Physical Activity Policy for Older Adults in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Gaps and Opportunities for Gains

In the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, the population of older adults is increasing, and this population reports much poorer health than other age cohorts. Given the number of benefits that physical activity (PA) can have for older adults, we analyzed policies concerning older adults and PA of both the NWT government and non-governmental organizations in the health, recreation, and sports sectors. Our findings indicate that although the majority of the organizations had no PA policies specific to older adults or Aboriginal older adults, some organizations completed all five stages of the policy cycle (agenda setting, policy formulation, decision making, implementation, and evaluation). Our analysis suggests that PA for older adults is not on the agenda for many organizations in the NWT and that often the policy process does not continue past the decision-making stage. To address the need for connections between all stages of the policy cycle, we suggest that organizations collaborate across multiple sectors and with older adults to develop a territory-wide, age-friendly rural and remote community strategy that is applicable to the NWT. Prioritizing age-friendly communities would, in turn, facilitate appropriate PA opportunities for older adults in the NWT and thus contribute to a healthier aging population.Dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest (T.N.-O.), au Canada, la population de personnes âgées augmente, et la santé de ce segment de population est bien inférieure à celle des autres segments. Étant donné les bienfaits que peut comporter l’activité physique (AP) chez les personnes âgées, nous avons analysé les politiques concernant les personnes âgées et l’AP au sein des organismes gouvernementaux et non gouvernementaux des Territoires du Nord-Ouest en matière de santé, de loisirs et de sports. Nos constatations indiquent que même si la majorité des organismes n’étaient pas dotés de politiques d’AP visant particulièrement les personnes âgées ou les Autochtones âgés, certains organismes avaient déjà fait les cinq étapes du cycle stratégique (détermination de l’ordre du jour, formulation de politiques, prise de décisions, mise en oeuvre et évaluation). Notre analyse suggère que pour bien des organismes des T.N.-O., l’AP chez les personnes âgées ne figure pas au programme et que souvent, le processus d’élaboration de politiques ne se poursuit pas après l’étape de la prise de décisions. Afin de relier toutes les étapes du cycle, nous suggérons que les organismes des divers secteurs collaborent entre eux ainsi qu’avec les personnes âgées afin de parvenir à une stratégie qui correspond bien aux gens plus âgés des localités rurales et éloignées, à l’échelle des T.N.-O. En accordant une priorité à la création de collectivités qui tiennent compte des personnes âgées, on pourrait aboutir à des activités physiques convenant aux personnes âgées des T.N.-O., ce qui contribuerait à une population vieillissante en meilleure santé

First Nations and Inuit Older Adults and Aging Well in Ottawa, Canada

Urban First Nations and Inuit older adults are aging in a Western-centric sociopolitical environment that is experiencing significant social change due to population aging and urbanization. Consequently, urban communities are facing increasing pressures to respond to the needs of the growing older adult population. As a result of these pressures, older adults are urged to “age well” to reduce their “burden” on society; however, older adults do not all define aging well in the same way and they do not all have the same opportunities to age well. Through my research, I aimed to address a gap in the academic literature concerning urban-dwelling First Nations and Inuit older adults and aging well. Ultimately, my goal was to identify how First Nations and Inuit older adults living in Ottawa could be supported to age well in ways that reflect their urban Indigenous identities, cultural perspectives, and life course. My specific research questions are four-fold: 1) Are Indigenous older adults marginalized through dominant aging well frameworks?; 2) how do community-dwelling First Nations and Inuit older adults (aged 55 years and over) living in Ottawa, Canada, define and negotiate aging well in an urban environment?; 3) what community-level factors contribute to First Nations and Inuit older adults (aged 55 years and over) feeling supported to age well in the city of Ottawa?; and 4) how do community stakeholders in Ottawa produce understandings of supporting urban Indigenous older adults to age well? Informed by a postcolonial theoretical framework, I conducted this research using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodology in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in partnerships with the Odawa Native Friendship Centre and Tungasuvvingat Inuit. To address my research questions, I conducted semi-structured interviews with nine First Nations older adults, focus groups with 23 Inuit older adults, and photovoice with two First Nations older adults. Additionally, I conducted 13 semi-structured interviews with community stakeholders (i.e., decision-makers and service providers. My doctoral research makes novel contributions to the fields of kinesiology and gerontology by expanding postcolonial theory to issues related to aging research with urban Indigenous older adults; contributing to the emerging literature that brings diverse perspectives into conversations on aging well; challenging assumptions related to urban Indigenous populations and aging well; illustrating the tensions within aging well initiatives that intended to be available for all older adults; and revealing the tensions within efforts to address reconciliation with Indigenous older adults

A Postcolonial Discourse Analysis of Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Supporting Urban Indigenous Older Adults to Age Well in Ottawa, Canada

The urban Indigenous older adult population in Canada continues to grow; however, there is a lack of understanding of how non-Indigenous health and social services and Indigenous-specific organizations are responding to and addressing the growth of this population. Therefore, in this research, we conducted a postcolonial discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews with six decision-makers (e.g., managers and directors of health and social services organizations) and seven service providers (e.g., program coordinators and social workers) from Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and social service organizations in Ottawa, Canada, to examine how they produce understandings of supporting urban Indigenous older adults to age well. The participants produced three main discourses: (a) non-Indigenous organizations have a responsibility to support Indigenous older adults, (b) culturally specific programs and services are important for supporting Indigenous older adults to age well, and (c) it is difficult for community stakeholders to support Indigenous older adults to age well because this population is hard to reach. The results demonstrate the complexities and tensions that community stakeholders face in supporting Indigenous older adults to age well within a sociopolitical environment informed by reconciliation and a sociodemographic trend of an aging population

