NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: health, food supply, market food

Project Description: The Healthy Stores project aims to improve health and prevent obesity and disease in communities through culturally-appropriate, store-based interventions. In the Northwest Territories, the project will be carried out in five phases. In 2006, it is planned that work in the first three phases will be executed. The Principal Investigator, Dr. Sharma, will train local health professionals in the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority to develop the intervention phase of Healthy Stores. The training will use a standard approach adapted from similar projects in other sites (see www.healthystore.org). Individuals trained to conduct 24 hour food recalls will do so immediately after the training. This data collection phase will be carried out by two local nutritionists in Inuvik and a Community Health Representative in Tuktoyaktuk. This data will be then analyzed and used for a future phase of the Healthy Stores work, which will be the development of a food frequency questionnaire. Phase 2 of the project will entail interviews with community residents. For the sample to be useful, 20 interviews will be carried out with community members from Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. Individuals under the age of 18 will not be interviewed. Phase 2 work will also consist of a training component: a research team member, Dr. Gittleson, will train staff at TAIT Communications (a firm in Yellowknife contracted to do a Healthy Eating Social Marketing Strategy) on standard methodology to obtain necessary information from community stakeholders. After the training, TAIT Communications will travel to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk to conduct community interviews with local residents, elders, store owners, etc. Should interviewees wish not to have their interviews recorded, the researchers will comply by taking notes, instead. Only the research team will have access to the audio recordings, notes and transcripts of interviews. All data will be stored in a locked filing cabinet at the Department of Health and social Services office in Yellowknife. After recordings are transcribed, they will be destroyed (within a year of the start of the project). Any printed materials, including transcripts and notes will be destroyed within a year after computer data entry is completed. Data analysis will constitute the work to be done under Phase 3. Interview data will be summarized and validated with the interviewees in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk in a workshop setting. The information from interviews will contribute to the development of a community-appropriate healthy eating approach. The confidentiality of all interview participants will be safeguarded. A consent form has been designed for this purpose, in compliance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. In the event that study findings are published, no names and other identifying information will be released. The findings of the study will be shared with the communities through workshops, where residents determine the most effective ways to address concerns about food supply food choices in stores, combining traditional and sort-bought food and community control over these choices. Copies of project reports, plain language summaries and any publications stemming from the research will be sent to the participating communities and the Aurora Research Institute. The study will be conducted in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk from December 1-31, 2006.