Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and map the currently available peer-reviewed and grey literature exploring Canadian registered dietitians’ (RDs’) perceptions and knowledge of, and experiences with,... more
Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and map the currently available peer-reviewed and grey literature exploring Canadian registered dietitians’ (RDs’) perceptions and knowledge of, and experiences with, weight-related evidence in nutrition care. Introduction: Weight, skin fold calipers, body mass index (BMI), and other means of measuring and describing body size, have been associated with risk, progression, and nutrition intervention success with several disease states. Interpretation and application of weight-related evidence can be impacted by several non-medical factors, including practitioner perspective, evidence interpretation and application, lived experience, and bias. Each of these outcomes may differ between RDs and are not easily described or understood. Inclusion Criteria: Original peer-reviewed studies and grey literature published in English that explore Canadian RDs’ perceptions of, knowledge of, and experiences with weight-related evidence ...
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Compassion can be seen as a necessary, but often lacking, concept and practice in healthcare. Due to the cis-heteronormative nature of societies, people who identify as Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (2SLGBTQ+)... more
Compassion can be seen as a necessary, but often lacking, concept and practice in healthcare. Due to the cis-heteronormative nature of societies, people who identify as Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (2SLGBTQ+) often experience health disparities and disparities in accessing compassionate healthcare. We aimed to explore the meanings of compassion in healthcare for Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ people. Using a poststructuralist framework, 20 self-identifying 2SLGBTQ+ participants were interviewed. Data was analyzed through discourse analysis. Three main discursive considerations are discussed, including (1) meanings and expectations of compassion in healthcare, (2) compassionate healthcare is not guaranteed, and (3) prescription for care: self-compassion for healing and health. The results provide insights into how compassionate healthcare is framed for 2SLGBTQ+ participants and how compassion is often lacking for them due to discourses of cis-heteronormativity and health...
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The aim of this study was to explore the postpartum experiences of new parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The postpartum period can be a time of significant transition, both positive and negative, for parents as they navigate new... more
The aim of this study was to explore the postpartum experiences of new parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The postpartum period can be a time of significant transition, both positive and negative, for parents as they navigate new relationships with their babies and shifts in family dynamics. Physical distancing requirements mandated by public health orders during the COVID-19 pandemic had the potential to create even more stress for parents with a newborn. Examining personal experiences would provide health care professionals with information to help guide support during significant isolation. Feminist poststructuralism guided the qualitative research process. Sixty-eight new mothers completed an open-ended on-line survey. Responses were analyzed using discourse analysis to examine the beliefs, values, and practices of the participants relating to their family experiences during the pandemic period. It was found that pandemic isolation was a time of complexity with both ‘blessing...
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Sex and gender are determinants of health outcomes across an individual’s life course. However, often in health research and practice, sex and gender considerations are either overlooked or confounded. Recent developments in health... more
Sex and gender are determinants of health outcomes across an individual’s life course. However, often in health research and practice, sex and gender considerations are either overlooked or confounded. Recent developments in health research and practice ask for the inclusion of sex and gender considerations within health research and practice. This article is a reaction to these calls. It explores the ways in which an international team of health researchers created a comic book that highlighted the impact of gender in many areas of health across an individual’s life course. The creative processes are critically explored, as well as selected images. Through this work, it is proposed that comic art knowledge mobilization projects can be viewed as means to transform health research and practice by critiquing and disrupting dominant cis-heteronormative sex and gender discourses.
Research Interests: Psychology and Comics
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The construction of masculinities is an important component of the bodies and lives of gay men. The role of gay culture on body standards, body dissatisfaction, and the health of gay men was explored using poststructuralism and queer... more
The construction of masculinities is an important component of the bodies and lives of gay men. The role of gay culture on body standards, body dissatisfaction, and the health of gay men was explored using poststructuralism and queer theory within an arts-based framework. Nine gay men were recruited within the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Participants were asked to photograph their beliefs, values, and practices relating to their bodies and food. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, using the photographs as guides. Data were analyzed by critical discourse analysis and resulted in three overarching threads of discourse including: (1) Muscles: The Bigger the Better, (2) The Silence of Hegemonic Masculinity, and (3) Embracing a New Day. Participants believed that challenging hegemonic masculinity was a way to work through body image tension.
