RHS 1997: The Pilot Survey
The Information Gap in First Nations Health
RHS 1997, officially the First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Survey (FNIRHS), was the first RHS survey conducted and is considered the pilot survey.
At the time, various national health surveys excluded First Nations living on reserve and in Inuit communities. These surveys included the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), and the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID).
As a result of these exclusions, comparable data for First Nations and Inuit were non-existent.
In January of 1994, Health Canada, Human Resources Development Canada, and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs commissioned a study to examine the feasibility of a national level, aboriginal health survey. A national steering committee, consisting of Aboriginal health and social development professionals, oversaw this process. Consultations were held across Canada involving aboriginal organizations, communities, and professionals in health, social service, child development, among others.
A Foundation for the Future
The resulting recommendation called for a series of regional health surveys to be administered with complete First Nation control, and respect for regional and community processes, and capacity development. Thus, in 1995 the First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Survey was founded with funding from the Medical Services Branch of Health Canada. For the first time, First Nations and Inuit issues were being brought to the table in a project which was wholly owned by First Nations and Inuit.
Since 1995, Health Canada has been the sole federal department providing operational funds to sustain the RHS infrastructure.
With data collection set to begin in 1997 in 9 regions, the next year and a half was spent developing the survey questionnaire and other research processes. Then, in 1997 the National Steering Committee assumed full oversight and responsibility for the RHS. The committee developed and adopted the FNRLHS Code of Research Ethics which outlines the guiding principles for RHS (and continues to do so today).
Data Collection and Reporting
Each participating region developed and administered their own regional survey along with the national survey with guidance from their own regional steering committees (a set of common fields permitted some national comparability). In all, 14,008 surveys were collected on children and adults in 186 First Nations and Inuit communities.
RHS 1997 Reports
- FNIRHS 1997 Final Report [
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