Preventing Diabetes:
A Scan of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
Initiatives in Atlantic Canada

Carolyn Marshall
Marshall Consulting and Associates

Prepared for
Public Health Agency of Canada
Atlantic Regional Office

October 2006

PDF Format (543 KB)

 

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Également disponible en français sous le titre Prévenir le diabète : Une analyse des initiatives pour une saine alimentation et l'activité physique au Canada atlantique.

Contents may not be reproduced for commercial purposes, but any other reproduction, with acknowledgments, is encouraged. Please credit the source as follows:

Preventing Diabetes: A Scan of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Initiatives in Atlantic Canada. 2007. Prepared by Carolyn Marshall of Marshall Consulting and Associates for the Atlantic Regional Office, Public Health Agency of Canada.

For more information contact:
Atlantic Regional Office
Public Health Agency of Canada
1525-1505 Barrington Street
Halifax NS B3J 3Y6
Tel: (902) 426-2700
Fax: (902) 426-9689
Email: atlantic-atlantique@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Web site: atlantic.phac.gc.ca

© Public Health Agency of Canada 2007

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is indebted to the many stakeholders who provided information for the inventory and to the key informants interviewed for this report. The author also wishes to acknowledge the contribution of staff of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Atlantic Regional Office - Rhonda Dean, Program Consultant to the Diabetes Scan, and Fiona Chin-Yee, Manager, Population Health - as well as the members of the Project Advisory Committee who gave of their time and expertise to guide the project, provide contact people for the scan, and offer advice on the report.

Members of the Project Advisory Committee included:

Jim Casey
Atlantic Area Executive Director
Canadian Diabetes Association

Peggy Dunbar
Coordinator
Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia

Judy Jenkins
Regional Executive Director
Dietitians of Canada, Atlantic Region

Maureen Leat
Community Dietitian
Eastern Health, St. John's

Don LeClair
Executive Director
PEI Active Living Alliance

Laraine Poole
Chronic Disease Prevention Officer
Prince Edward Island Department of Health and Social Services

Barbara Ramsay
Administrative Coordinator
New Brunswick Healthy Eating Physical Activity Coalition

Lita Villalon
Professeure titulaire
École des sciences des aliments, de nutrition et d'études familiales
Université de Moncton

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.			INTRODUCTION
1.1			What Is Diabetes?
1.2			Impact of the Disease
1.3			The Federal Government's Response
1.4			Knowledge Development
2.			INTRODUCTION TO A POPULATION HEALTH APPROACH
2.1			What Is a Population Health Approach?
2.2			What Are the Determinants of Health?
2.3			The Impact of Social and Economic Exclusion on Diabetes
3.			RISK FACTORS
3.1			Physical Activity and Diabetes
3.2			The Costs of Physical Inactivity and Obesity in Nova Scotia
3.3			The Relationship of Social Inequity to Chronic Disease
4.			PROCESS
4.1			Methods
4.2			Scope
4.3			Limitations
5.			HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STRATEGIES IN ATLANTIC CANADA
5.1			Common Components
5.2			Delivery Mechanisms
6.			ANAYSIS AND OVERVIEW OF CURRENT INVENTORY OF PROGRAMS
6.1			Type of Programs
6.2			Target Populations Served
6.3			Partners
6.4			Determinants of Health Addressed by Initiatives
6.5			Principal Approach Taken
6.6			Evaluation
6.7			Gaps, Challenges, Lessons Learned, Opportunities to Move Forward
7.			ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
7.1			Trends and Observations
7.2			Priorities for Action from a Population Health Approach Framework
8.			CONCLUSION

 

APPENDIX A:			A DIABETES PRIMER
APPENDIX B:			THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
APPENDIX C:			THE COSTS OF DIABETES
APPENDIX D:			DIABETES SCAN SURVEY
APPENDIX E:			NATIONAL ACTIVE LIVING INITIATIVES
APPENDIX F:			GOVERNMENT OF CANADA HEALTHY EATING INITIATIVES
APPENDIX G:			OTHER SCANS AND WEB SITES IDENTIFYING PROGRAMS
APPENDIX H:			DIABETES PREVENTION INVENTORY OF INITIATIVES
APPENDIX I:			SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
FOOTNOTES

 

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1:			Provincial Healthy Living Strategies in Atlantic Canada
TABLE 2:			Survey Responses by Jurisdiction
TABLE 3:			Comparison of Responses Received in 2000 and 2006 by Jurisdiction
TABLE 4:			Primary Program Focus for Initiatives in 2006
TABLE 5:			List of Healthy Eating and Active Living Initiatives by Jurisdiction
TABLE 6:			Primary Target Audience of Initiatives
TABLE 7:			Determinants of Health Addressed by Initiatives
TABLE 8:			Principal Approach Taken by Initiatives