Children from American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) backgrounds in the United States experiencedisproportionate health disparities, including high rates of diabetes, obesity, and dental caries, when compared toall other groups. The historial nutrition transition from a traditional diet to a more contemporary diet that is high insaturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium presents a unique factor that has contributed to the lower health status ofthese communities. However, not only do indigenous youth experience significant health challenges, but they alsoface socio-cultural barriers in school and community settings that undermine the importance of their Nativeidentity. A growing body of research suggests that youth empowerment through Native language and cultureidentity development, and community validation of the indigenous knowledge system, can result in improvedhealth outcomes.Using a community engagement framework, this project will develop a platform for the creation, distribution, andconsumption of Native-authored, bilingual resources for indigenous families related to health, nutrition, andtraditional foods. The result will be a library of dynamic, bilingual children's ebooks in Native American languagesand English, with accompanying interactive activities to promote parent-child dialog and co-reading. We willwork with indigenous community-based organizations to build customized implementation toolkits and evaluatethe effectiveness of using these resources over a multi-month mixed-methods pilot study. In line with theemerging evidence positing that linguistic and cultural engagement is associated with improved health, we willevaluate the extent to which the level of engagement with the books and activities will be associated with (1)increased connection to one's linguistic and cultural identity; (2) elevated positive attitudes toward healthyeating; and (3) higher frequency of pro-health behaviors such as making healthier food choices.
Public Health Relevance Statement: PROJECT NARRATIVE
In the United States, American Indian and Alaskan Native children experience a multitude of challenges and
overall lower health status vis-Ã -vis the general population and other minority groups. A growing body of
research suggests that youth empowerment through Native language and culture identity development, and
community validation of the indigenous knowledge system, can lead to favorable outcomes across a number of
health indicators. This project will work with community-based organizations to translate that emergent
evidence base into interactive and dynamic bilingual children's ebooks focused around health topics such as
nutrition and traditional foods to support indigenous families with an enjoyable and engaging resource to
achieve greater health and wellbeing.
Project Terms: <0-11 years old>
