Noreen D Willows
Biographic Data
| ID | 79139 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Noreen D Willows |
| GIVEN NAMES | Noreen D |
| FAMILY NAME | Willows |
| SIGNATURE | WILLOWS N D |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Alberta |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8550-5213 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 23 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
A rapid systematized review of evaluated health care programmes for Indigenous peoples in Canada with First Nations authentication of cultural safety domains
A rapid systematized review of health care programmes for Indigenous peoples in Canada from January 1 2019 to March 9 2022 resulted in two programmes that were evaluated as safe by the Indigenous recipients of care. Thematic analysis identified four cultural safety domains that created a safe, high-quality, patient-centred approach to health programming for Indigenous peoples from the evaluated programmes, a scoping review and the grey literature…
It’s Very Stressful for Children”: Elementary School-Aged Children’s Psychological Wellbeing during Covid-19 in Canada
Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures, including lockdowns and school closures, have been negatively affecting school-aged children's psychological wellbeing. To identify supports required to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we gathered in-depth information on school-aged children's and parents' lived experiences of COVID-19 and perceptions of its impact on psychological…
An Indigenous food sovereignty initiative is positively associated with well-being and cultural connectedness in a survey of Syilx Okanagan adults in British Columbia, Canada
Findings suggest that the initiative to re-establish Okanagan Sockeye salmon in the Okanagan River system may have led to better well-being and cultural connectedness among Syilx adults. This study highlights the importance of Indigenous food sovereignty as a way to enhance well-being and cultural connectedness among First Nations in Canada. Findings also reinforce the importance of assessing health and well-being in a wholistic way in Indigenous…
Exploring the association between food insecurity and food skills among school-aged children
Objective: To examine the relationship between household food insecurity (FI) and children’s involvement in family meal choices and food preparation, used as proxies for children’s food skills, and to explore gender differences within these associations. Design: Households were classified as food-secure or food-insecure using the six-item, short-form Household Food Security Survey Module. Children’s involvement in family meal choices and food pre…
Quantifying associations of the dietary share of ultra-processed foods with overall diet quality in First Nations peoples in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario
Objective To quantify associations of the dietary share of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with the overall diet quality of First Nations peoples. Design A cross-sectional analysis of data from the First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, designed to contribute to knowledge gaps regarding the diet of First Nations peoples living on-reserve, south of the 60th parallel. A multistage sampling of communities was conducted. All foods from 24 h…
"It's huge in First Nation culture for us, as a school, to be a role model": Facilitators and Barriers Affecting School Nutrition Policy Implementation in Alexander First Nation
This mixed-methods community-based participatory research generated knowledge of school staff perceptions of the facilitators of and barriers to implementation of a Canadian First Nation school’s healthy nutrition policy. Themes derived from seven qualitative staff interviews were integrated with quantitative data derived from 28 staff surveys. The Medicine Wheel was used to describe results, as it provided a non-hierarchical and relational way t…
The association between food insecurity and academic achievement in Canadian school-aged children
Objective Education is a crucial social determinant of health. Food insecurity can be detrimental to children’s academic achievement, potentially perpetuating a cycle of poverty and food insecurity. We aimed to assess the relationship between food insecurity and academic achievement in Canadian school-aged children. Design Cross-sectional study of children and parents. Parents completed the short-form Household Food Security Survey Module and que…
Wâhkôhtowin: The Governance of Good Community–Academic Research Relationships to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Children in Alexander First Nation
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a promising decolonizing approach to health and social sciences research with First Nation Peoples. In CBPR, the use of a community advisory committee can act as an anchoring site for trusting reciprocal relationships, collaborative decision-making, and co-learning and co-creation. Through a qualitative case study, this article illustrates the collective experiences of a well-established, multidisc…
The prevalence and determinants of use of vitamin D supplements among children in Alberta, Canada: A cross-sectional study
A considerable proportion of children did not take vitamin D supplements. Region of residence, physical activity level and parental education were determinants of supplement use, independent of child's gender, household income, weight status and dietary practices. We suggest prioritizing public health efforts to support strategies to make parents aware of the importance of providing the correct dose of vitamin D supplements for their children to …
Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (Angelo) framework to develop community-driven health programmes in an Indigenous community in Canada
Indigenous First Nations people in Canada have high chronic disease morbidity resulting in part from enduring social inequities and colonialism. Obesity prevention strategies developed by and for First Nations people are crucial to improving the health status of this group. The research objective was to develop community-relevant strategies to address childhood obesity in a First Nations community. Strategies were derived from an action-based wor…
Cree Women Speak: Intergenerational Perspectives on Weight Gain during Pregnancy and Weight Loss after Pregnancy
Obesity is prevalent among the First Nations population in Canada, with serious associated health risks. Recent studies also indicate that a high percentage of First Nations women are overweight or obese at the start of their pregnancies, with a tendency to retain weight after their children are born. In response to these concerns, a community-based study was conducted in two Cree communities, using qualitative methods to investigate young mother…
Diet Quality and Feelings of Worry, Sadness or Unhappiness in Canadian Children
Using First Nations Children's Perceptions of Food and Activity to Inform an Obesity Prevention Strategy
Obesity and associated health risks disproportionately affect Aboriginal (First Nations) children in Canada. The purpose of this research study was to elicit First Nations children's perceptions of food, activity, and health to inform a community-based obesity prevention strategy. Fifteen 4th- and 5th-Grade students participated in one of three focus group interviews that utilized drawing and pile-sorting activities. We used an ecological lens to…
Assessment of Canadian Cree infants' birth size using the WHO Child Growth Standards
OBJECTIVES: The WHO Child Growth Standards (CGS) which were recently adopted by the Canadian Pediatric Society were used to assess the relative size of Cree newborns. METHODS: Birth weight, length, and head circumference, and growth indices of 2,127 Cree newborns were compared with the CGS. Maternal characteristics of pregnancy and infant birth outcomes were recorded and stratified by birth weight category. RESULTS: Among Cree newborns, 2.4% were…
Prevalence and sociodemographic risk factors related to household food security in Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Objective Canada’s Aboriginal population is vulnerable to food insecurity and increasingly lives off-reserve. The Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2 Nutrition, was used to compare the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity between non-Aboriginal and off-reserve Aboriginal households. Design Food insecurity status was based on Health Canada’s revised interpretation of responses to the US Household Food Security Surv…
Associations among the food environment, diet quality and weight status in Cree children in Québec
Objective To explore the relationship among children’s diet quality, weight status and food environment in subarctic Canada. Design In the cross-sectional study, children’s BMI was calculated, diet quality was assessed using three 24 h dietary recalls and children were asked about their home food environment and source of meals. Setting Two Aboriginal Cree communities in northern Québec. Subjects Two hundred and one children in grades 4–6. Result…
Use of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements among Canadian Adults
Prevalence Estimates of Overweight and Obesity in Cree Preschool Children in Northern Quebec According to International and US Reference Criteria
Objectives. We estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Cree Canadian children aged 5 years (n=1044) using international and US growth references and examined the longitudinal tracking of weight categories between ages 2 and 5 years (n=562). Methods. Weight categories based on body mass index (calculated from measured heights and weights) were derived from the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the Centers for Disease Contro…
Les déterminants de la saine alimentation chez les peuples autochtones du Canada: État actuel des connaissances et lacunes au niveau de la recherche
Anemia and Iron Status in Inuit Infants from Northern Quebec
Use of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements among Canadian Adults
Les déterminants de la saine alimentation chez les peuples autochtones du Canada: État actuel des connaissances et lacunes au niveau de la recherche
Prevalence Estimates of Overweight and Obesity in Cree Preschool Children in Northern Quebec According to International and US Reference Criteria
Objectives. We estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Cree Canadian children aged 5 years (n=1044) using international and US growth references and examined the longitudinal tracking of weight categories between ages 2 and 5 years (n=562). Methods. Weight categories based on body mass index (calculated from measured heights and weights) were derived from the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the Centers for Disease Contro…
Anemia and Iron Status in Inuit Infants from Northern Quebec
Diet Quality and Feelings of Worry, Sadness or Unhappiness in Canadian Children
Wâhkôhtowin: The Governance of Good Community–Academic Research Relationships to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Children in Alexander First Nation
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a promising decolonizing approach to health and social sciences research with First Nation Peoples. In CBPR, the use of a community advisory committee can act as an anchoring site for trusting reciprocal relationships, collaborative decision-making, and co-learning and co-creation. Through a qualitative case study, this article illustrates the collective experiences of a well-established, multidisc…
Using First Nations Children's Perceptions of Food and Activity to Inform an Obesity Prevention Strategy
Obesity and associated health risks disproportionately affect Aboriginal (First Nations) children in Canada. The purpose of this research study was to elicit First Nations children's perceptions of food, activity, and health to inform a community-based obesity prevention strategy. Fifteen 4th- and 5th-Grade students participated in one of three focus group interviews that utilized drawing and pile-sorting activities. We used an ecological lens to…
Anemia and Iron Status in Inuit Infants from Northern Quebec
Les déterminants de la saine alimentation chez les peuples autochtones du Canada: État actuel des connaissances et lacunes au niveau de la recherche
Prevalence Estimates of Overweight and Obesity in Cree Preschool Children in Northern Quebec According to International and US Reference Criteria
Objectives. We estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Cree Canadian children aged 5 years (n=1044) using international and US growth references and examined the longitudinal tracking of weight categories between ages 2 and 5 years (n=562). Methods. Weight categories based on body mass index (calculated from measured heights and weights) were derived from the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the Centers for Disease Contro…
Prevalence and sociodemographic risk factors related to household food security in Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Objective Canada’s Aboriginal population is vulnerable to food insecurity and increasingly lives off-reserve. The Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2 Nutrition, was used to compare the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity between non-Aboriginal and off-reserve Aboriginal households. Design Food insecurity status was based on Health Canada’s revised interpretation of responses to the US Household Food Security Surv…
Associations among the food environment, diet quality and weight status in Cree children in Québec
Objective To explore the relationship among children’s diet quality, weight status and food environment in subarctic Canada. Design In the cross-sectional study, children’s BMI was calculated, diet quality was assessed using three 24 h dietary recalls and children were asked about their home food environment and source of meals. Setting Two Aboriginal Cree communities in northern Québec. Subjects Two hundred and one children in grades 4–6. Result…
Use of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements among Canadian Adults
Assessment of Canadian Cree infants' birth size using the WHO Child Growth Standards
OBJECTIVES: The WHO Child Growth Standards (CGS) which were recently adopted by the Canadian Pediatric Society were used to assess the relative size of Cree newborns. METHODS: Birth weight, length, and head circumference, and growth indices of 2,127 Cree newborns were compared with the CGS. Maternal characteristics of pregnancy and infant birth outcomes were recorded and stratified by birth weight category. RESULTS: Among Cree newborns, 2.4% were…
Using First Nations Children's Perceptions of Food and Activity to Inform an Obesity Prevention Strategy
Obesity and associated health risks disproportionately affect Aboriginal (First Nations) children in Canada. The purpose of this research study was to elicit First Nations children's perceptions of food, activity, and health to inform a community-based obesity prevention strategy. Fifteen 4th- and 5th-Grade students participated in one of three focus group interviews that utilized drawing and pile-sorting activities. We used an ecological lens to…
Cree Women Speak: Intergenerational Perspectives on Weight Gain during Pregnancy and Weight Loss after Pregnancy
Obesity is prevalent among the First Nations population in Canada, with serious associated health risks. Recent studies also indicate that a high percentage of First Nations women are overweight or obese at the start of their pregnancies, with a tendency to retain weight after their children are born. In response to these concerns, a community-based study was conducted in two Cree communities, using qualitative methods to investigate young mother…
Diet Quality and Feelings of Worry, Sadness or Unhappiness in Canadian Children
The prevalence and determinants of use of vitamin D supplements among children in Alberta, Canada: A cross-sectional study
A considerable proportion of children did not take vitamin D supplements. Region of residence, physical activity level and parental education were determinants of supplement use, independent of child's gender, household income, weight status and dietary practices. We suggest prioritizing public health efforts to support strategies to make parents aware of the importance of providing the correct dose of vitamin D supplements for their children to …
Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (Angelo) framework to develop community-driven health programmes in an Indigenous community in Canada
