Wanda Phillips-Beck

The First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba of the AMC · Research Centre

Background Qualitative studies document episodes of weight-related disrespectful care, particularly for people with high body mass index (BMI ≥ 30) and reveal implicit and explicit biases in health care providers. No large quantitative studies document the pervasiveness of weight stigma or if experiences change with increasing BMI. Methods The mul...

Objectives Childhood social care can lead to lifelong problems affecting health, educational attainment and other areas of a person’s life. Improving outcomes for children are therefore key policy objectives in many nations. The aim of this workshop was to inspire and drive forward life-course research on childhood social care internationally. Appr...

Background This study explored perinatal patient experiences in a co-led Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Indigenous cultural teachings program. The aim was to understand the programs strengths, impact, and areas for improvement. Methods Guided by the Valuing All Voices Framework and using Appreciative Inquiry, interviews were conducted with...

First Nations (FN) and Indigenous Peoples around the world face significant challenges in navigating the complexities of Western research systems, particularly in the context of data sovereignty and research about their people and communities; the same can be said for Western researchers navigating Indigenous research space. We examine the intersec...

This study aimed to identify factors associated with healthy development after experiencing household challenge adversity in early childhood. A cohort of 42,505 children born in Manitoba, Canada was created using linkable health, social, and education administrative data. Children were divided into 5 groups according to whether they experienced adv...

Background Historically, Indigenous voices have been silent in health research, reflective of colonial academic institutions that privilege Western ways of knowing. However, Indigenous methodologies and methods with an emphasis on the active involvement of Indigenous peoples and centering Indigenous voices are gaining traction in health education a...

While Canadian maternal mortality rates suggest widespread access to high-quality care, perinatal health care outcomes and care experiences among pregnant people in Canada vary widely, particularly among communities that have been historically oppressed, excluded, and marginalized. The lack of patient-oriented research and measurement in perinatal...

Background Differential access to healthcare has contributed to a higher burden of illness and mortality among First Nations compared to other people in Canada. Throughout the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, First Nations organizations in Manitoba partnered with public health and Manitoba government officials to ensure First Nations h...

Objective First Nations children face a greater risk of experiencing mental disorders than other children from the general population because of family and societal factors, yet there is little research examining their mental health. This study compares diagnosed mental disorders and suicidal behaviours of First Nations children living on-reserve a...

Background: Globally, high rates of maternal and infant mortality call for interventions during the perinatal period to engage pregnant women, and their loved ones, to ensure they remain in care. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have become ubiquitous in our lives and healthcare settings and hold promise for improving maternal health outcomes....

There is a profoundly troubling history of research being done on Indigenous peoples without regard for their priorities and accompanying calls to decolonize health research. Storytelling methods can privilege Indigenous voices in research. Indigenous people’s knowledge systems have existed for millennium, where knowledge is produced and shared thr...

Introduction: First Nation (FN) peoples and communities in Canada are still grappling with the effects of colonization. Health and social inequities result in higher disease burden and significant disparities in healthcare access and responsiveness. For resilience, survival, and self-determination, FN are looking inwards for strengths. This paper...

Introduction Rising use of methamphetamine is causing significant public health concern in Canada. The biological and behavioural effects of methamphetamine range from wakefulness, vigour and euphoria to adverse physical health outcomes like myocardial infarction, haemorrhagic stroke, arrhythmia and seizure. It can also cause severe psychological c...

Objectives Lack of consistent and relevant Indigenous identifiers in Canadian data sources leads to misclassification and under-recognition of the health and social issues impacting Indigenous Peoples, further perpetuating the harms of colonization. We are evaluating and optimizing our approach for identifying First Nations (FN) individuals in admi...

Objectives First Nations (FN) organizations worked with public health and governments to improve FN access to COVID-19 vaccines by prioritizing FN communities in vaccination initiatives. FN researchers and data scientists partnered to test whether these efforts were associated with increased access to COVID-19 vaccines among FN compared with all ot...

Objectives Given the impact of colonization and responding to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we aimed to provide baseline measures of First Nations children’s health and social outcomes in Manitoba, Canada. We also aimed to create a research process where Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers work collaboratively and in culturall...

Objectives Generations of racist and colonial policies have resulted in First Nations (FN) people being systematically over-represented in Canada’s legal system. FN researchers partnered with data scientists at the University of Manitoba to document the birth outcomes associated with experiences of prenatal incarceration among FN families. Approach...

Objectives Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Call to Action #19 to close the gap in maternal/child outcomes, the goal of this study was to provide a baseline for select outcomes and demonstrate how an Indigenous/decolonizing framework can be applied to population health research involving Indigenous people. App...

In this study, we focused on readmissions for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) ending in death, to capture those admissions and readmissions that might have been prevented if responsive primary healthcare was accessible. We propose this as a sentinel indicator of equity. We conducted analyses of Manitoba-based 30-day hospital readmission...

Introduction & Background Global persistence of health inequities for Indigenous peoples is evident in ongoing discrepancies in health and standards of living. International literature suggests the key to transformation lies in Indigenous efforts to control Indigenous health and healthcare. Previous authors have focused upon participation, structur...

Introduction Decades of research demonstrate that First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FN/M/I) populations have differential access to diagnostic and therapeutic healthcare. Emerging evidence shows that this continues to be the case during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In an effort to rectify these differences in access to care, our team, which is co-led by...

Background In Manitoba, Canada, low-income pregnant women are eligible for the Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit, an unconditional income supplement of up to CAD $81/month, during their latter two trimesters. Our objective was to determine the impact of the Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit on birth and early childhood outcomes among Manitoba First Nations...

