What is it about?
Indigenous populations have some of the worst health outcomes worldwide. This article surveys existing studies showing that maintaining or revitalizing traditional languages improves physical health.
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Why is it important?
Improving health through language programs could be a cost-effective way of addressing a multitude of health problems at once.
Perspectives
Many communities are addressing language loss through revitalization efforts. Often, these are funded as cultural programs, but they are much more: They improve health. This undervalues the programs, and it keeps them from being funded by health organizations, as I think they should.
D. H. Whalen
City University of New York Graduate School and University Center
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This page is a summary of: Healing through language: Positive physical health effects of indigenous language use, F1000Research, May 2016, Faculty of 1000, Ltd.,
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.8656.1.
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