Aspects of Wellbeing for Indigenous Youth in CANZUS Countries: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Indigenous children and young people (hereafter youth) across CANZUS nations embody a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. Despite the immense challenges facing these youth, many harness cultural and personal strengths to protect and promote their wellbeing. To support this for all youth, it is critical to understand what contributes to their wellbeing. This review aims to identify components contributing to wellbeing for Indigenous youth in CANZUS nations. Five databases were searched from inception to August 2022. Papers were eligible if they: focused on Indigenous youth in CANZUS nations; included views of youth or proxies; and focused on at least one aspect of wellbeing. We identified 105 articles for inclusion (Canada n = 42, Australia n = 27, Aotearoa New Zealand n = 8, USA n = 28) and our analysis revealed a range of thematic areas within each nation that impact wellbeing for Indigenous youth. Findings highlight the unique challenges facing Indigenous youth, as well as their immense capacity to harness cultural and personal strengths to navigate into an uncertain future. The commonalities of Indigenous youth wellbeing across these nations provide valuable insights into how information and approaches can be shared across borders to the benefit of all Indigenous youth and future generations.

Pathways between foodways and wellbeing for First Nations Australians

“…Furthermore, huge tracts of land have been made inaccessible for engaging in traditional foodways due to zoning as national parks or wilderness areas [53,55]. Our findings also echo international research conducted with other First Nations populations, particularly among peoples who have experienced colonisation, where traditional foods are being replaced by less nutritious contemporary foods, food has been harnessed as a colonial tool, and food insecurity is widespread [16,[56][57][58][59].…”

Health and well-being needs of Indigenous adolescents: a protocol for a scoping review of qualitative studies

“… 17 Recently, substantial progress has been made in the synthesis of this evidence, with a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature having examined and compared key aspects of well-being for Indigenous young people aged 18 years or less in Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the USA. 18 To build on these efforts and set the foundation for the planned work of the Global Collective, 12 further exploration is necessary. In particular, it will be important to identify and map evidence across all nations included within the Global Collective’s workplan, identify literature for youth across the Global Collective’s broader age definition of adolescence and explore the appreciable body of grey literature that may be available for some nations.…”