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Session Schedule

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0:00:00
Introduction

0:01:15
Sleep challenges and health implications for urban American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents
Wendy Troxel (United States)

0:22:35
Sleep health of First Nations Australian adolescents: Co-designed solutions for sleep health equity
Fatima Yaqoot (Australia)

0:45:55
Sleep health in First Nations Australians: Impacts on cardiovascular disease risk
Stephanie Yiallourou (Australia)

1:06:15
Indigenous sleep health inequities: Two-decades of evidence from Aotearoa New Zealand
Diane (Dee) Muller (New Zealand)

1:23:15
Question and answer

Summary

Across the globe, more than 470 million individuals are recognized as Indigenous, accounting for roughly 6% of the world’s population and inhabiting 70 countries, across the globe. Despite facing significant challenges, including intergenerational trauma and ongoing experiences of systemic racism and discrimination, Indigenous people demonstrate remarkable resilience, fostered by strong connections to their land, community, and cultural heritage. These ties are fundamental to their identities and crucial for their physical and spiritual well-being. However, the enduring adverse effects of historical and contemporary injustices have contributed to significant inequities in mental and physical health outcomes, among Indigenous populations. For example, a global assessment of mental health and suicide rates in countries with colonial histories, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States indicates significantly higher rates of health issues and suicide compared to non-Indigenous people. While previous research has highlighted substantial sleep health disparities among various minoritized groups, investigations into sleep health within Indigenous populations have been under-recognized and under-investigated.

Given the strong links between sleep and a range of mental and physical health issues that disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples, it is crucial to deepen our understanding of the prevalence, multi-level determinants, and consequences of sleep disturbances in these communities. The current symposium convenes a diverse array of speakers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, including Indigenous presenters, to provide a comprehensive overview of sleep disturbances among Indigenous populations worldwide, including Māori of New Zealand, First Nations Australians, and American Indian/Alaska Native peoples. First, Dr. Troxel will present data from her work focused on sleep disturbances and the impacts on behavioral and cardiometabolic health outcomes among urban, American Indian/ Alaska Native adolescents. Second, Dr. Fatima and Ms. Von Senden, a Kalkadoon woman from Queensland (Australia), will focus on the sleep health of First Nations adolescents and share findings from the Let’s Yarn About Sleep program on the effectiveness of a co-designed sleep health program for First Nations adolescents. Next, Dr. Yiallourou will present on sleep health in First Nation Australian adults and its impact on cardiovascular disease risk. Finally, Dr. Muller will provide an overview of research on sleep health inequities between Māori and non-Māori across the life course informed by Indigenous epidemiological research principles and discuss implications for sociopolitical action to uphold Indigenous rights to good sleep health. The symposium will conclude with a discussion led by the chair, to stimulate further research and a deeper understanding of strategies to promote sleep health equity in indigenous populations around the world.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this CME activity, participants will be able to:
• Identify how sleep problems contribute to behavioral and cardiometabolic health problems in urban, American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents
• Conclude best practices for sleep health promotion and co-design of sleep health initiatives for First Nations peoples
• Demonstrate the importance of co-design and incorporating community perspectives into the development and adaptation of sleep health interventions
• Interpret sleep patterns and potential determinants of sleep health in First Nations Australian communities and examine their impact on cardiovascular health
• Describe how Indigenous sleep health inequities represent a breach of Indigenous rights to health