Epidemiologist Uses Community-Engaged Methods to Understand Determinants of Health for Native Prison Populations

Conversation with Dr. Ricky Camplain, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington

Ricky Camplain, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. Her research focuses on understanding and dismantling the social and structural barriers to optimal health among Indigenous people incarcerated in the United States. She is of Comanche heritage.

Dr. Camplain serves as principal investigator for an NIMHD-funded K01 grant on physical activity promotion among incarcerated individuals (K01MD015749) and project lead for an NIMHD-funded U54 research project with Northern Arizona University to assess the impact of physical activity opportunities on short- and long-term health outcomes among individuals while incarcerated in jail and after release (U54MD012388).

She completed a postdoc in health equity and community engagement at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Health Equity Research. She received her M.S.P.H. and Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.S. in chemistry from the University of New Mexico.

Q&A with Dr. Ricky Camplain

What is your project’s goal, purpose, and aim?
My research goal is to identify the determinants of health among Native American and Alaska Native individuals who are incarcerated. I hope to understand how incarceration impacts our relatives’ mental, physical, spiritual, and cultural well-being to identify culturally informed strategies to support holistic healing and wellness. By using Indigenous research methodologies, participatory approaches, and actively listening to and centering community voices, I believe we can develop policy and structural and systemic interventions to prevent incarceration and recidivism. Our research team is collaborating with the Navajo Nation Department of Corrections to implement creative research approaches, including arts-based methods rooted in Navajo traditions. These culturally grounded methods aim to provide richer, more nuanced insights from Diné (Navajo) incarcerated individuals compared to other common research approaches.

My research goal is to identify the determinants of health among Native American and Alaska Native individuals who are incarcerated. I hope to understand how incarceration impacts our relatives’ mental, physical, spiritual, and cultural well-being to identify culturally informed strategies to support holistic healing and wellness. By using Indigenous research methodologies, participatory approaches, and actively listening to and centering community voices, I believe we can develop policy and structural and systemic interventions to prevent incarceration and recidivism. Our research team is collaborating with the Navajo Nation Department of Corrections to implement creative research approaches, including arts-based methods rooted in Navajo traditions. These culturally grounded methods aim to provide richer, more nuanced insights from Diné (Navajo) incarcerated individuals compared to other common research approaches.

How is your work advancing the science of minority health and the health of populations that experience health disparities? Are you seeing specific changes in particular communities or groups?
I’ve adopted an approach that focuses on inherent strengths and resources within communities to empower the communities to foster greater trust and collaboration. This can lead to expanding research in a way that supports the development of effective policy, structural, and systemic interventions to improve health and wellbeing, prevent incarceration, and reduce recidivism. This approach also allows for the identification of culturally informed strategies that promote holistic healing and wellness. Even more importantly, using Indigenous research methodologies and participatory approaches, the voices and experiences of the communities remain central to the work I do.

Community-engaged work is relatively rare among epidemiologists, but my approach allows me to see specific changes and improvements in communities, such as increased awareness and understanding in communities of how incarceration impacts the health of their people. I’ve also seen a growing interest from community leaders in developing and adopting culturally informed health practices and interventions in prison settings.

In my view, there exists far too much distance between researchers and the under-resourced communities that they’re trying to tell how to be healthy. We have heard about the lack of running water and electricity in many Navajo Nation homes, the low life expectancy on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the urgent need for updates to Indian Health Services infrastructure. But few have actually watched and heard a jingle dancer in person, tasted fry bread made by an Auntie, or witnessed an Indigenous basket weaver, silver smith, beader, or potter create beauty with their hands. Few have seen a community embrace their incarcerated members in annual cultural ceremonies. By listening to community voices and valuing their practices, strengths, and resilience, we can find the answers and provide the resources and support needed for real change.

What has surprised you about the discoveries from your work and your experiences engaging with communities?
I work with a very understudied group: Native people while incarcerated. Not only through my research but also in conversations with people, what I learn continues to surprise me. Many of the most compelling stories I’ve heard came from my interactions with people while they were incarcerated. I’ve met some of the most talented people who are either currently or formerly incarcerated. I’ve learned about ancient traditions, firsthand experiences with the criminal legal system, and even potential solutions to health issues.

My work allows me to support Native communities and people who are incarcerated. When someone is incarcerated, people tend to label them as criminals who deserve punishment, rather than as individuals shaped by their circumstances. By shifting this narrative, I want to foster a more compassionate and understanding society that recognizes the potential for rehabilitation and growth. It's crucial to see incarcerated individuals as human beings with the capacity for change, deserving of support and opportunities to rebuild their lives.

What inspired you to become a researcher in minority health and health disparities?
My interest in health equity stems from growing up in rural New Mexico communities, including towns on the U.S./Mexico border, tribal lands, and extremely isolated areas; a steadfast commitment to social justice; and a desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of underserved communities. Growing up, I learned a lot about my own family’s history of incarceration, severe addiction, and socioeconomic stressors, but I didn’t truly understand until much later when I studied public health, the social and structural determinants of health, and the history of Indigenous people in the United States.

Systemic inequities created by colonialism and historical barriers have created paths of destruction for many of our communities, families, and individuals. Learning this history can be immensely frustrating, but I see beauty whenever I witness the resilience, strength, and hope within communities. That hope fuels my determination to work with communities to mitigate health disparities. The stories and experiences I learn about every day motivate me to advocate for policies and interventions that promote health equity and give everyone an opportunity to thrive. By engaging with communities, I aim for research that’s not only scientifically rigorous but also culturally relevant and impactful.

How do we encourage the next generation to advance community-engaged research?
Promoting community engagement as a standard practice in research is essential for making sure the next generation of researchers are dedicated to this approach. We should provide students and early career researchers with opportunities to learn about community-engagement directly from experienced researchers. By making community engagement the norm in my research, I hope to influence others to adopt similar approaches.

It's also crucial to recruit and retain students from the communities we work with to ensure that research remains a community-driven goal. By fostering an environment where community engagement is the norm, we can advance research that is both impactful and inclusive.

What do you envision as the future of minority health and health disparities research?
I envision a future where minority health and health disparities and community-engaged research are integral to health research. We are moving toward a more equitable representation of populations that experience health disparities in research, where studies are representative of diverse communities, which in turn leads to more accurate and relevant findings and better-tailored interventions.

In this vision, there would be:

• Greater emphasis on using culturally informed approaches that respect and incorporate values, beliefs, and practices of underserved communities.
• Strong, sustained partnerships between researchers and communities are the norm.
• Collaborations built on mutual trust and respect that enable the research-to-practice pipeline to move more efficiently and effectively.
• A greater ability for research findings to inform policy and structural changes aimed at promoting health equity.
• A concerted effort to build research capacity by recruiting and training researchers from historically underserved communities.
• An expansion of health research that encompasses spiritual and cultural well-being, in addition to physical and mental health.

All of this means developing interventions that are not only effective but also scalable and adaptable to help us reach sustainable improvements in health.

Page published Nov. 26, 2024