Pause, re-think, go virtual pandemic adaptations from 20 diverse mental health promotion intervention projects across Canada.

The Government of Canada's Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund (MHP-IF) is a platform for learning across diverse projects, facilitated by a Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub. MHP-IF projects were getting underway before the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in 2020 and dramatically shifted their circumstances and activities. Using storytelling methods, this study explored 20 project experiences during the first year of the pandemic, including how and why assumptions, plans, and activities were adapted; early signals about what was working well or not; and how adaptations influenced equity, access, and cultural safety. Project teams generally navigated through four stages: pausing, re-thinking, adapting, and settling into adjustments. Within and across these stages, projects addressed similar processes, including meeting fundamental needs of participants and project teams, managing unanticipated benefits, and engaging with online formats. All projects experienced the pandemic's influence of amplifying both inequities and public and political attention on mental health. This study provides experiential evidence from diverse settings and populations in Canada about pandemic adaptations. The multi-project model and storytelling methods can usefully contribute to additional research, including ways to address inequities and promote cultural safety.

Annual gatherings as an integrated knowledge translation strategy to support local and traditional food systems within and across Indigenous community contexts: a qualitative study.

Integrated knowledge translation (IKT) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) are recognized as effective approaches when Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners work together to focus on a common goal. The "Learning Circles: Local Healthy Food to School" (LC:LHF2S) study supported the development and implementation of Learning Circles (LC) in 4 Canadian Indigenous communities with the goal of improving local, community-based healthy food systems. Critical to the research process were annual gatherings (AG) where diverse stakeholders (researchers, Indigenous community members, and partners) visited each community to share knowledge, experiences, and provide support in the research process. Using a qualitative, descriptive method, this paper explores how the AG supported IKT across partners. Yearly interviews involving 19 total participants (with some participating multiple times across the 4 gatherings) elicited their AG experiences in supporting local LC:LHF2S. Three themes with multiple sub-themes were identified: (a) setting the stage for IKT (importance of in-person gatherings for building relationships across partners, learning from each other), (b) enabling meaningful engagement (aligning research with Indigenous values, addressing tensions and building trust over time, ensuring flexibility, and Indigenous involvement and leadership), and (c) supporting food system action at the local level (building local community engagement and understanding, and integrating support for implementation and scale-up of LC). This paper provides useful and practical examples of the principles of Indigenous-engaged IKT and CBPR in action in healthy, local, and traditional food initiatives. AG are a valuable IKT strategy to contribute to positive, transformative change and ethical research practice within Indigenous communities.

Exploring Student Food Behaviour in Relation to Food Retail over the Time of Implementing Ontario's School Food and Beverage Policy.

BACKGROUND: Canadian provincial policies, like Ontario's School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150), increasingly mandate standards for food and beverages offered for sale at school. Given concerns regarding students leaving school to purchase less healthy foods, we examined student behaviours and competitive food retail around schools in a large urban region of Southern Ontario. METHODS: Using a geographic information system (GIS), we enumerated food outlets (convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants) within 500, 1000 and 1500 m of all 389 regional schools spanning years of policy implementation. Consenting grade 6-10 students within 31 randomly selected schools completed a web-based 24-h diet recall (WEB-Q) and questionnaire. RESULTS: Food outlet numbers increased over time (p < 0.01); post-policy, within 1000 m, they averaged 27.31 outlets, with a maximum of 65 fast-food restaurants around one school. Of WEB-Q respondents (n = 2075, mean age = 13.4 ± 1.6 years), those who ate lunch at a restaurant/take-out (n = 84, 4%) consumed significantly more energy (978 vs. 760 kcal), sodium (1556 vs. 1173 mg), and sugar (44.3 vs. 40.1 g). Of elementary and secondary school respondents, 22.1% and 52.4% reported ever eating at fast food outlets during school days. CONCLUSIONS: Students have easy access to food retail in school neighbourhoods. The higher energy, sodium and sugar of these options present a health risk.

A Qualitative Evaluation of the eaTracker® Mobile App.

BACKGROUND: eaTracker® is Dietitians of Canada's online nutrition/activity self-monitoring tool accessible via website and mobile app. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the eaTracker® mobile app based on user perspectives. METHODS: One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult eaTracker® mobile app users who had used the app for ≥ 1 week within the past 90 days. Participants (n = 26; 89% female, 73% 18⁻50 years) were recruited via email. Interview transcripts were coded using first level coding and pattern coding, where first level codes were grouped according to common themes. RESULTS: Participants mentioned several positive aspects of the mobile app which included: (a) Dashboard displays; (b) backed by dietitians; (c) convenience and ease of use; (d) portion size entry; (e) inclusion of food and physical activity recording; and (f) ability to access more comprehensive information via the eaTracker® website. Challenges with the mobile app included: (a) Search feature; (b) limited food database; (c) differences in mobile app versus website; and (d) inability to customize dashboard displayed information. Suggestions were provided to enhance the app. CONCLUSION: This evaluation provides useful information to improve the eaTracker® mobile app and also for those looking to develop apps to facilitate positive nutrition/physical activity behavior change.

Programme coordinators' perceptions of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with school nutrition programmes.

OBJECTIVE: As part of a larger evaluation of school nutrition programmes (SNP), the present study examined programme coordinators' perceptions of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) regarding their SNP and public health professionals' support. DESIGN: Qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-two of eighty-one programme coordinators who had completed a programme evaluation survey. Interviews followed a SWOT framework to evaluate programmes and assessed coordinators' perceptions regarding current and future partnerships with public health professionals. SETTING: The study was conducted in a large, urban region within Ontario. SUBJECTS: The twenty-two coordinators who participated represented a cross-section of elementary, secondary, Public and Catholic schools. RESULTS: SNP varied enormously in foods/services offered, how they offered them and perceived needs. Major strengths included universality, the ability to reach needy students and the provision of social opportunities. Major weaknesses included challenges in forming funding partnerships, lack of volunteers, scheduling and timing issues, and coordinator workload. Common threats to effective SNP delivery included lack of sustainable funding, complexity in tracking programme use and food distribution, unreliable help from school staff, and conflicts with school administration. Opportunities for increased public health professionals' assistance included menu planning, nutrition education, expansion of programme food offerings, and help identifying community partners and sustainable funding. CONCLUSIONS: The present research identified opportunities for improving SNP and strategies for building on strengths. Since programmes were so diverse, tailored strategies are needed. Public health professionals can play a major role through supporting menu planning, food safety training, access to healthy foods, curriculum planning and by building community partnerships.