Engaging Indigenous peoples in research on commercial tobacco control: a scoping review

Abstract

Commercial tobacco products are a leading contributor to health disparities for many Indigenous peoples. Mainstream interventions developed for non-Indigenous peoples have been found less effective at addressing these disparities. Meaningful engagement is needed to develop effective measures but there are limited understandings of what engagement means in practice. We conduct a scoping review of studies self-reporting engagement with Indigenous peoples; assess their engagement against ethics guidelines concerning research involving Indigenous peoples and writings of Indigenous scholars; and draw lessons for advancing practice. We found engagement of Indigenous peoples in tobacco control research is practiced in varied ways—who conducts the research, who is engaged with, for what purpose, at what research steps, and what approaches are applied. Engagement ranges from limited to deeper commitment to research as decolonizing practice. Critical reflection along five questions can advance research practice for this purpose.