Abstract:Peoples' perceptions of healthy eating are influenced by the cultural context in which they occur. Despite this general acceptance by health practitioners and social scientists, studies suggest that there remains a relative homogeneity around peoples' perceptions that informs a hegemonic discourse around healthy eating. People often describe healthy eating in terms of learned information from sources that reflect societies' norms and values, such as the Canada Food Guide and the ubiquitous phrase "fruits and v… Show more
“…It was surprising because there were no questions about health in the interview guide. Overall, participants' understanding of the healthiness and unhealthiness of food strongly aligned with the dominant healthy eating discourse found in documents such as Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, an observation that others have also found to be ubiquitous in Canada (Beagan et al, 2015;Hammer, Vallianatos, Nykiforuk, & Nieuwendyk, 2015;Ristovski-Slijepcevic, Chapman, & Beagan, 2008). Many participants exhibited a fairly sophisticated understanding of the nutritional qualities of food, describing components of food such as fat, fibre, vitamins, and sugar.…”
Health promotion materials for Indigenous peoples generally recommend that Indigenous people incorporate more "traditional" foods into their diets, referring to foods that are hunted, fished or gathered from the local environment. Little scholarly attention has focused on which foods Indigenous peoples themselves consider to be traditional, or the socio-cultural significance of their contemporary food patterns. The purpose of this project was to hear the voices of Indigenous peoples about the significance, meanings, and values of foods they eat, and what they consider to be traditional foods. Participants self-identified as Aboriginal people living in or near Terrace, BC were asked to photograph everyday foods, which were then used in semi-structured interviews. Themes identified in preliminary analysis were shared with seven of the original participants in a focus group. Key issues included barriers to access and use of locally gathered foods, and concerns about environmental contaminants in wild food. Participants spontaneously spoke of food in terms of health, but had to be prompted to discuss traditional food. While locally gathered, fished and hunted foods were clearly seen as traditional, the status of other foods was more contested. Case studies of specific foods revealed how participants imagined traditional foods, and also how these were combined with store-bought foods in inventive ways to produce culturally-significant fusion or hybrid foods. Our findings reflect the vibrancy and resilience of Indigenous cultures, and suggest that we reconsider some of the dominant assumptions that inform research and health promotion activities targetting Indigenous peoples.Keywords: Indigenous; qualitative research; traditional foods; fusion foods; cultural change; Northwestern British Columbia CFS/RCÉA Luppens & Power Vol. 5 No. 2, May 2018 143
IntroductionOne of the ongoing effects of settler colonialism on Indigenous peoples in Canada is disproportionately higher rates of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Adelson, 2005;Reading & Wien, 2009). As a result, the diets of Indigenous peoples have come under increased scrutiny in efforts to find ways to decrease disease rates and increase longevity. Health promotion guidelines to treat and prevent chronic disease among Indigenous people generally recommend the inclusion of more traditional foods-foods that are available from local natural resources and possessing cultural significance (Earle, 2013;Willows, 2005). Traditional foods have been shown to be healthier and more nutrient-dense than store-bought, market alternatives, and an antidote to acculturative forces that are undermining Indigenous health, cultures, and foodways (Dietitians of Canada, 2012;Egeland & Harrison, 2013;Kuhnlein & Receveur, 1996). While health promotion recommendations urge Indigenous people to incorporate more traditional foods into their diets, we wondered what counts as traditional. This research began with the first author's observations as a dietitian...
