Research Library

Accessible primary health care is essential for the health of immigrant populations in Canada. This study explored barriers to accessing care among a relatively less studied immigrant population group, Nepalese immigrant women, which will help effectively shape public policy and improve access to primary health care for the wider immigrant population in Canada. Community-engaged focus groups were conducted in Calgary, AB. The focus groups identified long wait times as a major barrier to receiving PHC services, along with lack of proficiency in English, lack of access to medical records, competing responsibilities and unfamiliarity with the Canadian healthcare system. Accessible primary health care is essential for the health of immigrant populations in Canada. This study explored barriers to accessing care among a relatively less studied immigrant population group, Nepalese immigrant women, which will help effectively shape public policy and improve access to primary health care for the wider immigrant population in Canada. Community-engaged focus groups were conducted in Calgary, AB. The focus groups identified long wait times as a major barrier to receiving PHC services, along with lack of proficiency in English, lack of access to medical records, competing responsibilities and unfamiliarity with the Canadian healthcare system.
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This article highlights the documentary made by director Fahad Suleiman titled, “Rise of Afrobeats in the Prairies,” which explores the rise of African creatives who made Alberta their home and found the community they always sought through Afrobeats. This article highlights the documentary made by director Fahad Suleiman titled, “Rise of Afrobeats in the Prairies,” which explores the rise of African creatives who made Alberta their home and found the community they always sought through Afrobeats.
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As the population of young newcomers (immigrants, refugees and international students) increases in Canada, there is a growing need to understand the social integration process of these students into Canadian schools. This thesis reports a qualitative analysis of how newcomer students in three Albertan schools perceived their experiences interacting with local students. As the population of young newcomers (immigrants, refugees and international students) increases in Canada, there is a growing need to understand the social integration process of these students into Canadian schools. This thesis reports a qualitative analysis of how newcomer students in three Albertan schools perceived their experiences interacting with local students.
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Canada’s National Housing Strategy (2017) identifies LGBTQ2 people and newcomers (including refugees) as vulnerable groups within Canada’s housing system. Members of each group are known to experience significant barriers to housing in Canada. However, the unique experiences of LGBTQ refugees—who fall into both groups—have yet to be investigated. This thesis asks: To what extent are LGBTQ refugees able to access safe, stable and affordable housing in Alberta, Canada? Interviews and policy analysis found that LGBTQ refugees do not have adequate access to safe, stable and affordable housing in the province. They continue to experience significant barriers related to affordability, social housing supply, and discrimination, among other factors. Policy recommendations are also included in this thesis. Canada’s National Housing Strategy (2017) identifies LGBTQ2 people and newcomers (including refugees) as vulnerable groups within Canada’s housing system. Members of each group are known to experience significant barriers to housing in Canada. However, the unique experiences of LGBTQ refugees—who fall into both groups—have yet to be investigated. This thesis asks: To what extent are LGBTQ refugees able to access safe, stable and affordable housing in Alberta, Canada? Interviews and policy analysis found that LGBTQ refugees do not have adequate access to safe, stable and affordable housing in the province. They continue to experience significant barriers related to affordability, social housing supply, and discrimination, among other factors. Policy recommendations are also included in this thesis.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Available evidence in Canada suggests children born to immigrants face a greater risk of poor mental health outcomes. However, these comparisons often mask important ethno-racial differences in mental health risks and outcomes among immigrant populations. Recent evidence suggests African immigrant children have some of the poorest social and mental health outcomes in Canada. Despite this awareness, research has yet to identify community-based strategies for addressing the stressors underpinning such outcomes. This study used data obtained from focus groups with African immigrant parents in Edmonton, AB and surrounding towns to identify child mental health stressors and child mental health promotion strategies in the African immigrant community. Available evidence in Canada suggests children born to immigrants face a greater risk of poor mental health outcomes. However, these comparisons often mask important ethno-racial differences in mental health risks and outcomes among immigrant populations. Recent evidence suggests African immigrant children have some of the poorest social and mental health outcomes in Canada. Despite this awareness, research has yet to identify community-based strategies for addressing the stressors underpinning such outcomes. This study used data obtained from focus groups with African immigrant parents in Edmonton, AB and surrounding towns to identify child mental health stressors and child mental health promotion strategies in the African immigrant community.