Worldwide, Indigenous peoples focus on being well rather than merely managing diseases and illnesses. We have elaborated on a mental wellness framework earlier developed with Manitoba First Nations (FN). This article further explores wider community perspectives in relation to the themes previously shared by FN Elders. Surveys were administered to...

Recognizing the right of self-determination of Indigenous Peoples is essential to improving the state of community-based primary healthcare of First Nations in Canada. Understanding communities’ priorities and local health agendas is critical for primary healthcare transformation. We used a community-based participatory research approach to engage...

This study tested the assumption that geographical isolation is associated with poorer population health outcomes among First Nations in Manitoba. Our results show higher premature mortality rates (PMR) in northern communities, declining slower than for any other Manitoba communities. Our results also show lower ambulatory care sensitive conditions...

The First Nations in Manitoba, Canada, are calling for active recognition and incorporation of holistic traditional healing and medicine ways and approaches by the mainstream healthcare system that has hitherto tended to ignore all but biomedical approaches. This request for recognition requires elaboration on areas of opportunity for collaboration...

Introduction Administrative data studies routinely report that First Nations mothers and children experience a disproportionate burden of poor health. Due to the nature of administrative data, research often takes a deficits-oriented approach. First Nations health research needs to consider the role that community- and individual-level strengths pl...

The study is on racism against First Nation peoples in the Canadian healthcare system. The study design incorporates principles of grounded theory, participant and Indigenous (decolonizing) research. Four questions are addressed: (1) What is the root cause of racism against First Nation peoples in the healthcare system? (2) What factors perpetuate...

Background There is a complicated and exploitative history of research with Indigenous peoples and accompanying calls to meaningfully and respectfully include Indigenous knowledge in healthcare. Storytelling approaches that privilege Indigenous voices can be a useful tool to break the hold that Western worldviews have within the research. Our colla...

Objectives The objective of this article is to document patterns and trends of in-hospital mental health service use by First Nations (FN) living in rural and remote communities in the province of Manitoba.Methods Our sample included all Manitoba residents eligible under the Manitoba Health Services Insurance Plan living on FN reserves and those li...

Grandparents are valued in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal societies. In this paper we summarize traditional knowledge from Manitoba Aboriginal experiences, and we provide data from contemporary on-reserve grandmothers. Data for this study were collected in 2007 in 16 First nations Manitoba communities. Open-ended semi-structured in-person...

Background The Families First Home Visiting (FFHV) program aims to enhance parenting skills and strengthen relationships between parents and their children. Previous research found FFHV to be effective at decreasing child maltreatment in the general population of Manitoba, but whether it is beneficial specifically for First Nation families has not...

Background: First Nations (FN) have unique perspectives and experiences of health and healthcare services, which are critical to the provision of effective community-based primary healthcare (CBPHC). Objective: This paper shares FN perspectives on primary healthcare (PHC), taking geographical, cultural and historical realities into account, to e...

This article shares experiences and lessons learned through a collaboration between the University of Manitoba, the First Nation Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM), and eight First Nation communities in Manitoba. We employed a participatory approach from planning the research project, to data collection, and to the analysis, interpr...

Objective To determine whether the Families First Home Visiting (FFHV) programme, which provides home visiting services to families across Manitoba, is associated with improved public health outcomes among First Nations families facing multiple parenting challenges. Design Retrospective cohort study using population-based administrative data. Set...

Objective:: To examine health services, social services, education, and justice system outcomes among First Nations children and youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Methods:: In this retrospective cohort study, health and social services, education, and justice data were linked with clinical records on First Nations (FN) individua...

Introduction The province-wide Families First Home Visiting Program (FFHV) provides home visiting to families with children living in conditions of risk. It remains unknown if First Nations families are benefiting from the program. Using existing administrative and population-wide data is an innovative practice to evaluate programs that have been s...

Introduction In Manitoba, low-income pregnant women are eligible for the Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit (HBPB), an unconditional income supplement provided during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. HBPB is associated with improved birth outcomes for Manitoba women; its association with birth outcomes for First Nations (Indigenous) women is...

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides the opportunity to engage communities for sustainable change. We share a journey to transformation in our work with eight Manitoba First Nations seeking to improve the health of their communities and discuss lessons learned. The study used community-based participatory research approach for the...

Introduction First Nations people are descendants of Canada’s original inhabitants. In consequence of historical and ongoing structural injustices, many First Nations families struggle with challenging living conditions, including high rates of poverty, poor housing conditions, mental illness and social isolation. These risk factors impede caregive...

Objective: Type 2 diabetes is increasing in children worldwide, with Canadian First Nations (FN) children disproportionally affected. The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) also is increasing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of GDM exposure in utero and FN status on the subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes in of...

Objective: To examine associations between breastfeeding initiation and subsequent diabetes among First Nations (indigenous people in Canada who are not Métis or Inuit) and non-First Nations mothers and their offspring with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: This retrospective database study included 334,553 deliveries (19...

Background: In Canada, First Nations women are far less likely to breastfeed than other women. First Nations people have been subjected to massive health and social disparities and are at the lowest end of the scale on every measure of well-being. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences, strengths, and challenges of breastfeedin...

This paper summarizes a study that explored perspectives of Manitoba First Nation women on teenage pregnancy and parenthood. Data was derived through a qualitative methodology focusing on a life storytelling approach within a culturally informed framework and setting. The two main objectives of the study were to: (a) elucidate community perspective...

The article describes national, regional and community-level activities that contributed to the Manitoba First Nation partnership in maternal and child health programming. The activities reveal a potential for health change that is possible through working together across jurisdictional boundaries. Although we are only in the early phases of progra...