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Ideal bodies are constituted through various social and cultural discourses. One such discourse that constitutes bodies is the “obesity” discourse. The term obesity is a contested and medicalizing term that constitutes a view of fat... more
Ideal bodies are constituted through various social and cultural discourses. One such discourse that constitutes bodies is the “obesity” discourse. The term obesity is a contested and medicalizing term that constitutes a view of fat people as unhealthy, immoral, and undesirable. Obesity discourses, therefore, also constitute notions of the bodies and body types that are thought to be healthy, acceptable, and attractive. The effects of obesity discourses can be prominently observed in gay men’s culture where muscular, white, thin bodies are glorified. This paper employs a poststructural framework to examine how desired bodies are constituted in gay culture. This paper also explores how some gay men resist dominant obesity discourses. A critical review of the literature on fatness, body dissatisfaction, and the influence of gay culture on eating practices among gay men informs this work. Various studies have shown that gay culture can constitute experiences of body dissatisfaction, re...
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The purpose of this article is to explore the scope of available evidence regarding the use of interactive e-texts and their relationship to student learning experiences in post-secondary education. Following the framework of Arksey and... more
The purpose of this article is to explore the scope of available evidence regarding the use of interactive e-texts and their relationship to student learning experiences in post-secondary education. Following the framework of Arksey and O’Malley, this scoping review identified and reported on 33 articles. Study characteristics are presented alongside four themes that were found across the included articles: (1) the effect of interactive e-texts on student learning experiences; (2) the relationship between interactive e-texts and academic performance; (3) factors influencing student adoption and experience of interactive e-texts; and (4) roles, responsibilities, and recommendations. While the adoption of interactive e-texts is becoming increasingly common in post-secondary education, their effect on student learning experiences remains complex. This review emphasizes the importance of user-friendliness, affordability, accessibility, portability, and the role of educators. Using inter...
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ABSTRACTThe consequences of poor eating behaviors can impact, not only the overall health of individuals, but it can negatively impact government and organizational costs. Healthy eating behaviours are influenced by personal, behaviour,... more
ABSTRACTThe consequences of poor eating behaviors can impact, not only the overall health of individuals, but it can negatively impact government and organizational costs. Healthy eating behaviours are influenced by personal, behaviour, and environmental factors, and have been investigated through many theoretical frameworks. In this study, expectancy theory was explored as a tool to understand healthy eating motivations in the context of consumer behaviour. Based on the expectancy theory, six hypotheses were created and tested using a survey conducted at two universities. A total of 188 students completed the survey which included questions on eating behaviors, nutrition knowledge and selfefficacy for healthy eating. An expectancy theory model based on the resulting scores was analyzed through Partial Least Square regression. The six hypotheses were confirmed by the analysis and the null hypotheses were rejected. This indicates that Healthy Eating Behaviour can be positively impact...
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The use of social media platforms (such as Facebook) for research recruitment has continued to increase, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Social media enables researchers to reach diverse communities that often do not have... more
The use of social media platforms (such as Facebook) for research recruitment has continued to increase, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Social media enables researchers to reach diverse communities that often do not have their voices heard in research. Social media research recruitment, however, can pose risks to both potential participants and the researchers. This topic paper presents ethical considerations related to social media recruitment, and offers an example of harassment and hate speech risks when social media is used for research recruitment. We explore the implications of hate speech risks for ethical research.
