Developmental Evaluation of a Novel Food Security Strategy to Support Pregnant and Postpartum Newcomer Women in Edmonton

Abstract

In Canada, low socioeconomic status is more common among migrant families. Likewise, the prevalence of household food insecurity – defined as “inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints” – is greater (19.6%) among families that recently immigrated to Canada (< 5 years) than the national Canadian average of 12.6%. A large proportion of migrants are women of childbearing age who might experience pregnancy and childbirth in Canada while being at an increased risk for food insecurity. This represents a significant life stressor that can negatively affect maternal and child health. In Edmonton, at‐risk migrant women may receive additional prenatal and postpartum support from a community‐based organization, the Multicultural Health Brokers (MCHB) Cooperative. MCHB is a collective of health brokers from diverse backgrounds who serve women and families in difficult life circumstances. In recent years, health brokers' holistic services have been overshadowed by food crisis situations where families lack immediate access to food. It is for this reason that a Community Resource Coordinator (CRC), who works within the MCHB Cooperative and liaises with the research team at the University of Alberta, is leading the development of a novel food security strategy. The strategy entails collecting donated foods (that would otherwise go to waste), and distributing them to an emergency food program for migrant pregnant and postpartum women and their families. The objectives of our project are to examine to what extent the food security strategy meets emergency food needs of women and families, and supports community capacity‐building. Guided by a Theory of Change that includes short‐ and long‐term goals, a Developmental Evaluation (DE) approach, with a mixed‐methods research design, has been used support the development of the strategy, and guide adaptation to MCHB context. Four months into the food security strategy, ~30 families are being served weekly, and ~2 tons of food has been distributed. DE preliminary results indicate that MCHB stewardship and adaptive leadership has been pivotal to the establishment of the strategy and early successes; whereas operational logistics and territorial issues among other organizations have been barriers to the strategy implementation. The strategy has the potential to address emergency food needs of migrant women and families, and with the DE approach, we expect to ignite social action and research towards an alternative food system that is participatory and led by migrant women at the MCHB in Edmonton.Support or Funding InformationThis project is funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. MQ is funded by the Vanier Graduate Scholarship.