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Sport participation is popularly constructed as a key aspect of integration for newcomers into their new countries of residence. These claims, however, are critiqued by sport and migration researchers. While newcomer sport participation is receiving increasing scholarly interest, lived experiences of newcomers in introductory winter sport programmes and the (in)efficacy of such programmes remains underexplored. Winter sports hold a central place within Canadian culture and identity, making the intersection between winter sport, immigration, integration, and Canadian identity a timely topic of investigation. This thesis explored the realities of designing and implementing introductory winter sport programmes as well as the lived experiences of newcomer participants in Calgary, AB. First, six Canadian Intro to Sport programmes in Calgary involving newcomers were examined. Results from this study were incorporated into designing the WinSport Newcomers Programme (WNP) in WinSport Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, AB. The WNP is an intersectoral community partnership comprising sport administrators, settlement service practitioners from three separate organizations, and me. I adopted a qualitative case study research design to explore the lived experiences of WNP participants and their parents as well as the (in)efficacy of the WNP as an intersectoral community partnership. Results illuminated the value of winter sport participation for newcomers to Canada as well as various challenges facing the sustainability of newcomer winter sport participation. The WNP represents a maturing intersectoral community partnership that has excelled at introducing newcomers to Canadian winter sports. Yet, various weaknesses (e.g., collaborators negotiating job-related time pressures) are obstructing the collaboration’s effectiveness. Together, the results critique and identify shortcomings in newcomer introductory winter sport programmes, while also offering important insights into how newcomer introductory winter sport programmes may be designed to foster positive outcomes. Sport participation is popularly constructed as a key aspect of integration for newcomers into their new countries of residence. These claims, however, are critiqued by sport and migration researchers. While newcomer sport participation is receiving increasing scholarly interest, lived experiences of newcomers in introductory winter sport programmes and the (in)efficacy of such programmes remains underexplored. Winter sports hold a central place within Canadian culture and identity, making the intersection between winter sport, immigration, integration, and Canadian identity a timely topic of investigation. This thesis explored the realities of designing and implementing introductory winter sport programmes as well as the lived experiences of newcomer participants in Calgary, AB. First, six Canadian Intro to Sport programmes in Calgary involving newcomers were examined. Results from this study were incorporated into designing the WinSport Newcomers Programme (WNP) in WinSport Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, AB. The WNP is an intersectoral community partnership comprising sport administrators, settlement service practitioners from three separate organizations, and me. I adopted a qualitative case study research design to explore the lived experiences of WNP participants and their parents as well as the (in)efficacy of the WNP as an intersectoral community partnership. Results illuminated the value of winter sport participation for newcomers to Canada as well as various challenges facing the sustainability of newcomer winter sport participation. The WNP represents a maturing intersectoral community partnership that has excelled at introducing newcomers to Canadian winter sports. Yet, various weaknesses (e.g., collaborators negotiating job-related time pressures) are obstructing the collaboration’s effectiveness. Together, the results critique and identify shortcomings in newcomer introductory winter sport programmes, while also offering important insights into how newcomer introductory winter sport programmes may be designed to foster positive outcomes.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This study sought to determine the role pedagogical love can play in the emotional experience of (Arabic-speaking) refugee families in Calgary, Canada, as they engaged with the public education system at the Grade 4–12 level. This study sought to determine the role pedagogical love can play in the emotional experience of (Arabic-speaking) refugee families in Calgary, Canada, as they engaged with the public education system at the Grade 4–12 level.
