Good Health and Wellness: Measuring Impact Through an Indigenous Lens

Prev Chronic Dis. 2019 Aug 15:16:E108. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.180655.

Abstract

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commissioned the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) to coordinate a multifaceted national evaluation plan for Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC), CDC's largest investment in chronic disease prevention for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). GHWIC is a collaborative agreement among UIHI, CDC, tribal organizations, and individual tribes. In collaboration, UIHI and CDC drew upon an indigenous framework, prioritizing strength-based approaches for documenting program activities, to develop a 3-tiered evaluation model. The model incorporated locally tailored metrics, adherence to tribal protocols, and cultural priorities. Ultimately, federal requirements and data collection processes were aligned with tribal strengths and bidirectional learning was promoted. We describe how UIHI worked with tribal recipients, tribal health organizations, Tribal Epidemiology Centers, and CDC to develop and implement the model on the basis of an indigenous framework of mutual trust and respect.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Alaska Natives* / psychology
  • Alaska Natives* / statistics & numerical data
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
  • Chronic Disease* / ethnology
  • Chronic Disease* / prevention & control
  • Culturally Competent Care / methods
  • Culturally Competent Care / organization & administration
  • Health Behavior / ethnology
  • Health Promotion* / methods
  • Health Promotion* / organization & administration
  • Health Services, Indigenous / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Indians, North American* / psychology
  • Indians, North American* / statistics & numerical data
  • Intersectoral Collaboration
  • Program Evaluation
  • United States / epidemiology