Open AccessPower of Connections: How a Novel Canadian Men’s Wellness Program is Improving the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Men
Author(s) -
Ilorada Efimoff,
Lyana Patrick,
Viviane Josewski,
Paul A. Gross,
Sandy Lambert,
Victoria Vicki Smye
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international indigenous policy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.713
H-Index - 16
ISSN - 1916-5781
DOI - 10.18584/iipj.2021.12.2.10896
Subject(s) - club , indigenous , general partnership , masculinity , focus group , health care , power (physics) , reproductive health , sociology , gender studies , community health , nursing , political science , gerontology , public relations , medicine , public health , anthropology , demography , ecology , population , physics , anatomy , quantum mechanics , law , biology
The DUDES Club is a novel men’s health and wellness organization founded in 2010 in Vancouver, BC. Since 2017, the DUDES Club has rapidly expanded in Northern BC and, with the help of a partnership with the First Nations Health Authority, has grown to include 40 sites in British Columbia and 2 sites nationally. In this study, we analyze interviews (n = 5) and 15 focus groups (n = 101) conducted as part of a program evaluation with DUDES Club members, Elders, providers, and health care professionals. We focus on men’s experiences with the DUDES Club to identify four main themes in the data: brotherhood and community, accessible health care information, disrupting colonial constructions of masculinity, and systemic and structural challenges. We conclude with policy recommendations.