First Nations Boil Water Advisories: New Methods and New Approaches for Risk Communication

View/ Open
Date
2019-05-10Author
Adams, Diane J
ORCID
0000-0002-3465-7890Type
ThesisDegree Level
MastersMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
When issuing drinking water advisories (such as boil water advisories, or BWAs) in First Nations, risk communicators must consider the unique historical, political, social and cultural context. A small number of studies have examined risk communication and message mapping in the First Nations context but First Nations drinking water-specific literature is scarce. A community-based participatory research (CBPR) project was conducted with two First Nations and their tribal council in Saskatchewan. The study examined the applicability of risk communication and message mapping in the First Nations context, with the overall goals of improving local risk communication practices and contributing to a First Nations drinking water risk communication framework.
Using the Science in a Circle © model, the research partners developed a four-phase CBPR project, rooted in mutual respect for Indigenous and western science worldviews. Through a series of initial community meetings, the research team determined a novel method would be required to investigate boil water advisory communications using culturally appropriate methods. The Participatory Dot-Mapping Method enabled local leaders, experts and everyday community members to participate in all steps of the research process, including data interpretation. Using coloured dots on a map-like response board, participants from each community used coloured dots to note their main concerns, questions and information needs around BWAs. Current and potential BWA communication tactics were also evaluated. Age-coded dot colours showed differences between life stages or age groups.
The results suggest effective risk communication must consider factors unique to each community. These include frequency of advisories and preferred methods of communication (e.g. radio, social media, interpersonal communication). Door-to-door flyers and social media alerts were more popular in one community, with youth and/or Elders showing more interest in other electronic alerts (e.g. text, email). Door-to-door flyers and local radio alerts were more popular in the other community. Like non-Indigenous communities, more research is needed to understand how frequency of boil water advisories should inform their communication, and/or what kinds of messages can improve communications of BWAs. Communities should consider health promotion and education activities around BWAs between advisories. Overall, the Science in a Circle © approach and the Participatory Dot-Mapping Method generated actionable local policy knowledge for First Nations and their agencies.
Degree
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)Department
School of Public HealthProgram
Public HealthSupervisor
Bharadwaj, Lalita ACommittee
Martin, Wanda; Elias, Brenda; Griebel, Philip; Ramsden, VivianCopyright Date
April 2019Subject
Indigenous policy
First Nations policy
drinking water management
risk communication
risk perception
boil water advisories
crisis communication
water security
water policy
community-based participatory research
participatory mapping
novel methods
qualitative methods
indigenous research methods
Indigenous research
dotmocracy
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Drinking Water in Rural Saskatchewan: Public Perception of Water Quality and Health Risks, and Direct and Indirect Effects of Drinking Water Quality on Chronic Disease
McLeod, Lianne M 1967-; 0000-0002-2488-8863 (2017-04-03)In rural areas of Saskatchewan, tap water supplied to houses is not typically tested for quality and safety with the same intensity as public supplies that serve larger populations. Consequently, rural residents might be ... -
Rural water pipeline flow and water quality study
Mills, John-Paul (2005-04)Many farms and agricultural operations in rural Saskatchewan obtain water from rural water pipelines. These pipelines serve a small number of users spread over a large area, which results in large hydraulic residence times ... -
Investigation of water repellency and critical water content in undisturbed and reclaimed soils from the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta, Canada
Hunter, Amanda Evelyn (2011-06)Ecosystems are disturbed to extract synthetic crude oil from the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) in northern Alberta, Canada. Successful reclamation of mined oil sands sites depends on maximizing water storage and ...