Table 3 Results of Principal Components Analysis and descriptive statistics of items used to assess independent variables (N = 129)

Sociopolitical attitudes about Indigenous peoples (α = 0.777) ^a

2.86 (0.651)

Canada’s Aboriginal people are treated well by the Canadian government ^c

0.661

2.88 (0.869)

32 (24.8)

46 (35.7)

34 (26.4)

6 (4.7)

11 (8.5)

No additional taxpayer money should go to any Reserve until external auditors can be put in place to ensure financial accountability ^c

0.761

2.39 (1.00)

15 (11.6)

32 (24.8)

30 (23.3)

23 (17.8)

29 (22.5)

Aboriginal protesters are conducting justified and legitimate protests by shutting down roads and rail lines going through their communities

0.708

2.42 (0.913)

16 (12.4)

33 (25.6)

33 (25.6)

11 (8.5)

36 (27.9)

Most Aboriginal people have been trying to get ahead economically at the expense of non-Aboriginal people ^c

0.712

3.54 (0.633)

65 (50.4)

37 (28.7)

5 (3.9)

1 (0.8)

21 (16.3)

Now that the federal government has apologized for the residential school system, it is time for Aboriginal people to leave the past behind and move on ^c

0.620

2.91 (0.937)

34 (26.4)

47 (36.4)

22 (17.1)

11 (8.5)

15(11.6)

Knowledge of colonization and its links to Indigenous health inequities

(α = 0.865)^a

3.34 (0.606)

Loss of Aboriginal peoples’ traditional lifestyle is a result of colonization

0.784

3.28 (0.654)

1 (0.8)

9 (7.0)

57 (44.2)

42 (32.6)

20 (15.5)

Loss of Aboriginal peoples’ traditional lifestyle is a negative contributing factor to their health

0.718

3.25 (0.805)

2 (1.6)

18 (14.0)

37 (28.7)

49 (38.0)

23 (17.8)

The residential school system has caused negative health outcomes for Aboriginal peoples

0.688

3.50 (0.650)

1 (0.8)

6 (4.7)

38 (29.5)

62 (48.1)

22 (17.1)

Health effects of the residential school system are propagated through several generations

0.764

3.37 (0.783)

4 (3.1)

8 (6.2)

39 (30.2)

56 (43.4)

22 (17.1)

Component Loading ^b

Mean (SD)

Strongly disagree N(%)

Some-what disagree N(%)

Somewhat agree N(%)

Strongly agree N(%)

I don’t know N(%)

Knowledge of Indigenous health inequities (α = 0.820) ^a

3.53 (0.485)

Aboriginal peoples have a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse than the general population

0.723

3.54 (0.550)

0

3 (2.6)

48 (37.2)

66 (51.2)

12 (9.3)

Aboriginal peoples have a higher prevalence of obesity than the general population.

0.892

3.50 (0.624)

0

7 (5.4)

38 (29.5)

58 (45.0)

26 (20.2)

Aboriginal peoples have a higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes than the general population.

0.888

3.51 (0.606)

1 (0.8)

3 (2.3)

42 (32.6)

59 (45.7)

24 (18.3)

Aboriginal peoples have a higher suicide rate than the general population.

0.682

3.70 (0.517)

1 (0.8)

28 (21.7)

0

76 (58.9)

24 (18.6)

Self-rated educational preparedness to work with Indigenous patients

(α = 0.816) ^a

1.92 (0.781)

I have been adequately educated regarding social issues facing Aboriginal peoples.

0.924

1.81 (0.899)

56 (43.4)

44 (34.1)

16 (12.4)

8 (6.4)

5 (3.9)

I have been adequately educated regarding health issues facing Aboriginal peoples.

0.906

1.78 (0.867)

57 (44.2)

44 (34.1)

18 (14.0)

6 (4.7)

4 (3.1)

I anticipate that I will feel comfortable discussing trust issues with Aboriginal patients.

0.735

2.15 (0.962)

35 (27.1)

43 (33.3)

29 (22.5)

12 (9.3)

10 (7.8)