A Postcolonial Discourse Analysis of Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Supporting Urban Indigenous Older Adults to Age Well in Ottawa, Canada

The urban Indigenous older adult population in Canada continues to grow; however, there is a lack of understanding of how non-Indigenous health and social services and Indigenous-specific organizations are responding to and addressing the growth of this population. Therefore, in this research, we conducted a postcolonial discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews with six decision-makers (e.g., managers and directors of health and social services organizations) and seven service providers (e.g., program coordinators and social workers) from Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and social service organizations in Ottawa, Canada, to examine how they produce understandings of supporting urban Indigenous older adults to age well. The participants produced three main discourses: (a) non-Indigenous organizations have a responsibility to support Indigenous older adults, (b) culturally specific programs and services are important for supporting Indigenous older adults to age well, and (c) it is difficult for community stakeholders to support Indigenous older adults to age well because this population is hard to reach. The results demonstrate the complexities and tensions that community stakeholders face in supporting Indigenous older adults to age well within a sociopolitical environment informed by reconciliation and a sociodemographic trend of an aging population.</jats:p

Alaska Native Elders’ Perspectives on Physical Activity and Successful Aging

RÉSUMÉL’activité physique est généralement considérée comme un facteur contribuant de façon significative au vieillissement réussi d’une personne. Certains groupes n’ont cependant pas été suffisamment représentés dans les discussions sur l’activité physique et le vieillissement, particulièrement ceux provenant d’horizons culturels différents. Dans cet article, nous explorons comment les aînés autochtones de l’Alaska perçoivent le rôle de l’activité physique au cours de leur vieillissement et la contribution de l’activité physique au vieillissement réussi. Les entretiens semi-structurés menés auprès de 41 aînés ont montré que l’activité physique n’était pas seulement perçue comme une responsabilité personnelle en vue du maintien d’une bonne santé lors du vieillissement, mais aussi comme un moyen de résister à l’opinion répandue voulant que les personnes âgées soient dans une phase de déclin. Pour ces aînés, être physiquement actif, peu importe l’âge, était vu comme un moyen pour améliorer ou maintenir leur état physique, mental, émotionnel ou spirituel, et permettrait de participer aux activités de subsistance qui sont rattachées à leur culture et aux rôles ancestraux qui leur sont reconnus.</jats:p

A Postcolonial Discourse Analysis of Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Supporting Urban Indigenous Older Adults to Age Well in Ottawa, Canada

The urban Indigenous older adult population in Canada continues to grow; however, there is a lack of understanding of how non-Indigenous health and social services and Indigenous-specific organizations are responding to and addressing the growth of this population. Therefore, in this research, we conducted a postcolonial discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews with six decision-makers (e.g., managers and directors of health and social services organizations) and seven service providers (e.g., program coordinators and social workers) from Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and social service organizations in Ottawa, Canada, to examine how they produce understandings of supporting urban Indigenous older adults to age well. The participants produced three main discourses: (a) non-Indigenous organizations have a responsibility to support Indigenous older adults, (b) culturally specific programs and services are important for supporting Indigenous older adults to age well, and (c) it is difficult for community stakeholders to support Indigenous older adults to age well because this population is hard to reach. The results demonstrate the complexities and tensions that community stakeholders face in supporting Indigenous older adults to age well within a sociopolitical environment informed by reconciliation and a sociodemographic trend of an aging population

Walk to Tuk: An innovative physical activity program for Northwest Territories residents

Residents in rural and remote communities face barriers to physical activity that are related to climate, lack of facilities and infrastructure, lack of transportation, and lack of safe and public spaces. Consequently, 42.5% of people in the NWT still report being inactive during their leisure time. Walk to Tuk is an innovative initiative which has been able to effectively address many of the barriers to physical activity for residents in the NWT through its flexible and simple approach. Walk to Tuk is a physical activity challenge that is run on an annual basis by the NWTRPA. It encourages community members, schools, and workplaces to form teams of between 1-20 people to conceptually ‘walk the distance’ of the Mackenzie River from Fort Providence to Tuktoyaktuk, a total of 1,658km, between the beginning of January and the beginning of March – the coldest months of the year in the NWT. Anyone can participate in Walk to Tuk regardless of ability or age. In 2015, Walk to Tuk had a tremendous impact on the NWT, with 2,500 participants from 24 NWT communities who logged a total of 453,442.4 kilometers. There are many aspects of Walk to Tuk that are innovative and contribute to its success. Walk to Tuk is challenging, territory-wide, web-based, allows for a range of activities, caters to all age groups in the NWT, and is a winter-based program. Furthermore, there is no fee or equipment required to participate in it and it includes a team component that is beneficial for social support. It is an innovate program that gets people in the Sub-Arctic and Arctic physically active in large numbers.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/19394/Brooks-Cleatora.EtAl.pdf?sequence=