The ways gay men navigate socially constructed body tensions are explored through a post-structur... more The ways gay men navigate socially constructed body tensions are explored through a post-structural lens. Nine self-identifying gay men in Canada used photovoice to create images that expressed their beliefs, values and practices about their bodies. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews to discuss the meanings of their images. Three discursive considerations were created from the analysis of both interviews and the photographs. Participants attempted to create bodies aligned with the dominant body ideals for gay men but, in doing so, often suffered from emotional harm that negatively shaped their health and well-being. Some participants, however, through the process of creating their bodies were able to find new connections and new understanding of their bodies. They were able to find new ways of being outside the rigid body ideals set before them. Through the post-structural lens of the research, participants’ bodies can be conceptualized as bodies becoming art.
Background: Children's physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic ... more Background: Children's physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and these changes could lead to longer-term impacts on children's cognitive, social, and emotional health. Purpose: To determine parents' perceptions of cognitive function, peer and family relationships, life satisfaction, physical activity, affect, and global health, among their children who participated in the Build Our Kids' Success (BOKS) after school physical activity program from October to December 2020. Methods: Parents of children participating in the BOKS program at elementary schools in Nova Scotia, Canada were recruited. At baseline, 159 parents completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System (PROMIS) Parent Proxy questionnaire, and 75 parents completed the measures at follow-up. Independent t-tests were used to determine if there were differences between pre and post Parent Proxy Questionnaire data. Results:...
Increasing rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours among children and the youth are... more Increasing rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours among children and the youth are important determinants of chronic disease. Supporting children's participation in organised physical activities like sports has been promoted as a public health strategy to increase physical activity. Evidence shows that successful interventions are family-focused, although research on how parental eating and physical activity behaviours influence children's behaviours is deficient. In this commentary, we argue that interventions for countering physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours should include greater focus on home and social environments, specifically the influence and involvement of parents, siblings, and friends in supporting these health behaviours. We conclude that the design of interventions to prevent chronic diseases in children should also consider more carefully the conditions in which the behaviours of children and their parents occur. This means encouraging...
Relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) beliefs (appraisals of how another views one’s competence)... more Relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) beliefs (appraisals of how another views one’s competence) are thought to be important in relationships where there is a power differential (e.g., coach-athlete, parent-child). While the importance of RISE beliefs have been demonstrated in multiple physical-activity domains, there is little understanding of RISE beliefs within youth sport, a context which captures both coach-athlete and parent-child relationships. As part of a larger project examining youth sport, the current work explored the relationships between RISE beliefs and youth’s self-efficacy and potential predictors of RISE beliefs. Youth participating in recreational sport (N=219, Mage=12yrs) completed measures of RISE as referenced to perceptions of parents’, as well as coach’s, self-efficacy, sport satisfaction, family support and parental overprotection; their parents completed measures of other-efficacy (confidence in their child’s abilities). Children reported high RISE (par...
Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention in Children & Youth, 2007
Despite the increasing numbers of young Canadian females becoming infected with HIV through heter... more Despite the increasing numbers of young Canadian females becoming infected with HIV through heterosexual transmission with an infected male sexual partner, the majority of current HIV prevention programs and services in Canada continue to ignore the needs of young heterosexual males. This research is derived from 30 indepfh interviews, 9 focus groups and 13 indepfh interviews with sexual and reproductive
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022
Children’s physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these negat... more Children’s physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these negative changes could lead to longer-term impacts on children’s cognitive, social, and emotional health. Purpose: To determine parent/caregivers’ perceptions of their children’s cognitive function, peer and family relationships, life satisfaction, physical activity, sleep, positive affect, and global health, before and after participating in the Build Our Kids’ Success (BOKS) programming at after-school programs in Fall 2020. Methods: Parents of children participating in the BOKS programming at after-school programs in Nova Scotia, Canada, were recruited. At baseline, 159 parents completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System (PROMIS) parent-proxy questionnaire, and 75 parents completed the measures at follow-up. Independent t-tests were used to determine if there were differences between baseline and follow-up Parent Proxy Questionnai...
