How can we work to equitably impact the health of entire populations as well as vulnerable groups?

Healthy public policy is a key public health strategy to achieve population health aims and address social and structural determinants of health. Our work in this area focuses on supporting the development, adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of policies that impact health in schools, workplaces, and organizations, and across all levels of government that impact health or support wellbeing.

Financial Wellbeing

Financial Wellbeing

Improving people’s financial circumstances has never been more critical. Disadvantaged population groups have experienced even higher levels of financial strain (including financial insecurity [...]

Chronic Disease Prevention Survey

Chronic Disease Prevention Survey

The Chronic Disease Prevention Survey measures the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of policy influencers (decision makers in government, schools, media, and other large organizations) and the [...]

Policy Intervention Ladder

Policy Intervention Ladder

The Intervention Ladder is a framework developed by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics to characterize the level of ‘intrusiveness’ of public health policy initiatives. Interventions at the bottom [...]

Idea Readiness Tool

Idea Readiness Tool

School communities are great incubators of new ideas, but launching a new idea is not always easy. The Idea Readiness Tool (IRT) can be used to help launch a new idea in a school community.

Policy Readiness Tool

Policy Readiness Tool

The Policy Readiness Tool (PRT) is a self-administered tool that can be used to assess a community’s or organization’s readiness for policy change. The PRT includes a brief checklist that can be [...]

Diffusion of Healthy Public Policies

Diffusion of Healthy Public Policies

Governments and other decision-making bodies rarely make policy decisions in isolation. Instead, they often learn from each other to develop and implement policies that are best suited for their [...]

POWER UP!

POWER UP!

Policy Opportunity Windows – Engaging Research Uptake in Practice (POWER UP!) was a team of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers who worked together to share knowledge and evidence [...]

Collaborative Projects and Publications

Collaborative Projects (Selected)

Collaborative Publications (Selected)

  • 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
  • Curtin, K.D., Thomson, M., & Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2021). Who or what is to blame? Examining sociodemographic relationships to beliefs about causes, control, and responsibility for cancer and chronic disease prevention in Alberta, Canada. BMC Public Health, 21(1):1-12. Epub 2021 June 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11065-4
    https://rdcu.be/clPb0
  • Brown, J.A., Ferdinands, A.R., Prowse, R., Reynard, D., Raine, K.D., & Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2021). Seeing the food swamp for the weeds: moving beyond retail food mix in evaluating young people’s food environments. SS&M – Population Health, 14:100803. E-pub 2021 April 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100803 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827321000781
  • Nejatinamini, S., Godley, J., Minaker, L.M., Sajobi, T.T., McCormack, G.R., Cooke, M.J., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., de Koning, L., & Olstad, D.L. (2021). Quantifying the contributions of modifiable risk factors to socioeconomic inequities in cancer morbidity and mortality: a population-based cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology, Epub 2021 April 12:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab067
  • Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Glenn, N.M., Hosler, I., Crowe, H., Reynard, D., Molner, B., Candlish, J., & Lowe, S. (2021). Understanding urban accessibility: A community-engaged pilot study of entrance features. Social Science & Medicine, 273:113775. Epub 2021 March 1:1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113775
  • Glenn, N.M., Allen Scott, L., Hokanson, T., Gustafson, K., Stoops, M., Day, B., & Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2021). Community strategies to reduce the impact of financial strain and promote financial well-being: a comprehensive rapid review. Global Health Promotion, 28(1):42-40. Epub 2021 February 18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757975920984182
    Special issue on Health Promotion Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic, accessible at: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/ped/collections/covid-19
  • Sim, S., Veugelers, P., Prowse, R., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., & Maximova, K. (2020). Unhealthy food options in the school environment are associated with diet quality and body weights of children in Canada. Public Health Nutrition. Epub 2020 November 4:1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020004437
  • McLaren, L., Braitstein, P., Buckeridge, D., Contandriopoulos, D., Creatore, M.I., Faulkner, G., Hammond, D., Hoffman, S.J., Kestens, Y., Leatherdale, S., McGavock, J., Norman, W.V., Nykiforuk, C., Ridde, V., & Smylie, J. (2019). Why public health matters today and tomorrow: the role of applied public health research. [Commentary]. Canadian Journal of Public Health – thematic issue on Why Public Health Matters Today, Epub 2019:1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-019-00196-2
  • Tink, L., Peers, D., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Kingsley, B.C. (2020). “Vulnerable”, “at-risk”, “disadvantaged”: how A Framework for Recreation in Canada 2015: Pathways to Wellbeing reinscribes exclusion. Leisure / Loisir, 44(2): 151-174, Epub 2020-06-01. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2020.1760122
  • Belon, A.P., Serrano-Lomelin, J., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Hicks, A., Crawford, S., Bakal, J., Ospina, M.B. (2020). Health gradients in emergency visits and hospitalizations for pediatric respiratory diseases: a population-based retrospective cohort study. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 34(2): 150-160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12639
  • Atkary, M.L., Caron-Roy, S., Sajobi, T., O’Hara, H., Leblanc, P., Dunn, S., McCormack, G., Timmins, D., Ball, K., Downs, S., Minaker, L.M., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Godley, J., Milaney, K., Lashewicz, B., Fournier, B., Elliott, C., Raine, K.R., Prowse, R., Olstad, D.L. (2020). Impact of a farmers’ market nutrition coupon program on diet quality and psychosocial well-being among low-income adults: protocol for a randomized control trial and a longitudinal qualitative investigation. BMJ Open, 10:e035143. doi: 1136/bmjopen-2019-035143 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/5/e035143.full
  • Tink, L.N., Peers, D., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Mayan, M. (2019). Rereading the history of recreation in Canada: moving beyond the politics of health. Leisure / Loisir, 43(4): 445-457. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2019.1697350
  • Cheesbrough, A.E., Garvin, T., Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2019). Everyday wild: urban natural areas, health, and well-being. Health & Place, 56: 43-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.01.005
  • Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Rawson, D., McGetrick, J.A., Belon, A.P. (2019). Canadian policy perspectives on promoting physical activity across age-friendly communities: lessons for advocacy and action. Ageing and Society, 39(2): 307-339. Epub 2017 Sep 11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X17000939
  • Olstad, D.L., Ancilotto, R., Teychenne, M., Minaker, L.M., Taber, D.R., Raine, K.D., Nykiforuk, C.I., Ball, K. (2017). Can targeted policies reduce obesity in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations? A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 18(7): 791-807. Epub 2017 April 23. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12546
  • Contandriopoulos, D., Benoit, F., Bryant-Lukosius, D., Carrier, A., Carter, N., Deber, R., Duhoux, A., Greenhalgh, T., Larouche, C., Leclerc, B-S., Levy, A., Martin-Misener, R., Maximova, K., McGrail, K., Nykiforuk, C., Roos, N., Schwartz, R., Valente, T.W., Wong, S., Lindquist, E., Pullen, C., Lardeux, A., Perroux, M. (2017). Structural analysis of health-relevant policy-making information exchange networks in Canada. Implementation Science, 12: 116. Epub 2017 Sep. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0642-4
  • Olstad, D.L., Teychenne, M., Minaker, L.M., Taber, D.R., Raine, K.D., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Ball, K. (2016). Qualities of robust systematic reviews and theoretical frameworks: a response to Backholer and Peeters. (Letter to the Editor). Obesity Reviews: an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 18(2):273-276. Epub 2016 Nov. DOI: 1111/obr.12483
  • Olstad, D.L., Teychenne, M., Minaker, L.M., Taber, D.R., Raine, K.D., Nykiforuk, C.I., Ball, K. (2016). Can policy ameliorate socioeconomic inequities in obesity and obesity-related behaviours? A systematic review of the impact of universal policies on adults and children. Obesity Reviews. 17(12): 1198-1217. Epub 2016 Aug 3. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12457
  • Lytvyak, E., Olstad, D.L., Schopflocher, D.P., Plotnikoff, R.C., Storey, K.E., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Raine, K.D. (2016). Impact of a 3-year multi-centre community-based intervention on risk factors for chronic disease and obesity among free-living adults: the Healthy Alberta Communities study. BMC Public Health, 16(1): 344. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3021-1
  • Hammal, F., Wild, T.C., Nykiforuk, C., Abdullahi, K., Mussie, D., Finegan, B. (2016). Waterpipe (hookah) smoking among youth and women in Canada is new not traditional. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 18(5): 757-762. Epub 2015 Jul 17. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntv152
  • Sopcak, N., Aguilar, C., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., O’Brien, M.A., Aubrey-Bassler, K., Cullen, R.M., Heatherington, M., Grunfeld, E., Manca, D.P. (2017). Patients’ perspectives on BETTER prevention and screening: qualitative findings from Newfoundland & Labrador. British Journal for General Practice (BJGP) Open. BJBP-2017-0061. Epub 2017 Aug 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen17X101037
  • Sopcak, N., Aguilar, C., O’Brien, M.A., Nykiforuk, C., Aubrey-Bassler, K., Cullen, R., Grunfeld, E., Manca, D.P. (2016). Implementation of the BETTER 2 program: a qualitative study exploring barriers and facilitators of a novel way to improve chronic disease prevention and screening in primary care. Implementation Science, 11:158. Epub 2016 Dec. DOI: 10.1186/s13012-016-0525-0
  • Manca, D.P., Campbell-Scherer, D., Aubrey-Bassler, K., Kandola, K., Aguilar, C., Baxter, J., Meaney, C., Salvalaggio, G., Carroll, J.C., Faria, V., Nykiforuk, C., Grunfeld, E. (2015). Developing clinical decision tools to implement chronic disease prevention and screening in primary care: the BETTER 2 program (building on existing tools to improve chronic disease prevention and screening in primary care). Implementation Science, 10(1):107. DOI:1186/s13012-015-0299-9.
  • Raine, K.D., Sosa Hernandez, C., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Reed, S., Montemurro, G., Lytvyak, E., MacLellan-Wright, M-F. (2014). Measuring the progress of capacity building in the Alberta Policy Coalition for Cancer Prevention. Health Promotion Practice, 15(4): 496-505. Epub 2013 Dec 13. DOI: 1177/1524839913511627
  • Montemurro, G., Raine, K., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Mayan, M. (2014). Exploring the process of capacity-building among community-based health promotion workers in Alberta, Canada. Health Promotion International, 29(3): 463-73. Epub 2013 Feb 27. DOI: 1093/heapro/dat008