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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, and other groups (LGBTQ+) within Canada. This research aimed to explore the experiences of LGBTQ+ Canadians in relation to their nutritional needs,... more
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, and other groups (LGBTQ+) within Canada. This research aimed to explore the experiences of LGBTQ+ Canadians in relation to their nutritional needs, practices, and supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The qualitative study was framed within a poststructuralism and queer theory paradigm and consisted of an online questionnaire. Participants were recruited and asked to complete open-ended questions. Responses were coded using thematic analysis. Results: Seventy participants completed the questionnaire. Data analysis resulted in 3 major themes, including (i) (dis)comforts of food and eating, (ii) shifting views of food and food practices, and (iii) what supports? The themes revealed that many LGBTQ+ individuals experienced stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time in which their views and practices of food, cooking, and eating were changed. Nutritional supports were d...
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Sexualized drug use is a form of sexual practice that resists risk-based discourses (otherwise referred to as "radical sex practices") and is reportedly common among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).... more
Sexualized drug use is a form of sexual practice that resists risk-based discourses (otherwise referred to as "radical sex practices") and is reportedly common among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). With the growth of online technologies, the use of hookup apps has also increased. We refer to men's use of drugs, apps, and sex form as "wired sex" that forms what post-structuralist theorists Deleuze and Guattari described as an assemblage. Perspectives of the health and social service providers who work directly with GBMSM has not been explored. This research project involved a critical discourse analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews with service providers in Canada to understand their perspectives and interactions with wired sex assemblages. We identified several themes reflecting the social and political effects of wired sex assemblages and discuss the implications of these effects on services provision with GBMSM.
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Abstract The identities and communities of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are undergoing reconfiguration through two technologies: the digital spaces of social networking and hookup apps, and the sexualized use... more
Abstract The identities and communities of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are undergoing reconfiguration through two technologies: the digital spaces of social networking and hookup apps, and the sexualized use of chemicals such as recreational and illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals, and steroids. These technologies are creating spaces for GBMSM to indulge in excesses and extremes of pleasure, generating what has been described as an online chemculture. We approached this topic from a poststructuralist queer perspective, attending to the ways in which the fluid assemblages between GBMSM bodies and technologies produce sexual relations that resist heteronormative and other oppressive social structures. Using discourse analysis, this mixed method study (questionnaires and semi-structured interviews) of 50 GBMSM explored how they talked about their sexualized uses of digital and chemical technologies. Data collection occurred in three Canadian cities (Halifax, Ottawa, and Vancouver). The results identify the technologies most frequently employed in the sexual encounters of GBMSM, as well as participants’ self-identified purposes for using these technologies and the effects they have on GBMSM identities and communities. This study suggests that there is some potential, though not without some tension, in GBMSM using digital and chemical technologies to realize queer desires.
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Chemicals have penetrated everyday lives of men who have sex with men as never before, along with new online and mobile technologies used to seek pleasures and connections. Poststructuralist (including queer) explorations of these new... more
Chemicals have penetrated everyday lives of men who have sex with men as never before, along with new online and mobile technologies used to seek pleasures and connections. Poststructuralist (including queer) explorations of these new intensities show how bodies exist in the form of (political) surfaces able to connect with other bodies and with other objects where they may find/create a function (e.g., reproduce or disrupt hegemonies). This federally funded netnographic study explored how a variety of chemicals such as recreational drugs, pharmaceuticals and steroids are contributing to the construction of gay, bisexual and other men having sex with men (GBMSM) communities and their interactions with idealized masculinities in the age of increasing technology. Five major thematic categories emerged from our analysis: (1) assembling bodies and technologies, (2) becoming orgiastic, (3) experiencing stigma, (4) becoming machinic and (5) negotiating practices. Our analysis explores how and why GBMSM pursue excesses of pleasure and connection through the assemblages they make with sexualized drug use, online platforms and other men.
