Exploring the environmental determinants of food choice among Haudenosaunee female youth.

BACKGROUND: Research on Indigenous food literacy within Canada has been focused on northern and remote communities despite the fact there are considerable and unique barriers to food access, availability, and utilization in southern Indigenous communities. Food insecurity is also a prevalent issue among Indigenous Peoples living in these more populous regions. Study objectives included investigating the determinants of food choice among youth, along with perceived opportunities that would improve food environments individually and at the community level. METHODS: This community-based study used Photovoice to explore the perceptions and experiences of traditional foods and the determinants of food choice among youth in the community of Six Nations of the Grand River. Participants took photos of their local food environments, including where foods were acquired, consumed, prepared, or shared, and participated in semi-structured interviews to share the stories behind these images. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in participants' photos and interview content. RESULTS: Environmental factors were found to influence participants' traditional and everyday food choices. Built, social, economic and ecological environments were described by the youth as distinct yet inter-related determinants that converge to influence individual food choice. Built environments had a notable impact on food choice, most notably at home and in school settings. Home and family were found to be facilitators of meal consistency and healthy food choices across participants. The social environment including participants' relationships with their peers and community friends was often a barrier to healthy food choices. Eating at fast food outlets was a common social activity. The economic environment included cost deterrents associated with food choices and regular meals. The ecological environment was less of an influence and impacted the seasonal consumption of traditional and other locally harvested foods. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the study findings have generated important knowledge regarding food environments and literacy and serves as a unique example of how to explore the traditional and everyday food experiences of Indigenous youth. Recommendations will inform the development of new as well as existing initiatives and resources to enhance the holistic wellbeing of youth and the broader community.

Meeting Report on the Conference on Fathers' Role in Children's Weight-Related Behaviors and Outcomes.

On September 22, 2017, "Engaging the Forgotten Parent: Conference of Experts on Fathers' Role in Children's Weight-Related Behaviours and Outcomes" brought researchers, students, health professionals, community stakeholders, and knowledge users from Canada, Australia, and the United States together to Toronto, Ontario, for a 1-day gathering focused on furthering scientific understanding of effective strategies to recruit, engage, and retain fathers in family-based obesity research. Furthermore this conference focused on identifying key knowledge gaps and opportunities for collaborative research to further our understanding of fathers' roles in the development of their children's behaviors and weight outcomes. The following four themes emerged from the conference: (1) underrepresentation of fathers in family-based obesity research, (2) fathers' engagement in children's weight-related behaviors and desire to participate in research, (3) best practices in recruiting, engaging, and retaining fathers in research, and (4) key lessons learned from fatherhood research in developmental science.