Preserving rural school health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Indigenous citizen scientist perspectives from a qualitative study

Prasanna Kannan; Jasmin Bhawra; Pinal Patel; Tarun Reddy Katapally; Prasanna Kannan; Jasmin Bhawra; Pinal Patel; Tarun Reddy Katapally

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2022016

AIMS Public Health

2022, Volume 9, Issue 2: 216-236. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022016

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Preserving rural school health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Indigenous citizen scientist perspectives from a qualitative study

1.
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina, 2155 College Ave, Regina, SK S4P 4V5, Canada
2.
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Diefenbaker Pl, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B8, Canada
3.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 5B9, UK

Received: 29 October 2021 Revised: 24 December 2021 Accepted: 27 December 2021 Published: 06 January 2022

This qualitative study is part of Smart Indigenous Youth, a digital health community trial involving rural schools in Saskatchewan, Canada. Secondary school administrators and educators were engaged as citizen scientists in rural Indigenous communities to understand rapid decision-making processes for preserving school health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to inform evidence-based safe school policies and practices. After COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with school administrators and educators, respectively, to understand the impact of school responses and decision-making processes. Two independent reviewers conducted thematic analyses and compared themes to reach consensus on a final shortlist. Four main themes emerged from the administrator interviews, and six main themes were identified from the educator focus group discussions which revealed a pressing need for mental health supports for students and educators. The study findings highlight the challenges faced by schools in rural and remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, students' reactions to closures, measures taken by schools to preserve health during the pandemic, and different approaches to implement for future closures. Citizen scientists developed a set of recommendations, including the need for structured communication, reflection meetings, adequate funding, and external monitoring and evaluation to guide evidence-based safe school policies and practices during the pandemic.
- citizen science,
- COVID-19,
- Indigenous health,
- mental health,
- qualitative,
- school policies
Citation: Prasanna Kannan, Jasmin Bhawra, Pinal Patel, Tarun Reddy Katapally. Preserving rural school health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Indigenous citizen scientist perspectives from a qualitative study[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2022, 9(2): 216-236. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022016

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Abstract

This qualitative study is part of Smart Indigenous Youth, a digital health community trial involving rural schools in Saskatchewan, Canada. Secondary school administrators and educators were engaged as citizen scientists in rural Indigenous communities to understand rapid decision-making processes for preserving school health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to inform evidence-based safe school policies and practices. After COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with school administrators and educators, respectively, to understand the impact of school responses and decision-making processes. Two independent reviewers conducted thematic analyses and compared themes to reach consensus on a final shortlist. Four main themes emerged from the administrator interviews, and six main themes were identified from the educator focus group discussions which revealed a pressing need for mental health supports for students and educators. The study findings highlight the challenges faced by schools in rural and remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, students' reactions to closures, measures taken by schools to preserve health during the pandemic, and different approaches to implement for future closures. Citizen scientists developed a set of recommendations, including the need for structured communication, reflection meetings, adequate funding, and external monitoring and evaluation to guide evidence-based safe school policies and practices during the pandemic.

Acknowledgments

The principal knowledge users of the Smart Indigenous Youth initiative are the school principals, the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council, and the Saskatchewan Ministries of Health, Education, and Sport. The Youth Citizen Scientist Advisory Council is involved in implementing Smart Indigenous Youth, and in shaping school policies and programs. We are grateful to the youth, educator, and administrator citizen scientists, and the staff and trainees of the Digital Epidemiology and Population Health Laboratory (DEPtH Lab) for their continuous support.
The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Research Ethics Board of University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan (U of R File # 2017–029 and U of S file: # BEH 17–68 and date of approval is March 23, 2017).

Funding

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Project Grant (#153226).

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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