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Being queer can be filled with moments of isolation: not fitting in to heteronormative rites of passage, not knowing if or when to come out in academia, and now, trying to cope with the difficulties induced by officially-mandated social... more
Being queer can be filled with moments of isolation: not fitting in to heteronormative rites of passage, not knowing if or when to come out in academia, and now, trying to cope with the difficulties induced by officially-mandated social distancing in a global pandemic. Although isolation is a common human experience, for queer people it is often an intimate part of their stories, leaving lasting scars. Experiences of isolation, loneliness, and being “othered” have serious consequences. Through autoethnographic queer inquiry, we explore isolation and how it shapes teaching and learning. Drawing on concepts of the outsider-within and the uncanny, and distinguishing isolation from loneliness and solitude, we share our personal stories of isolation through the perspective of a performative “I”, examining how our pedagogical philosophies and practices inevitably reflect our queer experiences. Coming from different disciplines of practice, we met because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which pr...
Research Interests: Sociology, Aesthetics, Queer Pedagogy, Queer, Loneliness, and 3 moreSocial Isolation, Atlantis, and CoVid
Gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) men are at higher risk of negative body image. As having a negative body image is related to negative mood, sexual, and health outcomes, identifying and providing community-friendly tools for GBQ men is... more
Gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) men are at higher risk of negative body image. As having a negative body image is related to negative mood, sexual, and health outcomes, identifying and providing community-friendly tools for GBQ men is important. This paper describes the creation and evaluation of Rainbow Reflections, a comic anthology developed to promote awareness of and communication about body image. Rainbow Reflections includes comics from 38 trans- and cis-GBQ artists who drew inspiration from personal narratives based on pre-determined themes in the empirical literature and interactive inserts based on evidence-based practice. To evaluate Rainbow Reflections, 167 trans- and cis-GBQ men completed pre-post measures before/after viewing a selection of comics and responded to an open-ended question about their experience. Overall, participants rated the comic book positively, with a majority (61.1%) indicating that they would recommend the book to a friend. After viewing the comics, participants reported greater comfort with initiating conversations about body image, greater satisfaction with their bodies, and reported higher estimates of how common body image concerns are for queer men. Themes that emerged from open-ended responses included participants reflecting on personal struggles (~ 30%), relating with the stories of others (~ 22%), reflecting on the standards of queer men (~ 18%), recognizing cis-privilege (~ 11%), reflecting on others’ struggles (~ 9%), negative feedback about the comics (~ 7%), and balancing masculine and feminine (~ 3%). Results of the study provide preliminary evidence for Rainbow Reflections as an effective community-friendly tool to promote awareness of and communication about body image for GBQ men.
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The purpose of this article is to review the scope of the current literature on sexualized drug use (SDU) among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), particularly in online spaces. Over the last decade, there has been... more
The purpose of this article is to review the scope of the current literature on sexualized drug use (SDU) among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), particularly in online spaces. Over the last decade, there has been a rapid emergence of online venues for GBMSM to interact for sexual purposes. These spaces have also been infused with various substances that influence or shape the sexual interactions among GBMSM. Employing a scoping review methodology, we explored the interplay between GBMSM, SDU, and online dating and hookup apps. This scoping review presents four themes emerging from the literature: the connection between social networking apps (SNAs) and SDU, the planning and coordination of sex parties, accessing drugs through SNAs, and the coded language that emerges on SNAs. These findings synthesize the important relationship between GBMSM and SDUs, and identify the implications for health promotion.
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Objectives Wild blueberries, due to their high level of anthocyanines, may provide multiple health benefits including improved blood glucose (BG) control, however the consumption of fresh berries is limited by their short seasonal... more
Objectives Wild blueberries, due to their high level of anthocyanines, may provide multiple health benefits including improved blood glucose (BG) control, however the consumption of fresh berries is limited by their short seasonal availability. Hydrothermodynamic (HTD) processing of whole berries is used to produce pasteurized drinkable puréed products with the amount of anthothyanins comparable with fresh berries. The objective of this study was to investigate glycaemic properties of drinkable puréed wild blueberries produced with HTD processing in young healthy adults. Methods In a randomized controlled cross over, 25 healthy adults (12 females and 13 males) 23.3 ± 4.4 y with a BMI of 22.3 ± 2.2 kg/m2 attended two sessions on separate days. At each session, participants, after an overnight fast, were asked to consume one of two treatments equalized for their available carbohydrate content: (1) drinkable blueberry purée (150 g) and two slices (70 g) of white bread (196 kcal, 11.4 g...
