The Social Exposome Cluster recently held a funding competition to support knowledge mobilization projects led by Cluster members. Two projects were selected for funding. Read below to find out how these projects will reduce child health inequalities and support the well-being of children in British Columbia and abroad.

Title: Mobilizing Knowledge about Food Insecurity: Creating and Sharing Open Access Resources for Children, Educators, and Policy Makers to Spark Public Action

PI: Dr. Jennifer Black, Food, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC

Community Partner and Knowledge User: Seri Niimi-Burch, Coordinator, Food Security, BC Provincial Heath Services Authority

Co-applicants:

• Dr. Jennifer Brady, Director of Nutrition and Dietetics, Acadia University
• Dr. Elaine Power, Professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen’s University
• Dian Day, PhD student, Cultural Studies, Queen’s University
• Dr. Amanda White, Postdoctoral Fellow, Visual Arts, Western University
• Lindsay Goodridge PhD student, Human Nutrition, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC

Project Summary: Since 2019 this group of interdisciplinary health scholars and artists have been collaborating to create a children’s book titled Stuffing the Bus, which is aimed at middle grade audiences and explores the complicated realities of food insecurity. This graphic novel project aims to catalyze the creation of innovative educational resources to engage children, educators and caregivers in more critical conversations about the causes, consequences and evidence-based solutions to food insecurity. The team has also developed related curricular materials for teachers to use in the classroom. The Social Exposome Knowledge Mobilization Award will be used to develop an open-access project website to share these materials publicly. With on-going feedback from the co-applicants, trainees will move forward with the development of these novel educational tools ensuring that the messaging is applicable and accessible to educators, children and policy makers.  

Title: From Evidence to Policy and Practice: Disentangling Undernutrition and Anemia among Indigenous San Women of Child-Bearing Age and Young Children in Rural Botswana.

PI: Dr. Crystal Karakochuck, Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Community Partners and Knowledge Users:

• Mr. Jerry Makhanda, Clinical Nutritionist/Dietician, Ministry of Health, Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinic
• Mr. Moses Keetile, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Botswana
• Dr. Maitseo Bolaane, Associate Professor, San Research Centre, Department of History
• Mr. Maatla Otsogile, Community Health Specialist, Executive Director, Letloa Trust

Co-applicants:

• Dr. Eduardo Jovel, Associate Professor, Applied Biology, UBC
• Dr. Tebogo Leepile, Postdoctoral Fellow, Food, Nutrition and Health, UBC
• Dr. Maitseo Bolaane, Associate Professor, History, University of Botswana
• Ms. Maureen Odubeng, Desk Editor, Mmegi Investment Holdings (Mmegi newspaper)

Project Summary: There is a scarcity of health information on Indigenous populations across Africa. In Botswana, little is known about the health of the San people, the largest Indigenous group that primarily resides in the Ghanzi district. In a recent study, this team determined the prevalence of anemia and undernutrition among women and young children in the Ghanzi district in Botswana to address this knowledge gap. They found that 13% of women and 42% of children were anemic and that 40% of all the women (~52% of pregnant women) were underweight. The burden of stunting (low height/length-for-age) among young children (>60%) was high. Undernutrition and anemia pose multiple detrimental health consequences among women and young children. The goal of this Social Exposome Knowledge Mobilization Award is to strengthen maternal and child nutrition health policy and advocacy for the San people through research evidence and to raise the general public’s awareness and understanding of anemia and undernutrition. To do this, the team will hold a seminar, create a video and short radio messages/jingles, and share posts through various social media platforms.