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
Background: Women face contradictions regarding their health: Pressure to be feminine, but also a... more Background: Women face contradictions regarding their health: Pressure to be feminine, but also athletic; Criticism for being too sporty or muscular, but equally so for being perceived as lazy or overweight. These complexities are perpetuated through media and discourse. Purpose: Using a feminist post-structural approach and photovoice, this study explored health, physical activity, and nutrition in adolescent girls and young women. Methods: Photovoice enables reflection, promotes dialogue, and sparks change. The process involved conducting a workshop, collecting photos, and participatory analysis sessions, which engaged the participants (n = 7, ages 13-26) in photo selection, contextualization, and codifying. Results: This resulted in three themes: First, (Breaking) Stereotypes, in which participants identified gender norms, conflicts, and contradictions; Second, Emotional Safety, or the contexts in which girls and young women feel confident and comfortable; Finally, Being Outside in Nature emerged as significant. Each theme is supported by quotations and photographs. This work suggests being outside in nature provides important context for girls and young women to feel emotionally safe, such that they may engage in the complex navigation of competing discourses surrounding health.
Canadian journal of dietetic practice and research : a publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue canadienne de la pratique et de la recherche en dietetique : une publication des Dietetistes du Canada, 2021
Our purpose in writing this Perspective in Practice is to create awareness about the role of comp... more Our purpose in writing this Perspective in Practice is to create awareness about the role of compassion within dietetic practice, particularly the role of compassion for body image tensions. Nine self-identifying gay men were recruited to a photovoice research study that explored their beliefs, values, and practices relating to food and their bodies. Compassion was found as one way to navigate body images tensions. It is not the intent of this article to review all aspects of this research study but to use it as an example to illustrate compassion in dietetics. We suggest that our findings reveal the strength of using compassionate practice within the dietetic profession. In doing so, we call upon dietitians to incorporate compassion into their clinical and client care practices to foster health and healing for all communities, especially among those who struggle with body image tensions.
This research project explored students' and community practitioners' experiences of comm... more This research project explored students' and community practitioners' experiences of community-based experiential education and, in particular, the characteristics of such experiences that are key to creating meaningful learning opportunities. Through focus groups with current undergraduate students in recreation programs at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, and key informant interviews with practitioners at community organizations that have facilitated experiential education for our students, we explored the research question: What aspects of community-based experiential education are key to creating meaningful learning opportunities for recreation students? Based on our thematic analyses, the data can be described by the three themes of value, context, and relationships. Overall, findings suggest that all stakeholders in the experience—instructors, students, and community practitioners—need to find their involvement meaningful, and that the meaningful nature of su...
To ensure sport provides an opportunity for positive youth development for children of all body w... more To ensure sport provides an opportunity for positive youth development for children of all body weights, there is a need to fully understand the social context that may shape the recreational or community-based sport experience. The purpose of this study was to examine how parents and children view children’s abilities in sport, and how children view potential teammates based on weight. Child-parent dyads (N=102) drawn from multiple sport programs completed measures of self-efficacy, other-efficacy, and perceived characteristics of a potential teammate described in a vignette as either tall or heavy. The majority of child participants self-identified as female (51 %), Caucasian (81%) and as normal or under-weight (96%). A paired analysis between children’s self-efficacy (M = 8.30) and parents’ other-efficacy (M = 6.93) revealed that, relative to their children, parents were less confident in their child’s sport abilities ( p < .001). Multivariate analysis of variance revealed dif...
An emerging area of research has focused on understanding how the group dynamics of a sport team ... more An emerging area of research has focused on understanding how the group dynamics of a sport team influence positive youth development (PYD). The identities that youth form through their membership in sport teams (i.e., social identities) have been found to influence teammate behaviour and team performance (Bruner et al., 2014; Murrell & Gaertner, 1992). Yet, there exists minimal work on social identity and PYD in youth sport. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social identity and PYD in recreational youth sport. Youth engaged in recreational sport (N = 219; Mage =12yrs) completed measures of social identity (Cameron, 2004) and PYD in sport (MacDonald et al., 2012). The social identity measure assessed three dimensions including ingroup ties (IGT; perceptions of similarity, bonding, belongingness), cognitive centrality (CC; importance of being a team member), and ingroup affect (IGA; feelings associated with group membership). A regression analysis...
