A Story That Carried Me with It: An Exploratory Analysis of COVID-19 Information Sources among Members of Six Nations of the Grand River

Abstract

Introduction: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous people reported receiving their COVID-19 information from various sources, including friends, family, and community-developed resources. When evaluating the information that they trust the most, it is crucial to consider the complex & dark history that has shaped the reputation of the healthcare system for many. This thesis explored how community members of the Six Nations of the Grand River (SN) First Nations Reserve received and interpreted information relating to the pandemic. There exists no identified evidence that explores how Indigenous people from SN explored, navigated, or interpreted health communication throughout the pandemic.

Research Questions: 1) Do different sources of COVID-19 information influence health perceptions or behaviours among members of the SN community?; 2) What factors influence individuals’ choices of specific COVID-19 information sources among members of the SN community?

Methods: These questions were answered using descriptive statistics and a nominal logistic regression model. To complement this, I tied the results to their lived experiences working within the community grounded in anecdotal evidence gathered from community members and SN staff during the pandemic.

Results: Participants who reported primarily relying on personal networks or social media for their COVID-19 information were less likely to perceive COVID-19 as a serious threat to the community or engage in protective behaviours such as masking and vaccination. The regression highlighted that higher education and income levels were associated with a lower RRR of relying on social media or personal networks compared to governmental sources (e.g., people with a bachelor’s degree (compared to less than high school) had an RRR of 0.11 [0.037-0.31] for choosing personal networks as their primary information choice).

Conclusion: This thesis highlights the importance of trust, lived experience, & cultural relevance in supporting community members to make informed health decisions for themselves, their community, and their families.