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The power of connections: How a novel Canadian men’s wellness program is improving the health and well-being of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men
Efimoff, Iloradanon ; Patrick, Lyana; Josewski, Viviane; Gross, Paul; Lambert, Sandy; Smye, Vicki
2021-06-10
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Link to International Indigenous Policy Journal
https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2021.12.2.10896Link to UBC Open Collections
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/80937Access issues?
Description
The DUDES Club is a novel men’s health and wellness organization founded in 2010 in Vancouver, BC. Since 2017, the DUDES Club has rapidly expanded in Northern BC and, with the help of a partnership with the First Nations Health Authority, has grown to include 40 sites in British Columbia and 2 sites nationally. In this study, we analyze interviews (n = 5) and 15 focus groups (n = 101) conducted as part of a program evaluation with DUDES Club members, Elders, providers, and health care professionals. We focus on men’s experiences with the DUDES Club to identify four main themes in the data: brotherhood and community, accessible health care information, disrupting colonial constructions of masculinity, and systemic and structural challenges. We conclude with policy recommendations.