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First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS) 2002/03 (Adult)

Adult Questionnaire

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Statistical Highlights
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Notable Findings

(Not applicable for findings; however, methodologically notable for its comprehensive inclusion of culturally specific questions such as use of traditional medicines, experiences with racism, family residential school history, spiritual and emotional balance, and perceptions of community progress in language, culture, and health sovereignty.)

Abstract

This document contains the complete standardized adult survey instrument used for the 2002/03 First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS). Developed and overseen by the FNIRHS National Steering Committee, the questionnaire was designed to be administered by trained community fieldworkers to adults aged 18+ living in First Nations and Inuit communities. It collected data on personal demographics, chronic and acute health conditions, access to healthcare and traditional medicines, housing quality, food security, language proficiency and use, traditional cultural engagement, personal safety, mental health, substance use, and sexual health practices. It also documented experiences with residential schools across multiple generations, community assessments of progress, and personal control over life circumstances. The instrument’s holistic and culturally grounded design ensured data collection reflected the complexities of wellness in Indigenous communities.

RELEASE DATE:

October 18, 2002

CONDUCTED BY:

First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Survey National Steering Committee (FNIRHS), with administration by regional First Nations and Inuit organizations and community fieldworkers.

DATA COLLECTION PERIOD:

2002–03, as part of the first national phase of the RHS.

PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES:

Targeted adults aged 18 and over in approximately 188 First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada, under community-led administration.

LENGTH & STRUCTURE:

Approximately 43 pages, divided into 20 main thematic sections and subsections, covering personal background, language, employment, housing, general and chronic health, injuries, disabilities, access to care, lifestyle, traditional practices, personal and community wellness, and the intergenerational impacts of residential schools.

Why It Matters

This questionnaire was a foundational tool for documenting how Indigenous adults defined and experienced health within the realities of their homes, communities, and cultural histories. By including measures of physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional balance, as well as the effects of racism and multi-generational residential school attendance, it set a new standard for what meaningful health data looked like in First Nations and Inuit contexts. It asked not only about medical diagnoses and service barriers, but also about who taught individuals their culture, how often they felt in balance, and what kinds of support they could rely on when facing life’s challenges. For Mi’kmaw and other First Nations, it confirmed that any genuine understanding of health had to include the full scope of relationships—between people, culture, land, and history.

Key Topics

  • Chronic health conditions, disabilities, mental wellness, and personal safety

  • Cultural participation, language use, and intergenerational impacts of residential schools

  • Housing quality, food security, employment, income, and access to both traditional and Western health care