By Amber Bear
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band has approved a research project that is studying First Nations children and youth, and their home environments to see how it affects their health, in La Ronge on-reserve homes.
The research study, “Food, Environment, Health, and Nutrition of First Nations Children and Youth” (FEHNCY) is a national study that looks at the nutrition, health and environment of First Nations children and youth aged three to 19-years-old. The goal of the project is to help improve the health of families in the community. The Lac La Ronge Indian Band is one of the research communities for this ten-year study. This research is important because it focuses on assessing food environments and security, nutrition, housing conditions, indoor air quality, environmental contaminants exposure, and health indicators.
“The goal of FEHNCY is to help people understand what is happening to their children’s bodies like what kind of toxins they might be breathing in,” said Alice Parada, project Community Liaison.
The Community Liaisons, Alice Parada and Trinity McKenzie, will be recruiting participants and conducting the surveys at the participants’ home. The questions they will ask will pertain to housing questions that explore if you have leaks or flooding in the home and what types of repairs the home needs. There will also be questions that cover general health, food and nutrition. The children and youth measurements will be completed in the Jeannie Bird Health Clinic, and they will check height and weight, blood pressure, breathing tests, hair sample, urine sample, and blood samples.
The FEHNCY research team will review the information and create recommendations based on the results that are collected from the community. Lac La Ronge Indian Band members who live in La Ronge on-reserve are encouraged to participate. Upon completion of the study, the data will be used to create recommendations to improve the community’s health and wellbeing.
Eligible participants will be compensated for their contributions and can receive up to $90, for the entire study, a chance to win $300. For every 25 participants a draw will be made for a $100 meat pack.
For more information or to participate, contact Alice Parada: 306-930-3221 or Trinity McKenzie: 306-420-5319.