Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess changes in eating self-efficacy after participating in a brief psychoeducational group intervention, grounded in the cognitive-behavioral model, delivered by dieticians in community-based health facilities. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental, pre-post…

Objective: To evaluate the association between health behaviors with mental health among tertiary education students. Methods: Six databases were searched until September 2021 for prospective cohort studies evaluating the association between health behavior(s) (dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, alcohol intake, sleep, smoking…

Nudging is increasingly used in public health interventions in Western societies to produced health-promoting behavior changes; however, there is lack of clarity as to what constitutes a nudge, scant knowledge of the effectiveness of nudging techniques in public health lifestyle interventions and a number of ethical and value-based concerns. The…

Background: Media literacy skills are needed to navigate high levels of food marketing promoting the consumption of unhealthy foods. Health-promoting media literacy education encourages children to use analytical skills to critically examine media messages in order to make informed health choices. Objective: To evaluate the influence of media…

Background: The school environment has the potential to influence student body mass index (BMI) through programs and policies. Our objective was to examine the effect of modifying obesity-related school policies and programs on youths' BMI trajectories. Methods: Obesity-related school policies and programs related to physical activity and healthy…

Objective: Young adult cancer survivors living in rural areas have reported barriers to participating in health behaviours due to their geographical location and the developmental milestones associated with their age. Existing health behaviour change interventions have generally been delivered face-to-face and have not been tailored to the…

Background: Despite the importance of breakfast consumption, breakfast skipping is common among Canadian youth. This study examines how changes to school-based breakfast programs are associated with breakfast-skipping behavior. Methods: Using school-level longitudinal data from Year 1 (Y[subscript 1]: 2012-2013) and Year 2 (Y[subscript 2]:…

Background: Although schools are considered opportune settings for youth health interventions, a gap between school health research and practice exists. COMPASS, a longitudinal study of Ontario and Alberta secondary students and schools (2012-2021), used integrated knowledge translation to enhance schools' uptake of research findings. Schools…

Background: Most Canadian children do not meet daily recommendations for consumption of vegetables and fruits (V/F) and dairy products (DP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Team Nutriathlon on V/F and DP consumption of children. Methods: Participants were 404 children from grades 5 and 6 (intervention group [IG] N = 242,…

Objective: To examine the independent and combined effects of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) variables and trait self-control (TSC) in the prediction of fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) among first-year university students. Participants: Seventy-six first-year undergraduate university students. Methods: In their first week of class…

In recent years, media, health organizations and researchers have raised concern over the health of Canadian children and adolescents. Stakeholders have called on the government to confront the problem. Schools are seen as an ideal location for developing and implementing large-scale interventions because of the ease of access to large groups of…

Objective: To examine the effects of a Healthy Active Living (HAL) community intervention on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC), and psychosocial mediators of physical activity among students transitioning into university. Methods: Sixty undergraduate students were assigned to reside in either the…

Diet-related chronic diseases are highly prevalent among indigenous populations in the Canadian Arctic. A community-based, multi-institutional nutritional and lifestyle intervention--Healthy Foods North--was implemented to improve food-related psychosocial factors and behaviors among Inuit and Inuvialuit in four intervention communities (with two…

Objective: To develop a community-based chronic disease prevention program for Inuit in Nunavut, Canada. Methods: Stakeholders contributed to intervention development through formative research [in-depth interviews (n = 45), dietary recalls (n = 42)], community workshops, group feedback and implementation training. Results: Key cultural themes…

This article presents the impact results of a feasibility study in Canada for prevention of risk factors for diabetes in seven northwestern Ontario First Nations. Baseline and follow-up data were collected before and after the 9-month intervention program in schools, stores, and communities that aimed to improve diet and increase physical activity…