Urban indigenous youth perspectives on access to physical activity programmes in Canada

While research demonstrates that Indigenous youth experience higher levels of obesity-related chronic disease compared to non-Indigenous youth throughout Canada, few studies consult Indigenous youth for their perspectives on how to address barriers to active lifestyles. This paper examines the constraints that urban Indigenous youth encounter in accessing physical activity and sport programmes in three Canadian cities. Researchers used a community-based participatory methodological approach that included volunteering and talking circles to gain the perspectives of 41 Indigenous youth who were recruited from urban health organisations and local high schools. Despite the differing socio-cultural contexts throughout urban centres in Canada, Indigenous youth face similar constraints in accessing physical activity and sport programmes. These findings indicate that any changes to public policies to improve community health outcomes and access issues for urban Indigenous youth need to consider the broader national contexts as well as the multiple constraints that influence their participation experiences.