Purpose
Existing data indicates that the Blackfeet Indian community and other American Indian tribes are at a higher risk for chronic disease, mental illness, and shorter life expectancy, when compared to their white/caucasian counterparts. In other racial/ethnic, similar health disparities have been linked social connectedness, yet no such research has been conducted within the Blackfeet Indian community. This goal of this project is to investigate whether measure of social connectedness in the Blackfeet Indian community relate to indices of mental and cardio metabolic health. The results of this study will be used as a basic foundation for conducting future research concerning psychosocial resilience factors for promoting health in American Indians, as well as for informing community-level interventions aimed at improving social relations within the Blackfeet community. This research is supported by an RO1 grant from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institute of Health under award number R01MD015894.
Meet the Team
Neha John-Henderson
Faculty Lead Investigator, Montana State
Betty Matthews-Henderson
Faculty Lead Investigator, BFCC
Betty Henderson-Matthews is the chair of Math/Science at Blackfeet Community College located on the Blackfeet Reservation. Seven years ago, she partnered with MSU and the Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence and began her research journey. Over the past seven years, she and her interns have been developing the idea that Blackfeet People need to be tied to the Blackfeet culture and spiritual places. Our hypothesis has always been that it would make Blackfeet people healthier physically and mentally.
Aa Koo Moo Waap Papers
*denotes undergraduate or graduate student author, ^ denotes community member co-author, † denotes senior author
1. John-Henderson, N. A., ^Henderson-Matthews, B., Helm, P., ^Gilham, S., ^Runner, G. H., ^Johnson, L., ^Lafromboise, M. E., ^Malatare, M., ^Salois, E. M., Wood, Z. J., & Carter, J. R. (2024). Social connectedness and sleep in Blackfeet American Indian adults. Sleep health, S2352-7218(24)00225-0. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2024.09.010
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2. John-Henderson, N.A., ^Henderson- Matthews, B., *Wood, Z., ^Gilham, S., ^Heavy Runner, G., ^Johnson, L., ^Lafromboise, M.E., ^Malatare, M., ^Salois, E. (In Press). Social Networks and Loneliness in the Blackfeet American Indian Community. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.