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Purpose: In Canada, few men are dietitians. Literature is sparse regarding why so few men are drawn to dietetics. This study, part of a larger qualitative study, explores the experiences of men who are dietitians throughout their training... more
Purpose: In Canada, few men are dietitians. Literature is sparse regarding why so few men are drawn to dietetics. This study, part of a larger qualitative study, explores the experiences of men who are dietitians throughout their training and careers using a phenomenology framework. The study examines the meanings participants make about dietetics in relation to recruitment.Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews with 6 men who are dietitians were completed, transcribed, and analyzed.Results: An overarching theme, “experiences and outcomes of a gendered profession”, was related to the participants’ perspectives concerning recruitment into the dietetic profession. Four sub-themes are reported: (i) societal gender division, (ii) gender division within the profession, (iii) isolation from men who are mentors and other men, and (iv) the need to deconstruct and change. The results provide insight into recruitment barriers and potential approaches for increasing the number of men w...
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Purpose: In Canada, dietitians serve a sex-diverse population despite the profession being predominately female (>95%). It is unknown why there are so few male dietitians. The objective of the present study was to explore the... more
Purpose: In Canada, dietitians serve a sex-diverse population despite the profession being predominately female (>95%). It is unknown why there are so few male dietitians. The objective of the present study was to explore the experience of the male dietitian, as a minority, in female-dominated dietetics.Methods: Two semi-structured interviews were conducted, approximately 6 weeks apart, with Nova Scotian male dietitians. The interviews prompted participants to reflect on their experience of being a male dietitian. Interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Results: Male dietitians with between 1 and 17 years of experience participated (n = 6). Participant experiences were expressed as 4 themes: (i) feelings of difference and otherness, (ii) adapting to the female-dominated culture, (iii) constructing a professional identity, and (iv) passion as the driver for success. A theoretical framework for understanding the male dietitian’s experience was outlin...
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With the burdens that preventable health conditions place on individuals, workplaces, and society, workplace wellness programs (WWP) are critical to ensuring employees have access to health promotion supports tailored to their work... more
With the burdens that preventable health conditions place on individuals, workplaces, and society, workplace wellness programs (WWP) are critical to ensuring employees have access to health promotion supports tailored to their work environments. Such programs are best guided by a knowledge-to-action (KTA) framework; a theoretically grounded, systematic process that considers the ongoing exchange of knowledge with employees to engage them in health behaviour change and to garner employers' support for the interventions. Therefore the purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate WWP healthy eating and active lifestyle supports at a university. A KTA process guided the consultations with employees and stakeholders that led to the development and implementation of a range of resource effective supports and the incorporation of wellness in the organization culture. A key support was the Wellness Passport that encouraged participation in scheduled WWP activities, as...
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Background: The demographic of today’s university student includes breastfeeding mothers. Few studies have examined the breastfeeding experience that women face upon their return to school. Research aim: The purpose of this research was... more
Background: The demographic of today’s university student includes breastfeeding mothers. Few studies have examined the breastfeeding experience that women face upon their return to school. Research aim: The purpose of this research was to explore the breastfeeding experience of students on a university campus. Methods: This qualitative study used semistructured interviews. Responses were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded according to common themes using MAXQDA software. Results: A total of eight women were interviewed for the study. All women reported “feelings of isolation” and expressed concern over “what will others think.” In addition, “nowhere to breastfeed” and “challenges of pumping” emerged as common barriers to breastfeeding. Regrettably, “forced decisions” emerged as a major theme, with four out of eight women reporting having to supplement with formula because they returned to school. Conclusion: Student breastfeeding mothers are faced with emotional and physical challe...