Kannan Prasanna, Bhawra Jasmin, Patel Pinal, Katapally Tarun Reddy
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina, 2155 College Ave, Regina, SK S4P 4V5, Canada.
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Diefenbaker Pl, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B8, Canada.
AIMS Public Health. 2022 Jan 6;9(2):216-236. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022016. eCollection 2022.
This qualitative study is part of Smart Indigenous Youth, a digital health community trial involving rural schools in Saskatchewan, Canada. Secondary school administrators and educators were engaged as citizen scientists in rural Indigenous communities to understand rapid decision-making processes for preserving school health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to inform evidence-based safe school policies and practices. After COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with school administrators and educators, respectively, to understand the impact of school responses and decision-making processes. Two independent reviewers conducted thematic analyses and compared themes to reach consensus on a final shortlist. Four main themes emerged from the administrator interviews, and six main themes were identified from the educator focus group discussions which revealed a pressing need for mental health supports for students and educators. The study findings highlight the challenges faced by schools in rural and remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, students' reactions to closures, measures taken by schools to preserve health during the pandemic, and different approaches to implement for future closures. Citizen scientists developed a set of recommendations, including the need for structured communication, reflection meetings, adequate funding, and external monitoring and evaluation to guide evidence-based safe school policies and practices during the pandemic.
这项定性研究是“聪明的原住民青年”项目的一部分，该项目是一项数字健康社区试验，涉及加拿大萨斯喀彻温省的农村学校。中学管理人员和教育工作者作为公民科学家参与农村原住民社区的工作，以了解在新冠疫情期间维护学校健康的快速决策过程，并为基于证据的安全学校政策和实践提供信息。在实施新冠疫情限制措施后，分别与学校管理人员和教育工作者进行了关键信息人访谈和焦点小组讨论，以了解学校应对措施和决策过程的影响。两名独立评审员进行了主题分析，并比较主题以就最终入围名单达成共识。从管理人员访谈中出现了四个主要主题，从教育工作者焦点小组讨论中确定了六个主要主题，这些主题揭示了对学生和教育工作者心理健康支持的迫切需求。研究结果突出了农村和偏远地区学校在新冠疫情期间面临的挑战，包括学校关闭、学生对关闭的反应、学校在疫情期间采取的维护健康措施以及未来关闭时要实施的不同方法。公民科学家制定了一系列建议，包括需要结构化沟通、反思会议、充足资金以及外部监测和评估，以指导疫情期间基于证据的安全学校政策和实践。
