"Research on the health of Aboriginal Peoples is a key theme for our university," says U of S Vice-President Research Steven Franklin. "Today's investments from CIHR will advance work with our Aboriginal partners to identify tools and strategies to foster healthy communities."

The grants are part of $1.2 million to fund health research in Saskatchewan announced in April by CIHR President Dr. Alan Bernstein.

"The CIHR health research funding announced today will advance knowledge in many areas that are of strategic importance to Canada and will also contribute to strengthening the research and training environment for young Canadians in all regions of the country," Bernstein says.

Dr. Cory Neudorf, Vice-President Research with the Saskatoon Health Region and clinical associate professor in the College of Medicine, will receive $282,000 over three years to study immunization rates among Aboriginal children in Saskatoon. Immunization rates among children in the city's poorer neighbourhoods - where many Aboriginal families live - are less than half that of more affluent communities. Neudorf and his team will look at the rate of immunization of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children to identify possible cultural differences. The team will also test the effectiveness of various interventions, such as home and school visits and reminder systems to increase immunization rates.

Jennifer Poudrier, assistant professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Science, will receive $300,000 over three years to examine healthy body weight and healthy body image among Aboriginal women in the First Nations of the Battlefords Tribal Council. Poudrier will work with Aboriginal women through "PhotoVoice," a technique where the women are provided cameras to record their own perceptions. By combining these perceptions with interviews, sharing circles, and elder knowledge, Poudrier and her team hope to identify gaps in community health services that address obesity. The knowledge will guide the design of more effective intervention tools to address this health problem.

Pammla Petrucka, assistant professor in the College of Nursing, will receive $233,000 over three years to help identify factors affecting health and well being among youth on the Standing Buffalo First Nation near Fort Qu'Appelle. Common interventions for suicide prevention, obesity, substance abuse, and mental illness have not been as successful for Aboriginal youth as for their non-Aboriginal counterparts. By gathering young people's personal perspectives, she hopes to shed light on social, cultural, historical, and environmental factors. Petrucka and her community-based interdisciplinary team will also use the PhotoVoice technique with sharing circles in the community. The knowledge gained will guide design of future interventions aimed at improving health and well being of Aboriginal youth.

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For more information, contact:

Michele Bossaer
Corporate and Public Affairs
Saskatoon Health Region
(306) 655-3328
www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca

Jennifer Poudrier
College of Arts and Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1793
jennifer.poudrier@usask.ca

Pammla Petrucka
College of Nursing
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 798-1082
pammla.petrucka@usask.ca

Michael Robin
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2427
michael.robin@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research