Understanding the addictive-like consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Indigenous communities

(Photo provided by Loreena Kujiper)

“One thing that I would like to share about my research experience is the importance of centring Indigenous perspectives and knowledge in Indigenous research to come up with culturally responsive interventions for promoting wellbeing.” ~Loreena Kujiper

Ψ

*In the following article, TS refers to The Synapse and LK refers to Loreena Kuijper;

TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself, your supervisor, the topic of your research, and the field it contributes to?

LK: Hi. I am Loreena Kuijper, a basic research student completing a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. My supervisor is Emilie Lacroix, and we are contributing to a research paper exploring the addictive-like consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) among Indigenous adults living in Manitoba. This research will contribute to fields such as public health and nutrition, cultural anthropology, and psychology. Overall, this research will provide valuable insights into the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities and inform interventions.

TS: What was your research project and your contributions? What drew you to pursuing this project?

LK: This research paper was part of a more extensive study exploring how acceptable Indigenous adults would find the taxation of SSB. Although no questions were explicitly asked on addictive-like SSB consumption, the participants drew many parallels to addiction. Given the rich explanations, the research team wrote a separate paper exploring the research question: “how do participants describe SSB intake and the experiences of consuming SSB?”. 74 interviews were conducted, and after conducting a thematic analysis,  addictive-like SSB consumption was identified as a dominant theme. Specifically, it contained sub-themes alluding to addiction such as loss of control, physical symptoms following intake, withdrawal or attempts to reduce intake, comparing SSB’s to other addictive substances, drinking alone, shame, and more. 

My task was to write the introduction for this research paper, which required me to become familiar with factors contributing to high SSB consumption and draw connections to Indigenous people to explain high consumption among them. As a member of Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, I am passionate about filling the gap in the limited research available on Indigenous peoples. Contributing to this paper was highly rewarding.

TS: Are there any future studies that will be conducted based on your project? 

LK: No future studies will be conducted based on this project that I am personally aware of; however, I hope it sparks further research into exploring addictive-like eating and SSB consumption among Indigenous populations in Canada. Indigenous people are among the highest consumers of SSB. Increased SSB consumption is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dental caries (also known to be high among Indigenous peoples). Despite this, no prior research is available on this issue among Indigenous populations, highlighting its critical need.

TS: Why did you choose to take the basic research course? To what extent did the research experience align with what you’d expected?

LK: There are several reasons why I decided to take basic research, and the course has largely aligned with what I expected. First, I am hoping to pursue a career in clinical psychology and Indigenous research, and this course provided me with insights into both. Second, as an Indigenous person, I want to contribute to the field of Indigenous psychology and research. Basic research has provided me with the necessary tools to do so. Overall, I am glad I decided to take basic research, and it has exceeded my expectations regarding what I hoped to gain from this course.

TS: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your research experience? 

LK: One thing that I would like to share about my research experience is the importance of centring Indigenous perspectives and knowledge in Indigenous research to come up with culturally responsive interventions for promoting wellbeing. For example, a clinical psychologist might choose to use a more holistic approach that incorporates Indigenous healing values and practices instead of relying solely on traditional Western approaches. This could range from identifying and strengthening their client's connection to their culture and community to exploring traditional healing values such as smudging or drumming. Ψ

Created for The Synapse by Incé Husain.