Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH)
Research
The
CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (
IAPH) supports research to address the special health needs of Canada's Aboriginal people.
Research areas include but are not limited to:
- culturally relevant health promotion strategies
- identification of health advantage and health risk factors in aboriginal populations related to the interaction of environments (cultural, social, psychological, physical, genetic)
- health determinants - to elucidate the multi-dimensional factors that affect the health of populations and lead to a differential prevalence of health concerns
- disease, injury and disability prevention strategies
- social, cultural, and environmental research that will contribute to the development of appropriate health policies and health systems
- addiction and mental health strategies from prevention to intervention to policy formation
- psychosocial, cultural, epidemiological and genetic investigations to determine causal factors for increased prevalence of certain conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, cancer, infectious diseases)
- clinical trials or other methodologies to determine the most effective interventions with aboriginal populations in order to address a variety of health needs (e.g. assessment of alternative and complementary medicine)
- health services research to address the unique accessibility and provider issues such as funding and continuity of care and with particular regard to issues of child and elder care
- international research recognizing and exploring the commonalities among indigenous populations worldwide with respect to health concerns
- ethics issues related to research, care strategies, and access to care (e.g. community consent, sensitivity to culture)
IAPH also encourages capacity building by supporting and nurturing graduate students pursuing careers in aboriginal health research.
