safety with both congruence, illuminating Black-Indigenous community solidarities in cultural safety, and divergence, demonstrating the potential of Indigenous spaces and Indigenous-focused midwifery care to also benefit midwifery clients of white European descent. We hope that the positive impacts documented here motivate evaluators and healthcare providers to work towards a future where 'cultural safety' becomes a standard of care.

Unmet health needs and discrimination by healthcare providers among an Indigenous population in Toronto, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada persist. Despite the growth of Indigenous populations in urban settings, information on their health is scarce. The objective of this study is to assess the association between experience of discrimination by healthcare providers and having unmet health needs within the Indigenous population of Toronto. METHODS: The Our Health Counts Toronto (OHCT) database was generated using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 917 self-identified Indigenous adults within Toronto for a comprehensive health assessment survey. This cross-sectional study draws on information from 836 OHCT participants with responses to all study variables. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated to examine the relationship between lifetime experience of discrimination by a healthcare provider and having an unmet health need in the 12 months prior to the study. Stratified analysis was conducted to understand how information on access to primary care and socio-demographic factors influenced this relationship. RESULTS: The RDS-adjusted prevalence of discrimination by a healthcare provider was 28.5% (95% CI 20.4-36.5) and of unmet health needs was 27.3% (95% CI 19.1-35.5). Discrimination by a healthcare provider was positively associated with unmet health needs (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3-7.3). CONCLUSION: This analysis provides new evidence linking discrimination in healthcare settings to disparities in healthcare access among urban Indigenous people, reinforcing existing recommendations regarding Indigenous cultural safety training for healthcare providers. Our study further demonstrates Our Health Counts methodologies, which employ robust community partnerships and RDS to address gaps in health information for urban Indigenous populations.

Community-based services for homeless adults experiencing concurrent mental health and substance use disorders: a realist approach to synthesizing evidence.

Consultations with community-based service providers in Toronto identified a lack of strong research evidence about successful community-based interventions that address the needs of homeless clients experiencing concurrent mental health and substance use disorders. We undertook a collaborative research effort between academic-based and community-based partners to conduct a systematic evidence synthesis drawing heavily from Pawson's realist review methodology to focus on both whether programs are successful and why and how they lead to improved outcomes. We examined scholarly and nonscholarly literature to explore program approaches and program elements that lead to improvements in mental health and substance use disorders among homeless individuals with concurrent disorders (CD). Information related to program contexts, elements, and successes and failures were extracted and further supplemented by key informant interviews and author communication regarding reviewed published studies. From the ten programs that we reviewed, we identified six important and promising program strategies that reduce mental health and, to a far lesser degree, substance use problems: client choice in treatment decision-making, positive interpersonal relationships between client and provider, assertive community treatment approaches, providing supportive housing, providing supports for instrumental needs, and nonrestrictive program approaches. These promising program strategies function, in part, by promoting and supporting autonomy among homeless adults experiencing CD. Our realist informed review is a useful methodology for synthesizing complex programming information on community-based interventions.

"I feel safe just coming here because there are other Native brothers and sisters": findings from a community-based evaluation of the Niiwin Wendaanimak Four Winds Wellness Program.

BACKGROUND: Urban Indigenous populations in Canada are steadily growing and represent diverse and culturally vibrant communities. Disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples' experiences of the social determinants of health are a growing concern. Under the guidance of the West End Aboriginal Advisory Council (WEAAC), Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre (PQWCHC) launched the Niiwin Wendaanimak Four Winds Wellness Program that seeks to enhance health and community services for homeless and at-risk Indigenous populations in Toronto. OBJECTIVES: A process evaluation was carried out to (1) assess the collaborative service delivery model; (2) identify service gaps and issues for homeless and at-risk Indigenous populations; and (3) develop recommendations for how non-Indigenous organizations can provide culturally responsive services for Indigenous populations. METHODS: In consultation with the WEAAC, a thematic analysis of qualitative data collected from 2 focus groups with community members who access the Niiwin Wendaanimak program and 17 key informant interviews with staff and peers was conducted. RESULTS: The Niiwin Wendaanimak program bridges teachings of inclusivity and the practice of harm reduction to create a non-judgemental space where community members' dignity and autonomy is respected. Strengths of the program include Indigenous leadership and access to activities that promote wellness and community building. CONCLUSIONS: As a non-Indigenous service provider, PQWCHC is meeting the needs of homeless and at-risk Indigenous populations in Toronto. Program strengths, system gaps, and challenges including policy recommendations were identified.

