An Analysis of Social Support and the Health of the On-Reserve Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Population

Using the 2002/2003 cycle of the First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS) from Nova Scotia, which is implemented and owned by the Union of Nova Scotia Indians, this research 1) estimated the influence of social support as a determinant of health among Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq communities and 2) theorized the pathways connecting social support to health outcomes. Data was first examined descriptively using un-weighted classification trees and weighted simple regression. Structural equation modeling and weighted multiple regressions tested confounding pathways, confounding effects, and the determinants of health. Social support was found to be an important determinant of fair or better self-rated health (OR=1.10 p