| Description |
This study seeks further understanding of American Indian and Alaska Native child and family well-being. Through a systematic review of national research on American Indian and Alaska Native children and their caregivers, it becomes possible to more clearly understand the quantity, quality, and content of this body of work. This dissertation begins by describing the literature base and theoretical framework for the research in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 involves a description of the search protocol including search terms, databases, and inclusion criteria. This chapter also includes a description of the coding strategies and data points identified for each study. The search yielded 33 included studies, which are described in detail in Chapter 4. This chapter presents results in a variety of ways, including number of articles focused on each well-being domain and indicator, author discipline, publication date of study, analysis strategy, and findings by subpopulation. Each article is assessed for quality and potential for bias. Gaps in the knowledge base in this area are also identified. This dissertation concludes by summarizing findings from the research; identifying limitations at both the study and reviewer levels; providing conclusions; and addressing implications for future research, policymaking, and social work practice. While this study did find notable gaps in the literature, it is without question that the 33 included studies represent a rich body of research for examining well-being across a number of domains and ages. This high quality body of work was created by a diverse collection of researchers both within academic and policymaking circles. This dissertation represents the first time that research on the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native children and families has been systematically searched and reviewed. |
