Household food insecurity affects an estimated four million Canadians, and the evidence indicates that it is a potent social determinant of health and a marker of nutrition inequities in our country. This session begins with an examination of the scope and nature of household food insecurity in Canada, the primary drivers of this problem and its implications for nutrition, drawing on new results from the nutrition-focused 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey. Our speakers explore the implications of the research findings for dietetic practice, examining how dietitians in public health have mobilized evidence to advocate for interventions to address food insecurity. Finally, they share practical tips of how to translate research results into practice and for advocacy.
Date of presentation: June 2019, DC National Conference
Speakers:
- Joy Hutchinson MSc (c) RD is currently completing her MSc at the University of Toronto in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, researching how dietary intakes relate to household food insecurity in Canadians.
- Mary Ellen Prange MHSc RD joined City of Hamilton Public Health where her main area of focus is education and advocacy on food insecurity. Mary Ellen has been a member of Ontario Dietitians in Public Health and led the development of OSNPPH’s Position Statement on Responses to Food Insecurity.
- Valerie Tarasuk PhD is a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. Her research extends to Canadian food policy and population-level dietary assessment, but her primary focus is food insecurity. Since 2011, she has led PROOF, an interdisciplinary research program designed to identify effective policy approaches to reduce household food insecurity in Canada.
Materials:
- Video presentation (75 minutes) with the presentation slides (pdf)
- Audio file (mp3 file)
Cost: $19.95 for members; $39.95 for non-members; $9.95 for students
