Relationships to land as a determinant of wellness for Indigenous women, two-spirit, trans, and gender diverse people of reproductive age in Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Abstract Objective Disparities in Indigenous reproductive health reflect Canada’s historic and ongoing colonial relationship with Indigenous peoples, which includes persistent inequities in health and social services. Reproductive justice scholars and activists advocate for intersectional approaches to enhancing Indigenous health equity that recognize land as a central determinant of wellness. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between relationships to land and wellness in a study of urban Indigenous women, two-spirit, trans, and gender diverse people of reproductive age in Canada’s largest city, Toronto. Methods Data were obtained from the cross-sectional Our Health Counts (OHC) Toronto study, which employed respondent-driven sampling methods (n = 323) and a community-directed comprehensive health assessment survey. In an exploratory analysis, we took an Indigenous reproductive justice theoretical approach to multivariable logistic regression. Results After adjusting for covariates, there was a statistically significant positive association between relationships to the land and wellness that was estimated with good precision (OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.5–5.3). Conclusion Our findings indicate that among urban Indigenous women, two-spirit, trans, and gender diverse people of reproductive age there is a positive association between feeling strong in their relationships to land and feeling balanced in the four domains of health (physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional). The community-based, community-directed design of OHC Toronto was congruent with a reproductive justice approach to research. Reproductive justice theories are adaptable to quantitative research on Indigenous reproductive health and can yield novel insights for supporting Indigenous wellness.