Indigenous First Nations people in Canada have high chronic disease morbidity resulting in part from enduring social inequities and colonialism. Obesity prevention strategies developed by and for First Nations people are crucial to improving the health status of this group. The research objective was to develop community-relevant strategies to address childhood obesity in a First Nations community. Strategies were derived from an action-based wor…
"It's huge in First Nation culture for us, as a school, to be a role model": Facilitators and Barriers Affecting School Nutrition Policy Implementation in Alexander First Nation
This mixed-methods community-based participatory research generated knowledge of school staff perceptions of the facilitators of and barriers to implementation of a Canadian First Nation school’s healthy nutrition policy. Themes derived from seven qualitative staff interviews were integrated with quantitative data derived from 28 staff surveys. The Medicine Wheel was used to describe results, as it provided a non-hierarchical and relational way t…
The association between food insecurity and academic achievement in Canadian school-aged children
Objective Education is a crucial social determinant of health. Food insecurity can be detrimental to children’s academic achievement, potentially perpetuating a cycle of poverty and food insecurity. We aimed to assess the relationship between food insecurity and academic achievement in Canadian school-aged children. Design Cross-sectional study of children and parents. Parents completed the short-form Household Food Security Survey Module and que…
Wâhkôhtowin: The Governance of Good Community–Academic Research Relationships to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Children in Alexander First Nation
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a promising decolonizing approach to health and social sciences research with First Nation Peoples. In CBPR, the use of a community advisory committee can act as an anchoring site for trusting reciprocal relationships, collaborative decision-making, and co-learning and co-creation. Through a qualitative case study, this article illustrates the collective experiences of a well-established, multidisc…
Quantifying associations of the dietary share of ultra-processed foods with overall diet quality in First Nations peoples in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario
Objective To quantify associations of the dietary share of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with the overall diet quality of First Nations peoples. Design A cross-sectional analysis of data from the First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, designed to contribute to knowledge gaps regarding the diet of First Nations peoples living on-reserve, south of the 60th parallel. A multistage sampling of communities was conducted. All foods from 24 h…
Exploring the association between food insecurity and food skills among school-aged children
Objective: To examine the relationship between household food insecurity (FI) and children’s involvement in family meal choices and food preparation, used as proxies for children’s food skills, and to explore gender differences within these associations. Design: Households were classified as food-secure or food-insecure using the six-item, short-form Household Food Security Survey Module. Children’s involvement in family meal choices and food pre…
It’s Very Stressful for Children”: Elementary School-Aged Children’s Psychological Wellbeing during Covid-19 in Canada
Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures, including lockdowns and school closures, have been negatively affecting school-aged children's psychological wellbeing. To identify supports required to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we gathered in-depth information on school-aged children's and parents' lived experiences of COVID-19 and perceptions of its impact on psychological…
An Indigenous food sovereignty initiative is positively associated with well-being and cultural connectedness in a survey of Syilx Okanagan adults in British Columbia, Canada
Findings suggest that the initiative to re-establish Okanagan Sockeye salmon in the Okanagan River system may have led to better well-being and cultural connectedness among Syilx adults. This study highlights the importance of Indigenous food sovereignty as a way to enhance well-being and cultural connectedness among First Nations in Canada. Findings also reinforce the importance of assessing health and well-being in a wholistic way in Indigenous…
A rapid systematized review of evaluated health care programmes for Indigenous peoples in Canada with First Nations authentication of cultural safety domains
A rapid systematized review of health care programmes for Indigenous peoples in Canada from January 1 2019 to March 9 2022 resulted in two programmes that were evaluated as safe by the Indigenous recipients of care. Thematic analysis identified four cultural safety domains that created a safe, high-quality, patient-centred approach to health programming for Indigenous peoples from the evaluated programmes, a scoping review and the grey literature…
Medicine (18 works) · Environmental health (13 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Geography (10 works) · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights (9 works) · Indigenous Studies and Ecology (7 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (6 works) · Obesity (6 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (6 works)