“…It was surprising because there were no questions about health in the interview guide. Overall, participants' understanding of the healthiness and unhealthiness of food strongly aligned with the dominant healthy eating discourse found in documents such as Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, an observation that others have also found to be ubiquitous in Canada (Beagan et al, 2015;Hammer, Vallianatos, Nykiforuk, & Nieuwendyk, 2015;Ristovski-Slijepcevic, Chapman, & Beagan, 2008). Many participants exhibited a fairly sophisticated understanding of the nutritional qualities of food, describing components of food such as fat, fibre, vitamins, and sugar.…”
Health promotion materials for Indigenous peoples generally recommend that Indigenous people incorporate more "traditional" foods into their diets, referring to foods that are hunted, fished or gathered from the local environment. Little scholarly attention has focused on which foods Indigenous peoples themselves consider to be traditional, or the socio-cultural significance of their contemporary food patterns. The purpose of this project was to hear the voices of Indigenous peoples about the significance, meanings, and values of foods they eat, and what they consider to be traditional foods. Participants self-identified as Aboriginal people living in or near Terrace, BC were asked to photograph everyday foods, which were then used in semi-structured interviews. Themes identified in preliminary analysis were shared with seven of the original participants in a focus group. Key issues included barriers to access and use of locally gathered foods, and concerns about environmental contaminants in wild food. Participants spontaneously spoke of food in terms of health, but had to be prompted to discuss traditional food. While locally gathered, fished and hunted foods were clearly seen as traditional, the status of other foods was more contested. Case studies of specific foods revealed how participants imagined traditional foods, and also how these were combined with store-bought foods in inventive ways to produce culturally-significant fusion or hybrid foods. Our findings reflect the vibrancy and resilience of Indigenous cultures, and suggest that we reconsider some of the dominant assumptions that inform research and health promotion activities targetting Indigenous peoples.Keywords: Indigenous; qualitative research; traditional foods; fusion foods; cultural change; Northwestern British Columbia CFS/RCÉA Luppens & Power Vol. 5 No. 2, May 2018 143
IntroductionOne of the ongoing effects of settler colonialism on Indigenous peoples in Canada is disproportionately higher rates of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Adelson, 2005;Reading & Wien, 2009). As a result, the diets of Indigenous peoples have come under increased scrutiny in efforts to find ways to decrease disease rates and increase longevity. Health promotion guidelines to treat and prevent chronic disease among Indigenous people generally recommend the inclusion of more traditional foods-foods that are available from local natural resources and possessing cultural significance (Earle, 2013;Willows, 2005). Traditional foods have been shown to be healthier and more nutrient-dense than store-bought, market alternatives, and an antidote to acculturative forces that are undermining Indigenous health, cultures, and foodways (Dietitians of Canada, 2012;Egeland & Harrison, 2013;Kuhnlein & Receveur, 1996). While health promotion recommendations urge Indigenous people to incorporate more traditional foods into their diets, we wondered what counts as traditional. This research began with the first author's observations as a dietitian...
BackgroundIn recent years, a number of initiatives aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles in health-friendly environments have been implemented. The purpose of this review is to synthesize initiatives conducted in Canada and documented in publications for the period 1995–2015 in order to gain a better understanding of their objectives and impacts.MethodsA systematic review of Canadian initiatives published over the past 20 years was conducted from multiple databases (i.e., Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Academic search complete, Reseausante.com, Cairn, and Erudit). In total, 264 publications were identified and retained for the final analysis based on 5 criteria: (1) publication between 1995 and 2015, (2) online availability, (3) research conducted in Canada, (4) main topic related to environments favorable to healthy lifestyles (EFHL), and (5) publication in French or English.ResultsA sharp increase in the number of studies on EFHL was observed between 2010 and 2015 (57%). Two major lifestyle components—physical activity and nutrition—and 2 environmental aspects—neighborhood and built environment—were the elements most frequently examined regarding adults (48%), young people (34%), and seniors (9%), using quantitative (60%) and qualitative (18%) methods. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a greater focus on the municipal (53%) than the national or provincial levels (31%).ConclusionThis work is a first map of Canadian studies related to EFHL. It clarifies the definition of EFHL and classifies its components. As well, it documents the issues raised, the research methods employed, and the role of stakeholders, while outlining a new research agenda that includes dimensions of EFHL formerly neglected by researchers, namely, political and sociocultural spheres of action.
“…While none applied photovoice to their own work, developing their expertise in another method strengthened their skills as they pursued their own career paths. In all cases, their participation resulted in publications external to their own theses, thus strengthening their resumes (e.g., Hammer, Vallianatos, Nykiforuk, & Nieuwendyk, 2015).…”
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