Factors Influencing Indigenous Youth Wellbeing in Canada: A Citizen Science Study of Self-Reported Mental Health

Indigenous youth in Canada experience disproportionate mental health challenges, highlighting the need to better understand behavioural and contextual factors that influence wellbeing. This study examined associations between lifetime alcohol use and self-reported mental health among Indigenous adolescents, with attention to gender and age differences. Cross-sectional data from 64 participants in the Smart Indigenous Youth (SIY) study were analyzed using Fisher’s exact tests, stratified analyses, and logistic regression. In bivariate analyses, lifetime alcohol use was associated with lower odds of positive self-reported mental health (OR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.09–0.96], p = 0.042); however, this association attenuated after adjustment for gender (OR = 0.64, p = 0.631). Male youth had higher odds of positive mental health than female youth (OR = 4.99, 95% CI [1.65–15.10], p = 0.004). Although male participants reported greater land-based activity participation, land-based activity was not independently associated with mental health. Findings highlight the importance of considering gender alongside behavioural and contextual factors and support larger longitudinal studies using culturally relevant measures.