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This community-based research study provides new data collected from 25 in-depth individual interviews with immigrant women HCAs who were working in LTC in Calgary, Alberta between January 1 and March 30, 2021. The data, analysed through the lens of intersectional exclusion, highlight how the pandemic has impacted the working lives of immigrant women employed in LTC facilities on a daily basis, as well as their suggestions for enhancing their safety and employment conditions. Two key themes emerged during the process of data analysis: (a) HCA experiences of economic exclusion and workplace precarity—many of which pre-dated the pandemic but have been exacerbated by current policies and practices that prioritize profits over quality of community care, and (b) experiences of broader social exclusion, many of which are tied to being considered “just HCAs” who are doing “immigrant’s work”, rather than including HCAs in broader conversations about how to reform and improve the LTC sector for future. Concluding thoughts discuss how to improve policy to support low wage workers within LTC in order to address intersectional inequalities and to better support front-line care workers during current and future health pandemic recovery efforts. This community-based research study provides new data collected from 25 in-depth individual interviews with immigrant women HCAs who were working in LTC in Calgary, Alberta between January 1 and March 30, 2021. The data, analysed through the lens of intersectional exclusion, highlight how the pandemic has impacted the working lives of immigrant women employed in LTC facilities on a daily basis, as well as their suggestions for enhancing their safety and employment conditions. Two key themes emerged during the process of data analysis: (a) HCA experiences of economic exclusion and workplace precarity—many of which pre-dated the pandemic but have been exacerbated by current policies and practices that prioritize profits over quality of community care, and (b) experiences of broader social exclusion, many of which are tied to being considered “just HCAs” who are doing “immigrant’s work”, rather than including HCAs in broader conversations about how to reform and improve the LTC sector for future. Concluding thoughts discuss how to improve policy to support low wage workers within LTC in order to address intersectional inequalities and to better support front-line care workers during current and future health pandemic recovery efforts.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

We investigated health risks associated with climate and air pollution hazards and community covariates to generate insights into the resilience of older adults and immigrants at the community level in a northern urban center in the Canadian prairies (i.e. Edmonton, AB). Communities with higher proportions of older adults were associated with increased cardiovascular, injury, mental, and respiratory health event rates. Notably, heat effects on injury rates impacted communities with higher percentages of older adults (Prevalence Rate Ratio (PRR) [95%CI] 1.110 [1.011, 1.219] at 25% ≥65 years). Ozone effects on cardiovascular event rates exhibited similar trends. Areas with higher percentages of immigrants generally had lower rates of health events. However, increasing diurnal temperature range became a risk factor for respiratory health rates where there were higher percentages of refugees (PRR 1.205 [1.004, 1.447] at 20%). Industrial emission effects on injury and respiratory health rates also amplified in areas with higher percentages of refugees (PRR 1.127 [1.058, 1.200]; 1.130 [1.050, 1.216] at 20%). Similar effects were observed for mental health event rates and total immigrants. Greater neighborhood material and social deprivation were significant risk factors for increased health event rates across outcomes. Future work should focus on disproportionately affected vulnerable populations to address community-level resilience. We investigated health risks associated with climate and air pollution hazards and community covariates to generate insights into the resilience of older adults and immigrants at the community level in a northern urban center in the Canadian prairies (i.e. Edmonton, AB). Communities with higher proportions of older adults were associated with increased cardiovascular, injury, mental, and respiratory health event rates. Notably, heat effects on injury rates impacted communities with higher percentages of older adults (Prevalence Rate Ratio (PRR) [95%CI] 1.110 [1.011, 1.219] at 25% ≥65 years). Ozone effects on cardiovascular event rates exhibited similar trends. Areas with higher percentages of immigrants generally had lower rates of health events. However, increasing diurnal temperature range became a risk factor for respiratory health rates where there were higher percentages of refugees (PRR 1.205 [1.004, 1.447] at 20%). Industrial emission effects on injury and respiratory health rates also amplified in areas with higher percentages of refugees (PRR 1.127 [1.058, 1.200]; 1.130 [1.050, 1.216] at 20%). Similar effects were observed for mental health event rates and total immigrants. Greater neighborhood material and social deprivation were significant risk factors for increased health event rates across outcomes. Future work should focus on disproportionately affected vulnerable populations to address community-level resilience.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This study investigates measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization rates during the measles outbreak in Calgary and Edmonton of 2014. The measles outbreak of 2013/2014 involved the entirety of Alberta and led to both provincial and city-specific interventions in which Calgary deployed three mass immunization clinics in 2014, where Edmonton did not. The Calgary coverage data showed an increase in coverage inequalities across all indicators and the Edmonton data showed mixed results in terms of equity gains/losses. Calgary’s additive intervention of three mass immunization clinics in 2014 appears to have contributed to both the higher gross immunization rates in Calgary (90.77%) and an inequitable increase in coverage rates as compared with Edmonton (88.96%), in most cases. Public health policy-makers must be cognizant that large-scale public health efforts must be optimized for accessibility across all socio-economic levels to ensure public and population health gains are realized equitably. This study investigates measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization rates during the measles outbreak in Calgary and Edmonton of 2014. The measles outbreak of 2013/2014 involved the entirety of Alberta and led to both provincial and city-specific interventions in which Calgary deployed three mass immunization clinics in 2014, where Edmonton did not. The Calgary coverage data showed an increase in coverage inequalities across all indicators and the Edmonton data showed mixed results in terms of equity gains/losses. Calgary’s additive intervention of three mass immunization clinics in 2014 appears to have contributed to both the higher gross immunization rates in Calgary (90.77%) and an inequitable increase in coverage rates as compared with Edmonton (88.96%), in most cases. Public health policy-makers must be cognizant that large-scale public health efforts must be optimized for accessibility across all socio-economic levels to ensure public and population health gains are realized equitably.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly