Strengthening Community Roots: Anchoring Newcomers in Wellness and Sustainability (SCORE!): A protocol for the co-design and evaluation of a healthy active living program among a newcomer community in Canada

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288851
• Publication Date: 2023-09-28T17:30:22Z
• Authors: Gita Wahi; Sujane Kandasamy; Shrikant I. Bangd...; Andrea Baumann; Mary Crea-Arsenio; Dipika Desai; Deborah DiLiberto; Katholiki Georgiades; Fatimah Jackson-Best; Matthew Kwan; Patricia Montague; K. Bruce Newbold; Diana Sherifali; Amanda Sim; Russell J. de Souza; Sonia S. Anand
• Keywords: Ontario; Study Protocol; Canada; Pediatric Obesity; Science; Data Collection; Q; R; Community Participation; Medicine; Humans; Public Health; Child

Background The burden of childhood obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors affecting newcomer Canadians living in lower socioeconomic circumstances is a concerning public health issue. This paper describes Strengthening Community Roots : Anchoring Newcomers Wellness Sustainability ( SCORE! ), an academic-community research partnership to co-design interventions that nurture optimize healthy activity (HAL) among community children families new Canada Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Methods/Design Our overarching program informed by socio-ecological model, will co-create HAL for rooted outdoor, nature-based physical activity. We proceed three phases: Phase 1) synthesis existing evidence regarding nature based families; 2) development through four data collection activities including: i) engagement build trustful relationships understand barriers facilitators, including establishing advisory action board, qualitative studies photovoice study, workshops develop programs; ii) characterizing the demographics household survey; iii) built environment programs/services available developing accessible real-time systems map; iv) reviewing municipal policies relevant sustainability; leading 3) implementation evaluation feasibility co-designed programs. Conclusion etiology related chronic diseases complex multifactorial, as are intervention strategies. brings together partners members, service providers, academic researchers, organizational leaders multi-component promotes wellness families.