Proceedings from an Indigenous Women’s Health Workshop: Use of a Co-Creation Process to Build Cross-Disciplinary Relationships and Support Creation of an Indigenous Women’s Health Priority Agenda

Chevelle M. A. Davis, Reni Soon, Kaitlyn Aoki, Kelli Begay, Denise Charron-Prochownik, Rebecca Dendy, Jennifer Elia, Heather Garrow, Kapuaola Gellert, Luciana E. Hebert, Mary Hoskin, Megan Kiyomi Inada, Bliss Kaneshiro, Ka’ōnohi Lapilo, Kelly R. Moore, Sharon Kaiulani Odom, Diane Paloma, Mei Linn Park, Lisa Scarton, Susan Sereika, Marjorie K. L. M. Mau and Sarah A. Stotz ()
Additional contact information
Chevelle M. A. Davis: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar Alumni, Hawai‘i Children’s Action Network, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Reni Soon: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Queens Health Systems, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Kaitlyn Aoki: Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Kelli Begay: Independent Researcher, Edmond, OK 73012, USA
Denise Charron-Prochownik: School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Rebecca Dendy: College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
Jennifer Elia: Early Childhood Action Strategy for Hawai’i Maternal and Infant Health Collaborative, Honolulu, HI 96823, USA
Heather Garrow: Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, Akwesasne, NY 13655, USA
Kapuaola Gellert: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Luciana E. Hebert: Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Washington State University, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
Mary Hoskin: National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Disease at Phoenix Diabetes Epidemiology and Clinical Research Section, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA
Megan Kiyomi Inada: Kōkua Kalihi Valley, Honolulu, HI 96819, USA
Bliss Kaneshiro: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Queens Health Systems, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Ka’ōnohi Lapilo: Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Kelly R. Moore: Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Sharon Kaiulani Odom: Hawaii Good Food Alliance, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Diane Paloma: Hawai’i Dental Service, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Mei Linn Park: Department of Native Hawaiian Health, University of Hawai’i, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Lisa Scarton: School of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
Susan Sereika: School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Marjorie K. L. M. Mau: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Sarah A. Stotz: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: Indigenous women experience disproportionately higher rates of adverse health outcomes. Few studies have explored the root of these problems or defined health and wellness from the perspectives of Indigenous women. Our objective was to elicit views on Indigenous women’s health from women who are Indigenous and/or have experience working with Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and Hawai‘i (e.g., United States). Informed by intersectionality as a social critical theory, we convened a workshop to engage in a co-creative consensus-building and expert decision process using design thinking. The two-day workshop embraced Indigenous values of land, sacred spaces, genealogy, family, rituals, and culture. Participants included United States-based Native and Indigenous women (n = 16) and allies (n = 7). Participants focused on answering key questions such as “What are priority areas for Indigenous women’s health”? and “What are the key facilitators and barriers to improving Indigenous women’s health”? Co-created priority lists for each of these topics were generated. Participants overwhelmingly reported satisfaction with the workshop process and emphasis on a strength-based, culturally driven approach to share their stories, which contextualized the ideas, concerns, and priorities of Indigenous women who self-reflected on their own health and wellness. Creating culturally safe spaces for Indigenous people to reflect on their own hopes for the future relates to the theme by describing a process to bridge traditional healing with modern-day practices to build pilina.

Keywords: Indigenous women’s health; intersectionality; consensus building; Indigenous strength-based values (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/390/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/390/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:3:p:390-:d:1607612

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().