Submission ID 116985
| Issue/Objective | Following the Calls to Action for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, cultural safety became a required competency for accredited Canadian dietetics programs in 2020. Cultural safety is the outcome of Indigenous Peoples feeling respected during healthcare interactions and results from an ongoing analysis of power relations on behalf of the care provider. In 2024, about one in five Indigenous People in Canada still reported experiences of discrimination from a care provider. There is a strong need for culturally safer care, and the effective integration of this competency into dietetics curricula in Quebec remains largely unexplored. The primary objective of this study is to inform the enhancement of Indigenous cultural safety education in McGill University's Dietetics Program using a Critical Dietetics perspective. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This case study will be guided by the Program's Working Group on Cultural Safety. Data collection will include a document analysis to assess how Indigenous cultural safety is currently integrated into the curriculum and the structures at McGill that support its integration. Next, a workshop will be held with the Program's lecturers and tenure track faculty (n = 20) to identify opportunities for Indigenous cultural safety education and how to include them in the curriculum. Semi-structured interviews will also be conducted with Indigenous cultural safety experts (n = 9-12) to identify concrete, practical skills and ways the Program could teach Indigenous cultural safety. The workshop will be video-recorded, the interviews will be audio-recorded, and all will be transcribed. A deductive thematic analysis grounded in a Critical Dietetics perspective will be performed to characterize how the Program could enhance Indigenous cultural safety education. Findings from this study will inform formal recommendations to strengthen Indigenous cultural safety within the Program. |
| Results | NA |
| Discussion/Conclusion | This study is the first of its kind in Canada and contributes to actionable insights to guide curriculum development to improve dietetics education and healthcare experiences for Indigenous Peoples. It is an opportunity to support other health programs globally in advocating for Indigenous health sovereignty. This project is supported by the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Nutrition (CRC-2023-00084). |
| Presenters and affiliations | Caroline Hunziker McGill University Treena Delormier McGill University |