A qualitative exploration of prescription opioid injection among street-based drug users in Toronto: behaviours, preferences and drug availability.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of a high prevalence of prescription opioid (PO) and crack use among street drug users in Toronto. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe drug use behaviours and preferences as well as the social and environmental context surrounding the use of these drugs among young and old street-based drug injection drug users (IDUs). METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 PO injectors. Topics covered included drug use history, types of drugs used, how drugs were purchased and transitions to PO use. Interviews were taped and transcribed. Content analysis was conducted to identify themes. RESULTS: Five prominent themes emerged from the interviews: 1) Combination of crack and prescription opioids, 2) First injection experience and transition to prescription opioids, 3) Drug preferences and availability, 4) Housing and income and 5) Obtaining drugs. There was consensus that OxyContin and crack were the most commonly available drugs on the streets of Toronto. Drug use preferences and behaviours were influenced by the availability of drugs, the desired effect, ease of administration and expectations around the purity of the drugs. Distinct experiences were observed among younger users as compared to older users. In particular, the initiation of injection drug use and experimentation with POs among younger users was influenced by their experiences on the street, their peers and general curiosity. CONCLUSION: Given the current profile of street-based drug market in Toronto and the emergence of crack and POs as two predominant illicit drug groups, understanding drug use patterns and socio-economic factors among younger and older users in this population has important implications for preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Our health counts: population-based measures of urban Inuit health determinants, health status, and health care access.

OBJECTIVE: Health determinants and outcomes are not well described for the growing population of Inuit living in southern urban areas of Canada despite known and striking health disparities for Inuit living in the north. The objective of this study was to work in partnership with Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) to develop population prevalence estimates for key indicators of health, including health determinants, health status outcomes, and health services access for Inuit in Ottawa, Canada. METHODS: We employed community-based respondent driven sampling (RDS) and a comprehensive health assessment survey to collect primary data regarding health determinants, status, and service access. We then linked with datasets held by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), including hospitalization, emergency room, and health screening records. Adjusted population-based prevalence estimates and rates were calculated using custom RDS software. RESULTS: We recruited 341 Inuit adults living in Ottawa. The number of Inuit living, working or accessing health and social services in the City of Ottawa was estimated to be 3361 (95% CI 2309-4959). This population experiences high rates of poverty, unemployment, household crowding, and food insecurity. Prevalence of hypertension (25%; 95% CI 18.1-33.9), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.7%; 95% CI 3.1-10.6), cancer (6.8%; 95% CI 2.7-11.9), and rates of emergency room access were elevated for Inuit in Ottawa compared to the general population. Access to health services was rated fair or poor by 43%. Multiple barriers to health care access were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Urban Inuit experience a heavy burden of adverse health determinants and poor health status outcomes. According to urban Inuit in Ottawa, health services available to Inuit at the time of the study were inadequate.

A cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between diabetes and health access barriers in an urban First Nations population in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the relationship between health access barriers and diabetes in an urban First Nations population in Canada. DESIGN: Data from a self-identified urban First Nations population were collected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). As no clear approach for regression modelling of RDS data is available, two logistic regression modelling approaches, including survey-based logistic and generalised linear mixed models, were used to explore the relationship between diabetes and health barriers of interest, including access to healthcare, food, housing and socioeconomic factors. SETTING: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data collected from the Our Health Counts study, in partnership with the De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, which recruited 554 First Nations adults living in Hamilton using RDS. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, multivariable regression techniques showed a statistically significant relationship between a self-reported diagnosis of diabetes and a lack of culturally appropriate care among urban First Nations peoples (OR: 12.70, 95% CI 2.52 to 57.91). There was also a trend towards a relationship between diabetes and not having a doctor available in the area, feeling that healthcare provided was inadequate and a lack of available healthcare services in the area. CONCLUSIONS: Urban First Nations peoples who felt the health service they received was not culturally appropriate were more likely to have diabetes, compared with those who did not feel the service they received was culturally inappropriate. Establishing more healthcare services that integrate First Nations cultures and traditions could improve access to care and the course of treatment for urban First Nations peoples living with diabetes.