International Journal of Workplace Health Management
PurposeThis study proposes a new model, called the Integrated Human Health Model (IHHM), to impro... more PurposeThis study proposes a new model, called the Integrated Human Health Model (IHHM), to improve the design and effectiveness of Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) interventions.Design/methodology/approachEighteen participants were purposefully selected from 44 participants in a 2.5-day WHP intervention targeting multiple health behaviours (MHB). The intervention has shown to improve quality of life and health-related behaviours in rigorous studies. Qualitative data collection methods were observations, repeat semi-structured interviews and weekly e-journals collected over three months. Template analysis was used to develop the IHHM describing participants' experiences.FindingsThe IHHM describes the health behaviour change process using eight themes: facilitation, assessment, desired life, barriers, knowledge and skills, insights, action planning, and monitor and support.Practical implicationsWith the paucity of evidence informing WHP intervention effectiveness, this study prov...
BACKGROUND: The Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) intervention is a randomized mixed-me... more BACKGROUND: The Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) intervention is a randomized mixed-methods controlled trial focused on embedding loose parts materials into the outdoor play spaces of regulated child care centres across Nova Scotia. The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of the PLEY intervention versus standard regulated childcare practice in influencing thoughts and behaviors of children, parents, and educators. METHODS: Participating early child care centres (n = 19) were randomly assigned to intervention or control sites. Intervention sites received loose parts kits at the beginning of the project while control sites received kits upon project completion. The kits included items such as rocks, tree cookies, balls, wood planks, tubes, tires, ropes, and pulleys. Children (n = 183 at baseline) had their physical activity (accelerometers) and movement skills (TGMD-3 and PGMQ) measured before and after the intervention. All centres provided responses to environmental surveys (...
The ways gay men navigate socially constructed body tensions are explored through a post-structur... more The ways gay men navigate socially constructed body tensions are explored through a post-structural lens. Nine self-identifying gay men in Canada used photovoice to create images that expressed their beliefs, values and practices about their bodies. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews to discuss the meanings of their images. Three discursive considerations were created from the analysis of both interviews and the photographs. Participants attempted to create bodies aligned with the dominant body ideals for gay men but, in doing so, often suffered from emotional harm that negatively shaped their health and well-being. Some participants, however, through the process of creating their bodies were able to find new connections and new understanding of their bodies. They were able to find new ways of being outside the rigid body ideals set before them. Through the post-structural lens of the research, participants’ bodies can be conceptualized as bodies becoming art.
Background: Children's physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic ... more Background: Children's physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and these changes could lead to longer-term impacts on children's cognitive, social, and emotional health. Purpose: To determine parents' perceptions of cognitive function, peer and family relationships, life satisfaction, physical activity, affect, and global health, among their children who participated in the Build Our Kids' Success (BOKS) after school physical activity program from October to December 2020. Methods: Parents of children participating in the BOKS program at elementary schools in Nova Scotia, Canada were recruited. At baseline, 159 parents completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System (PROMIS) Parent Proxy questionnaire, and 75 parents completed the measures at follow-up. Independent t-tests were used to determine if there were differences between pre and post Parent Proxy Questionnaire data. Results:...
Increasing rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours among children and the youth are... more Increasing rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours among children and the youth are important determinants of chronic disease. Supporting children's participation in organised physical activities like sports has been promoted as a public health strategy to increase physical activity. Evidence shows that successful interventions are family-focused, although research on how parental eating and physical activity behaviours influence children's behaviours is deficient. In this commentary, we argue that interventions for countering physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours should include greater focus on home and social environments, specifically the influence and involvement of parents, siblings, and friends in supporting these health behaviours. We conclude that the design of interventions to prevent chronic diseases in children should also consider more carefully the conditions in which the behaviours of children and their parents occur. This means encouraging...
Relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) beliefs (appraisals of how another views one’s competence)... more Relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) beliefs (appraisals of how another views one’s competence) are thought to be important in relationships where there is a power differential (e.g., coach-athlete, parent-child). While the importance of RISE beliefs have been demonstrated in multiple physical-activity domains, there is little understanding of RISE beliefs within youth sport, a context which captures both coach-athlete and parent-child relationships. As part of a larger project examining youth sport, the current work explored the relationships between RISE beliefs and youth’s self-efficacy and potential predictors of RISE beliefs. Youth participating in recreational sport (N=219, Mage=12yrs) completed measures of RISE as referenced to perceptions of parents’, as well as coach’s, self-efficacy, sport satisfaction, family support and parental overprotection; their parents completed measures of other-efficacy (confidence in their child’s abilities). Children reported high RISE (par...
Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention in Children & Youth, 2007
Despite the increasing numbers of young Canadian females becoming infected with HIV through heter... more Despite the increasing numbers of young Canadian females becoming infected with HIV through heterosexual transmission with an infected male sexual partner, the majority of current HIV prevention programs and services in Canada continue to ignore the needs of young heterosexual males. This research is derived from 30 indepfh interviews, 9 focus groups and 13 indepfh interviews with sexual and reproductive
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022
Children’s physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these negat... more Children’s physical activity participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these negative changes could lead to longer-term impacts on children’s cognitive, social, and emotional health. Purpose: To determine parent/caregivers’ perceptions of their children’s cognitive function, peer and family relationships, life satisfaction, physical activity, sleep, positive affect, and global health, before and after participating in the Build Our Kids’ Success (BOKS) programming at after-school programs in Fall 2020. Methods: Parents of children participating in the BOKS programming at after-school programs in Nova Scotia, Canada, were recruited. At baseline, 159 parents completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System (PROMIS) parent-proxy questionnaire, and 75 parents completed the measures at follow-up. Independent t-tests were used to determine if there were differences between baseline and follow-up Parent Proxy Questionnai...
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
Background: Women face contradictions regarding their health: Pressure to be feminine, but also a... more Background: Women face contradictions regarding their health: Pressure to be feminine, but also athletic; Criticism for being too sporty or muscular, but equally so for being perceived as lazy or overweight. These complexities are perpetuated through media and discourse. Purpose: Using a feminist post-structural approach and photovoice, this study explored health, physical activity, and nutrition in adolescent girls and young women. Methods: Photovoice enables reflection, promotes dialogue, and sparks change. The process involved conducting a workshop, collecting photos, and participatory analysis sessions, which engaged the participants (n = 7, ages 13-26) in photo selection, contextualization, and codifying. Results: This resulted in three themes: First, (Breaking) Stereotypes, in which participants identified gender norms, conflicts, and contradictions; Second, Emotional Safety, or the contexts in which girls and young women feel confident and comfortable; Finally, Being Outside in Nature emerged as significant. Each theme is supported by quotations and photographs. This work suggests being outside in nature provides important context for girls and young women to feel emotionally safe, such that they may engage in the complex navigation of competing discourses surrounding health.
Canadian journal of dietetic practice and research : a publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue canadienne de la pratique et de la recherche en dietetique : une publication des Dietetistes du Canada, 2021
Our purpose in writing this Perspective in Practice is to create awareness about the role of comp... more Our purpose in writing this Perspective in Practice is to create awareness about the role of compassion within dietetic practice, particularly the role of compassion for body image tensions. Nine self-identifying gay men were recruited to a photovoice research study that explored their beliefs, values, and practices relating to food and their bodies. Compassion was found as one way to navigate body images tensions. It is not the intent of this article to review all aspects of this research study but to use it as an example to illustrate compassion in dietetics. We suggest that our findings reveal the strength of using compassionate practice within the dietetic profession. In doing so, we call upon dietitians to incorporate compassion into their clinical and client care practices to foster health and healing for all communities, especially among those who struggle with body image tensions.
