An Examination of Household Size, Geographic Remoteness, and Population of First Nation Communities in Canada: The Impact on Selected Wellbeing Indicators

Those living in First Nation communities tend to experience a lower quality of life than non-Indigenous Canadians as evidenced by a broad array of indicators such as employment and residential overcrowding. This research focuses on the relationship between household size and wellbeing among First Nation communities in Canada with consideration of the impact of remoteness and population as well. The research objectives are addressed with empirical analysis consisting of three stepwise linear regressions with community level data from the 2016 Census and First Nation government financial statements. Wellbeing, the dependent variable, is assessed with selected wellbeing indices consisting of education, housing quality, and workforce participation. The explanatory variables consist of a set of demographic factors, which includes household size, and a set of financial indicators. Geographic remoteness and community population are each added to the regression models in a stepwise manner. The results reveal that household size has the largest marginal impact on all three measures of wellbeing, suggesting that communities with relatively larger households, often associated with residential overcrowding, are more likely to have lower levels of wellbeing. The stepwise regression results illustrate the significance of including geographical remoteness for all three measures of wellbeing, while the addition of community population is only significant for the workforce index. In regard to geographical remoteness, the empirical results reveal that both educational outcomes and housing quality are lower in more remote communities. Community size, as defined by population, is found to be negatively associated with the workforce index implying that communities with larger populations tend to have lower workforce participation and employment outcomes. Given the ongoing social, health and economic costs associated with residential crowding in First Nation communities, the results will be of interest to policy makers and First Nation leaders in Canada and other countries who seek strategies to raise the level of wellbeing for their Indigenous communities. Policy recommendations include an increase in housing supply coordinated through the creation of an Indigenous-led housing and infrastructure authority. Other recommendations include long-term approaches to supporting education and job training programs with community level initiatives.