MHST 601: Synthesis of Key Takeaways of my Learning Journey

Completing graduate studies has been a personal goal for over 20 years. After researching a number of courses, I chose to pursue the Master of Health Studies program through Athabasca University (AU) because it offers an online, paced learning environment that suits my professional and personal needs.

The Critical Foundations of Health Disciplines course (MHST 601) has provided a wonderful introduction to graduate studies. It has helped me adapt within a virtual learning environment, strengthened my digital literacy and professional online presence, and taught me how to conceptualize factors that influence Canadian health. This blog post is a summary of my journey.

Week 1 - Getting started

The first week of MHST 601 laid the foundation for my learning as a graduate student. I met my virtual classmates and familiarized myself with the Moodle online learning platform. I completed social media and professionalism audits, which supported me to set parameters for how I want to present myself as a student and civil servant. My social media and professionalism audits were synthesized into my first blog that I posted in Week 4. I often refer back to this post when participating in student forums and posting online.

Week 2 – Resource Curation

During Week 2, I reviewed my health information research habits and realized that I often source information that was not always credible. I also consistently failed to store resources for future use. With a nudge from my tutor, I started using AU library services and Google Scholar to source academic material, which yielded more reliable results. I also explored a variety of new technologies for storing curated information and as a result, I now use Zotero and OneNote to store my academic resources. These applications have significantly reduced my study time and simplified my curation and storage process.

Week 3 & 4 – Developing a Professional AU Profile

One of the requirements of MHST 601 is to develop an ePortfolio that houses professional accomplishments and course artefacts. After exploring several platforms, I decided to use WIX to build my first e-portfolio, as I found it to be the most user-friendly platform for my skill level. I submitted a draft of my ePortfolio as my first assignment. Using feedback from my tutor and fellow students, I have refined the appearance and functionality of my website and progressively add course-related content to support my studies. I hope to continue this practice for the duration of my Masters program.

Week 5 - 11 - Conceptualization and Analysis of Key Learnings

The remaining weeks of the course focused on factors that influence health within the Canadian context. I explored a number of topics that supported my learning needs such as critiquing the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) definition of health, comparing Canadian chronic disease rates and examining Black maternal health inequities. However, given that I spent considerable time focusing on the health disparities of Indigenous children and youth in government care, I have used the topic to synthesize and showcase my key learnings during this segment of the course.

Understanding Determinants of Health for Vulnerable Populations

The WHO defines determinants of health as factors that “affect the health of individuals and communities,” such as a person’s behavior or their social, physical and economic environment (WHO, 2017). Examining multi-layered environmental factors allows researchers to understand health at a deeper level (Determinants of Health, n.d.). Having an understanding of these determinants when conceptualizing the health of Indigenous young people in care, can help researchers glean a deeper understanding of the underlying issues that impact their health.

For example, I shared a video in Week 6 that explores the impacts of intergenerational trauma on the health of Indigenous People. The video discusses how intensive residential school supervision led to a fear and distrust of authority figures. It also referenced how the absence of a nutritious diet in school, negatively influenced poor eating habits and increased rates of chronic disease in adulthood. Considering factors such as intergenerational trauma and other determinants of health are powerful tools for informing evidence-based practice and decision-making, especially when conceptualizing the health of vulnerable populations such as young people in care.

Multilevel Approaches to Understanding Health

Multilevel models of health are often used as frameworks that help us examine the levels of influence individuals or institutions have over multiple domains of health (DeCamp et al., 2021). My second assignment was a blog post that applied the 5 levels of the Socioecological Model (SEM) to examine the factors that influence physical activity in school-aged children and adolescents. The post examines the spheres of influence using personal, interpersonal, organizational/community and public policy domains.

The methodology used by the featured researchers in my post (Hu, Donglin and peers), could be narrowed to focus on the physical activity rates of Indigenous children and adolescents in care, as researchers could incorporate sociocultural, prenatal, family and community environmental factors to analyze the issue further (O’Dea & Eriksen, 2010). The SEM could also be applied to other issues such as eating habits, or mental health and addictions. The application of other models such as the Health Belief Model or Social Cognitive Theory could be applied when researching and designing intervention strategies for this vulnerable group as well.

Chronic Disease Prevention and Management

Approximately 45.1% of Canadians are living with one or more chronic illnesses and the rate is expected to rise by 14% each year. Prevalence is higher amongst Indigenous community members, when compared to non-Indigenous people (Government of Canada, 2023). The most commonly diagnosed chronic illnesses for this population are mental health conditions, high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma and diabetes (Statistics Canada, 2022). Based on these statistics, Indigenous children and youth are at a higher risk of developing one or more chronic illnesses in their lifetime, when compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts.

