Sara F L Kirk
Biographic Data
| ID | 230406 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sara F L Kirk |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sara F L |
| FAMILY NAME | Kirk |
| SIGNATURE | KIRK S F L |
| AFFILIATIONS | Dalhousie University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 38 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
The process of student engagement in Health-Promoting Schools
Purpose Evidence supports meaningful student engagement in Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) approaches as an essential condition for enhancing student well-being, yet little is known about this process. This study sought to interpret the process of student engagement in HPS through the perspectives of Youth Engagement Coordinators (YECs). Design/methodology/approach This qualitative exploratory study took place in Nova Scotia, Canada where HPS has …
Development and implementation of a municipal outdoor play policy for children and youth in Nova Scotia, Canada
Background: Children and youth benefit from outdoor play; however, environments and policies to support outdoor play are often limited. The purpose of this paper is to describe a case study of the development of a municipal outdoor play policy in Nova Scotia, Canada. The outdoor play policy was developed by the Town of Truro with support from the UpLift Partnership, a School-Community-University Partnership in Nova Scotia, Canada. UpLift supports…
“Losing access to outdoor spaces was the biggest challenge for children to be healthy”
Introduction: Health-focused communities can promote physical activity for children by providing them with safe and supportive environments to move. Across the COVID-19 pandemic many community spaces and services were closed due to public health restrictions. During the pandemic, Atlantic Canada uniquely implemented an agreement between four provinces to restrict travel and reduce the spread of the virus. The "Atlantic bubble" led to fewer cases …
Exploring parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ risky outdoor play using a socio-ecological lens
Outdoor play with its risks is necessary for optimal child development. Increasing attention is being paid to factors influencing children's opportunities for risky outdoor play, with parent/guardian (hereafter parent) perceptions being an important, under-researched topic. This research explored parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ risky outdoor play. Interviews were held with 19 parents of preschoolers in Nova Scotia, Canada. Bronfenbrenner's …
Gendered bodies and physical education (PE) participation
Participation in physical education is often shaped by the gendered experiences of students. This study explored how the experiences of gendered bodies shaped participation in physical education (PE) among students in Nova Scotia, Canada. The study consisted of two phases: 1) focus groups with a total of 18 Grade 8 students (7 girls and 11 boys) attending public school in Nova Scotia, and 2) in-depth semi-structured interviews with six teachers (…
Exploring the foundation for Collaborative Governance to support early childhood in Nova Scotia
Providing the best start for our youngest generation is a growing priority internationally. Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) offers an approach to address complex system challenges and improve access to early childhood public services for young children and their families. The purpose of this paper is to use the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance to reflect on the elements of collaboration that may have influenced the establishme…
Mothering at the Intersection of Marginality
Breastfeeding is represented to support healthy body weight and food security. However, breastfeeding may be negatively impacted by high maternal body weight and income-related food insecurity. Guided by feminist poststructural methodology, this study explored breastfeeding beliefs and practices among women from Nova Scotia, Canada, identifying as income-related food insecure and overweight. Participants who were pregnant for the first time and i…
The importance of health behaviours in childhood for the development of internalizing disorders during adolescence
These findings suggest that diets and active lifestyles in childhood affect mental health during adolescence, and imply that succxessful health promotion programs targeting children's diets and activity will contribute to the prevention of mental health disorders in addition to the prevention of chronic diseases later in life
The Health at Every Size Paradigm and Obesity
A Health at Every Size (HAES) approach has been proposed to address weight bias and stigma in individuals living with obesity, and more recently articulated as a promising public health approach beyond the prevailing focus on weight status as a health outcome. The purpose of this article is to examine our understanding of HAES within the context of public health approaches to obesity, and to present strengths and limitations of the available evid…
Obesity, lifestyle and socio-economic determinants of vitamin D intake
Blame, Shame, and Lack of Support
In this research, we examined the experiences of individuals living with obesity, the perceptions of health care providers, and the role of social, institutional, and political structures in the management of obesity. We used feminist poststructuralism as the guiding methodology because it questions everyday practices that many of us take for granted. We identified three key themes across the three participant groups: blame as a devastating relat…
Public perception of a range of potential food risks in the United Kingdom
Why do women use dietary supplements? The use of the theory of planned behaviour to explore beliefs about their use
Why do women use dietary supplements? The use of the theory of planned behaviour to explore beliefs about their use
Blame, Shame, and Lack of Support
In this research, we examined the experiences of individuals living with obesity, the perceptions of health care providers, and the role of social, institutional, and political structures in the management of obesity. We used feminist poststructuralism as the guiding methodology because it questions everyday practices that many of us take for granted. We identified three key themes across the three participant groups: blame as a devastating relat…
The Health at Every Size Paradigm and Obesity
A Health at Every Size (HAES) approach has been proposed to address weight bias and stigma in individuals living with obesity, and more recently articulated as a promising public health approach beyond the prevailing focus on weight status as a health outcome. The purpose of this article is to examine our understanding of HAES within the context of public health approaches to obesity, and to present strengths and limitations of the available evid…
Public perception of a range of potential food risks in the United Kingdom
Obesity, lifestyle and socio-economic determinants of vitamin D intake
Why do women use dietary supplements? The use of the theory of planned behaviour to explore beliefs about their use
Public perception of a range of potential food risks in the United Kingdom
Obesity, lifestyle and socio-economic determinants of vitamin D intake
Blame, Shame, and Lack of Support
In this research, we examined the experiences of individuals living with obesity, the perceptions of health care providers, and the role of social, institutional, and political structures in the management of obesity. We used feminist poststructuralism as the guiding methodology because it questions everyday practices that many of us take for granted. We identified three key themes across the three participant groups: blame as a devastating relat…
The Health at Every Size Paradigm and Obesity
A Health at Every Size (HAES) approach has been proposed to address weight bias and stigma in individuals living with obesity, and more recently articulated as a promising public health approach beyond the prevailing focus on weight status as a health outcome. The purpose of this article is to examine our understanding of HAES within the context of public health approaches to obesity, and to present strengths and limitations of the available evid…
The importance of health behaviours in childhood for the development of internalizing disorders during adolescence
These findings suggest that diets and active lifestyles in childhood affect mental health during adolescence, and imply that succxessful health promotion programs targeting children's diets and activity will contribute to the prevention of mental health disorders in addition to the prevention of chronic diseases later in life
Exploring the foundation for Collaborative Governance to support early childhood in Nova Scotia
Providing the best start for our youngest generation is a growing priority internationally. Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) offers an approach to address complex system challenges and improve access to early childhood public services for young children and their families. The purpose of this paper is to use the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance to reflect on the elements of collaboration that may have influenced the establishme…
Mothering at the Intersection of Marginality
Breastfeeding is represented to support healthy body weight and food security. However, breastfeeding may be negatively impacted by high maternal body weight and income-related food insecurity. Guided by feminist poststructural methodology, this study explored breastfeeding beliefs and practices among women from Nova Scotia, Canada, identifying as income-related food insecure and overweight. Participants who were pregnant for the first time and i…
Gendered bodies and physical education (PE) participation
Participation in physical education is often shaped by the gendered experiences of students. This study explored how the experiences of gendered bodies shaped participation in physical education (PE) among students in Nova Scotia, Canada. The study consisted of two phases: 1) focus groups with a total of 18 Grade 8 students (7 girls and 11 boys) attending public school in Nova Scotia, and 2) in-depth semi-structured interviews with six teachers (…
Exploring parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ risky outdoor play using a socio-ecological lens
Outdoor play with its risks is necessary for optimal child development. Increasing attention is being paid to factors influencing children's opportunities for risky outdoor play, with parent/guardian (hereafter parent) perceptions being an important, under-researched topic. This research explored parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ risky outdoor play. Interviews were held with 19 parents of preschoolers in Nova Scotia, Canada. Bronfenbrenner's …
Development and implementation of a municipal outdoor play policy for children and youth in Nova Scotia, Canada
Background: Children and youth benefit from outdoor play; however, environments and policies to support outdoor play are often limited. The purpose of this paper is to describe a case study of the development of a municipal outdoor play policy in Nova Scotia, Canada. The outdoor play policy was developed by the Town of Truro with support from the UpLift Partnership, a School-Community-University Partnership in Nova Scotia, Canada. UpLift supports…
“Losing access to outdoor spaces was the biggest challenge for children to be healthy”
Introduction: Health-focused communities can promote physical activity for children by providing them with safe and supportive environments to move. Across the COVID-19 pandemic many community spaces and services were closed due to public health restrictions. During the pandemic, Atlantic Canada uniquely implemented an agreement between four provinces to restrict travel and reduce the spread of the virus. The "Atlantic bubble" led to fewer cases …
The process of student engagement in Health-Promoting Schools
Purpose Evidence supports meaningful student engagement in Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) approaches as an essential condition for enhancing student well-being, yet little is known about this process. This study sought to interpret the process of student engagement in HPS through the perspectives of Youth Engagement Coordinators (YECs). Design/methodology/approach This qualitative exploratory study took place in Nova Scotia, Canada where HPS has …
Psychology (9 works) · Medicine (8 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Environmental health (5 works) · Nova scotia (5 works) · Developmental psychology (4 works) · Obesity (4 works) · Political science (4 works) · Qualitative research (4 works) · Social Psychology (4 works)