Improving people’s financial circumstances has never been more critical. Disadvantaged population groups have experienced even higher levels of financial strain (including financial insecurity and poverty) and poor financial wellbeing. This has negatively impacted their physical and mental health.
To support efforts to build back better and fairer communities in the wake of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre for Healthy Communities (Dr. Candace Nykiforuk, Scientific Director) led an international collaborative, participatory, multi-method project to develop resources to support action on financial strain and financial wellbeing. These resources were designed for practitioners and decision-makers working in organizations and governments in a wide variety of sectors and jurisdictions.
This project resulted in an action-oriented Public Health Framework on Financial Wellbeing and Financial Strain and a companion Guidebook of Strategies and Indicators. These resources are meant to support organizations and governments acting on any area related to financial strain and financial wellbeing, such as education, employment, or social safety net, to name a few. The Framework, which draws on health equity and health-in-all-policy principles, presents 17 evidence-informed high-impact areas for governments and organizations to intervene. The Guidebook offers many evidence-informed targets and strategies for initiatives, as well as sample indicators for monitoring and assessment for each of those 17 entry points for action.
For more information visit uab.ca/chc
Recent funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2023 – 2026) will support the development of an interactive user-friendly website to share the above resources. More details will be shared throughout the project development.
- Centre for Healthy Communities (CHC) & Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE). Action-Oriented Public Health Framework on Financial Wellbeing and Financial Strain – Executive Summary [Internet]. Edmonton (Canada): Centre for Healthy Communities; 2022. 19 p. DOI: 10.53714/lerm5260. Available at: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/public-health/research/centres/centre-for-healthy-communities/what-we-do/framework_eng_2022.pdf
- Centre for Healthy Communities (CHC), Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE). Guidebook of Strategies and Indicators for Action on Financial Wellbeing and Financial Strain – Executive Summary [Internet]. Edmonton (Canada): Centre for Healthy Communities; 2022. 71 p. DOI : 10.53714/giok6749. Available at: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/public-health/research/centres/centre-for-healthy-communities/what-we-do/guidebook_eng_2022.pdf
- Centre for Healthy Communities (CHC), Centre for Health Equity Training, Research
and Evaluation (CHETRE). Cadre de travail en santé publique axé sur l’action portant sur la tension financière et le bien-être financier – Résumé [Internet]. Edmonton (Canada) : Centre for Healthy Communities; 2022, 19 p. DOI: 10.53714/hobg9216. Available at: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/public-health/research/centres/centre-for-healthy-communities/what-we-do/framework_fr_2022.pdf - Centre for Healthy Communities (CHC), Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE). Guide de stratégies et d’indicateurs pour l’action portant sur la tension financière et le bien-être financier – Résumé [Internet]. Edmonton (Canada): Centre for Healthy Communities; 2022. 73 p. DOI: 10.53714/tvyu8596. Available at: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/public-health/research/centres/centre-for-healthy-communities/what-we-do/guidebook_fr_2022.pdf
Centre for Healthy Communities, Canada
Principal Investigator
Candace I. J. Nykiforuk
Lead Document Development
Ana Paula Belon
Co-investigators
Lisa Allen Scott
Elaine Hyshka
Stephanie Montesanti
Roman Pabayo
Jane Springett
Core Staff
Nicole M. Glenn
Laura Nieuwendyk
Kayla Atkey
Krystyna Kongats
Centre for Health Equity Training
Research and Evaluation, Australia
Principal Investigator
Evelyne de Leeuw
Co-investigator
Patrick Harris
Core Staff
Aryati Yashadhana
Karla Jaques
- Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Belon, A.P., Allen Scott, L.K. (2024) Untangling Concepts of Financial Circumstances for Public Health Professionals and Scholars: A Glossary and Concept Map. American Journal of Public Health, 14, 79-89. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307449
- Belon, A.P., Yashadhana, A., Kongats, K., Atkey, K., Glenn, N.M., Jaques, K., Nieuwendyk, L., Harris, P., de Leeuw, E., Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2023). Australian and Canadian financial wellbeing policy landscape during COVID-19: An equity-informed policy scan. Health Policy OPEN, 6, 100114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpopen.2023.100114
- Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Belon, A. P., Allen-Scott, L.K. (2023). Untangling concepts of financial circumstances for public health professionals and scholars: A glossary and concept map. American Journal of Public Health,114(1), 79-89. https://doi/org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307449
- Yashadhana, A., Glenn, N.M., Jaques, K., Belon, A.P., Harris, P., de Leeuw, E., Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2023). A rapid review of initiatives to address financial strain and wellbeing in high-income contexts. Public Health Research & Practice, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp3322315
- Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Belon, A.P., de Leeuw, E., Harris, P., Allen-Scott, L., Atkey, K., Glenn, N.M., Hyshka, E., Jaques, K., Kongats, K., Montesanti, S., Nieuwendyk, L.M., Pabayo, R., Springett, J., Yashadhana, A. (2023). An action-oriented public health framework to reduce financial strain and promote financial wellbeing in high-income countries. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22, 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-01877-8
- Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Belon, A.P., de Leeuw, E., Harris, P., Allen-Scott, L., Atkey, K., Glenn, N.M., Hyshka, E., Jaques, K., Kongats, K., Montesanti, S., Nieuwendyk, L.M., Pabayo, R., Springett, J., Yashadhana, A. (2023). A policy-ready public health guidebook of strategies and indicators to promote financial well-being and address financial strain in response to COVID-19. Preventing Chronic Disease, 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.220209
- Glenn NM, Yashadhana A, Jaques K, Belon A, de Leeuw E, Nykiforuk CIJ, Harris P. The Generative Mechanisms of Financial Strain and Financial Well-Being: A Critical Realist Analysis of Ideology and Difference. Int J Health Policy Manage. 2023;12:6930. doi: 10.34172/IJHPM.2022.6930
- Glenn NM, Nykiforuk CIJ. The time is now for public health to lead the way on addressing financial strain in Canada. Can J Public Health. 2020;111(6):984-7. doi: 10.17269/s41997-020-00430-2.
- Centre for Healthy Communities. (2024, April 30). Café Scientifique: Driving Multi-Level Action to Improve Financial Wellbeing. Centre for Healthy Communities. Virtual Webinar and Panel Presentation.
- Centre for Healthy Communities. (2022, October 20). Applying Action-Oriented Resources to Reduce Financil Strain and Promote Financial Wellbeing. National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools. Webinar.
- Belon, A.P., Nykiforuk, C.N., de Leeuw, E., Harris, P., Glenn., N., Yashadhana, A., Jaques, K., Nieuwendyk, L. (2022, June 16) How to Promote Financial Wellbeing and Reduce Financial Strain? A Guidebook of Strategies and Indicators for Action at the Population Level [virtual brief oral presentation & poster]. Public Health 2022 – Canadian Public Health Association, Canada (virtual). https://www.cpha.ca/publichealth2022
- Nykiforuk, C.N., Belon, A.P., de Leeuw, E., Harris, P., Glenn., N., Yashadhana, A., Jaques, K., Nieuwendyk, L. (2022, June 15). A Public Health Framework for Action on Financial Wellbeing and Financial Strain. [virtual brief oral presentation & poster]. Public Health 2022 – Canadian Public Health Association, Canada (virtual). https://www.cpha.ca/publichealth2022
- Belon, A.P., Nykiforuk, C.N., de Leeuw, E., Harris, P., Glenn., N., Yashadhana, A., Jaques, K., Nieuwendyk, L. (2022, May 15-19). Introducing a Practical Guidebook of Strategies and Indicators to Support Design, Implementation, and Assessment of Effective Initiatives on Financial Wellbeing and Financial Strain [Poster]. 24th International Union for Health Promotion and Education Conference, Montreal (virtual). https://iuhpe2022.com/
- Nykiforuk, C.N., Belon, A.P., de Leeuw, E., Harris, P., Glenn., N., Yashadhana, A., Jaques, K., Nieuwendyk, L. (2022, May 18). A Public Health Framework for Actions on Financial Wellbeing and Financial Strain. [Roundtable]. 24th IUHPE Conference, Montreal (virtual). https://iuhpe2022.com/
- Yashadhana, A., Jaques K., Harris, P., De Leeuw, E., Belon, A., Nykiforuk, CIJ. (2021, Sept 23-24). Developing an Action-oriented Public Health Framework on Financial Well-being and Financial Strain [Long oral presentation]. Australian Public Health Conference 2021, Canberra, Australia. https://www.austph2021.com/
- 2023-2028 Dr. Candace Nykiforuk’s Canada Research Chair in Community Environments and Public Policy for Wellbeing
- 2023-2026 Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Project Grant
- 2023-2024 Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Café Scientifique
- 2020-2023 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): COVID-19 Rapid Research Operating Grant
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