This research project explored students' and community practitioners' experiences of comm... more This research project explored students' and community practitioners' experiences of community-based experiential education and, in particular, the characteristics of such experiences that are key to creating meaningful learning opportunities. Through focus groups with current undergraduate students in recreation programs at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, and key informant interviews with practitioners at community organizations that have facilitated experiential education for our students, we explored the research question: What aspects of community-based experiential education are key to creating meaningful learning opportunities for recreation students? Based on our thematic analyses, the data can be described by the three themes of value, context, and relationships. Overall, findings suggest that all stakeholders in the experience—instructors, students, and community practitioners—need to find their involvement meaningful, and that the meaningful nature of su...
To ensure sport provides an opportunity for positive youth development for children of all body w... more To ensure sport provides an opportunity for positive youth development for children of all body weights, there is a need to fully understand the social context that may shape the recreational or community-based sport experience. The purpose of this study was to examine how parents and children view children’s abilities in sport, and how children view potential teammates based on weight. Child-parent dyads (N=102) drawn from multiple sport programs completed measures of self-efficacy, other-efficacy, and perceived characteristics of a potential teammate described in a vignette as either tall or heavy. The majority of child participants self-identified as female (51 %), Caucasian (81%) and as normal or under-weight (96%). A paired analysis between children’s self-efficacy (M = 8.30) and parents’ other-efficacy (M = 6.93) revealed that, relative to their children, parents were less confident in their child’s sport abilities ( p < .001). Multivariate analysis of variance revealed dif...
An emerging area of research has focused on understanding how the group dynamics of a sport team ... more An emerging area of research has focused on understanding how the group dynamics of a sport team influence positive youth development (PYD). The identities that youth form through their membership in sport teams (i.e., social identities) have been found to influence teammate behaviour and team performance (Bruner et al., 2014; Murrell & Gaertner, 1992). Yet, there exists minimal work on social identity and PYD in youth sport. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social identity and PYD in recreational youth sport. Youth engaged in recreational sport (N = 219; Mage =12yrs) completed measures of social identity (Cameron, 2004) and PYD in sport (MacDonald et al., 2012). The social identity measure assessed three dimensions including ingroup ties (IGT; perceptions of similarity, bonding, belongingness), cognitive centrality (CC; importance of being a team member), and ingroup affect (IGA; feelings associated with group membership). A regression analysis...
International Journal of Workplace Health Management
PurposeThis study proposes a new model, called the Integrated Human Health Model (IHHM), to impro... more PurposeThis study proposes a new model, called the Integrated Human Health Model (IHHM), to improve the design and effectiveness of Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) interventions.Design/methodology/approachEighteen participants were purposefully selected from 44 participants in a 2.5-day WHP intervention targeting multiple health behaviours (MHB). The intervention has shown to improve quality of life and health-related behaviours in rigorous studies. Qualitative data collection methods were observations, repeat semi-structured interviews and weekly e-journals collected over three months. Template analysis was used to develop the IHHM describing participants' experiences.FindingsThe IHHM describes the health behaviour change process using eight themes: facilitation, assessment, desired life, barriers, knowledge and skills, insights, action planning, and monitor and support.Practical implicationsWith the paucity of evidence informing WHP intervention effectiveness, this study prov...
BACKGROUND: The Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) intervention is a randomized mixed-me... more BACKGROUND: The Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) intervention is a randomized mixed-methods controlled trial focused on embedding loose parts materials into the outdoor play spaces of regulated child care centres across Nova Scotia. The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of the PLEY intervention versus standard regulated childcare practice in influencing thoughts and behaviors of children, parents, and educators. METHODS: Participating early child care centres (n = 19) were randomly assigned to intervention or control sites. Intervention sites received loose parts kits at the beginning of the project while control sites received kits upon project completion. The kits included items such as rocks, tree cookies, balls, wood planks, tubes, tires, ropes, and pulleys. Children (n = 183 at baseline) had their physical activity (accelerometers) and movement skills (TGMD-3 and PGMQ) measured before and after the intervention. All centres provided responses to environmental surveys (...
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Papers by Laurene Rehman