Policy Options to Support Healthy Eating and Active Living

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Dehcho Region

Tags: social sciences, food security, health promotion, physical activity

Principal Investigator: Fournier, Bonnie (2)
Licence Number: 15749
Organization: University of Alberta
Licensed Year(s): 2016 2015
Issued: Aug 28, 2015
Project Team: Elsie DeRoose

Objective(s): To build knowledge, capacity, resources and skills of decision makers and practitioners/managers to develop and implement policy activities to create healthier environments including food security.

Project Description: The study will help to build knowledge, capacity, resources and skills of decision makers and practitioners/managers to develop and implement policy activities to create healthier environments including food security. In-depth interviews of approximately 1 hour in length will be conducted in person or on the telephone to examine the views of decision makers and practitioners/managers about healthy eating and active living in their communities and to collect good news stories of communities who are taking action to support healthy eating and active living. Focus group discussions (wisdom circles) will be approximately 1-2 hours in length and will take place in the community facilitated by the local research assistant. Recruitment will be done in consultation with the Senior Administrative Officer and/or Mayor. The research will help to build knowledge and capacity for policy adoption and implementation to support healthy eating and physical activity. Good news stories (taking action to improve healthy eating and active living) will be collected through interviews in the community. Interviews with decision makers - chiefs, mayors, managers will provide valuable insight to inform the next part of the research study in the identified community. Focus group discussions (wisdom circle) will take place and participants will develop a policy tool kit with the support of the researcher and the research assistant from the community. The community will decide what will go into the tool kit and develop it. Also, the community will be able to share their tool kit to help other communities if they want to support healthy eating and physical activity. A community meeting, posting on the local community website, radio, newsletter, and a report to the local leaders. As well as utilizing the Northwest Territories Association of Communities website is a place to communicate to chiefs and mayors. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 31, 2015 to December 31, 2015.