My sixth blog post discusses the health disparities of Indigenous children and youth in care and explores data related to the death and serious injury rates. The information provided could be expanded to explore the long-term chronic disease implications for young people who have been seriously injured while receiving child protective services, or it could be broadened to include current and projected chronic disease rates. Incorporating these types of additional factors can help inform strategic interventions and targeted health promotion strategies to address disparities for this disadvantaged group.

Future Directions in health

I focused on advancements in wearable health technology during Week 12 of the course. Early studies suggest that these innovations could be used in the future to help prevent and manage chronic illnesses like obesity, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases within a clinical setting (Scheid et al., 2023). Although these advancements show promise, there are concerns that they may be accessibility barriers for vulnerable populations, which would most likely include Indigenous young people in care.

For instance, a survey by Chandrasekaran et al., (2020) found that wearable technology in the United States is predominantly used by college educated White men between the ages of 18 - 50 years, with an annual income of $75,000 or more. The report indicates that there is less uptake by other gender groups and individuals with a lower socioeconomic status. These findings imply that certain new technologies may not be readily available or accessible to communities who are at greater risk of developing long-term illnesses, which in turn could limit the potential benefits of their usage for vulnerable individuals in particular.

Given that innovations have the potential to improve population health in the coming years, it is imperative that these kinds of advancements are accessible by disenfranchised populations like children and youth in care. As wearable technology integrates into healthcare, researchers must ensure that products are accessible to a cross section of the population, regardless of sex, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Representation of diverse groups within ongoing research is also vital for measuring long-term opportunities and impacts of these innovations (Scheid et al., 2023).

Key Learnings Summary

Determinants of health support us to understand the multi-layered environments that impact our health (Determinants of Health, n.d.). Multilevel models help us examine the levels of influence individuals or institutions have over multiple domains of health (DeCamp et al., 2021). Chronic disease data provides us with insights into the current and future health trends within a population. Understanding the impacts of future directions in health can help foster an inclusive evolution of the healthcare system. It is crucial that researchers consider and combine these factors and models when conceptualizing modern health issues, as a comprehensive approach will inform evidence-based decision making and strengthen associated healthcare practices and outcomes for service users.

Conclusion

Completing MHST 601 has been a rewarding introduction to graduate studies. I have adjusted into a modern virtual school setting, built a professional online identity and learned how to conceptualize factors that influence the health of Canadians. Utilizing AU’s Write Site resources such as webinars, the writing forum and coaching services, have helped me strengthen my study and writing skills and built my confidence as a modern graduate student.

Weekly interactions with fellow students were informative and thought provoking, and peer feedback supported me to refine my ePortfolio and blog posts. My tutor Dr. Ivan Culum was always available to answer questions, which helped me understand and complete assignments on time. He challenged me to embrace new technologies and provided constructive feedback, which helped me succeed within a modern learning environment. With this newly found confidence, I am excited to start my next course - Facilitating Enquiry (MHST 603).

References

Canada, G. of C. C.-I. R. and N. A. (2018, April 23). Health [Guide]. https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524499024614/1557512659251

Chandrasekaran, R., Katthula, V., & Moustakas, E. (2020). Patterns of Use and Key Predictors for the Use of Wearable Health Care Devices by US Adults: Insights from a National Survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(10), e22443. https://doi.org/10.2196/22443

DeCamp, M., George, M., Karches, K., Prochaska, M., Saunders, M., Thorsteinsdottir, B., & Dzeng, E. (2021). Spheres of Influence and Strategic Advocacy for Equity in Medicine. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(11), 3537–3540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-021-06893-4

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Government of Canada, S. C. (2022, August 30). Unmet health care needs during the pandemic and resulting impacts among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2022001/article/00008-eng.htm#:~:text=The%20most%20commonly%20diagnosed%20chronic,compared%20with%20non%2DIndigenous%20people.

Government of Canada, S. C. (2023, September 13). Health outcomes. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-570-x/2023001/section1-eng.htm#a3

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Indigenous health in Alberta: Trust, knowledge and relationships. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBwnsWAbSpY

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O’Dea, J. A., & Eriksen, M. P. (2010). Childhood Obesity Prevention: International Research, Controversies, and Interventions. Oxford University Press.

Scheid, Jennifer L., et al. “Commentary: Is Wearable Fitness Technology a Medically Approved Device? Yes and No.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 20, no. 13, Jan. 2023, p. 6230, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136230.

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