Grant: Operating Grant: SickKids-CIHR-IHDCYH New Investigator Grants

The world is facing an unprecedent crisis of displacement; over 50% of those are children. In Canada, refugee and immigrant children are poised to be majority of future Canadian adults, yet they are among the most marginalized of communities. Most have poor growth and nutritional deficiencies, which is associated with worse physical and mental health outcomes. Understanding growth trajectories is crucial to prevent future disease, however, this data does not exist in Canada. To date, much CIHR-funded research has been inaccessible to newcomer communities. It is essential that research be co-developed with communities to ensure it is reflective and inclusive of community needs. My proposed study will develop and test the feasibility of a prospective cohort study of newcomer children in Canada in partnership with their families, combining community based participatory-action research (CBPAR) and human centred design (HCD) with traditional study designs. My objectives are to: 1. Explore the barriers and facilitators of newcomer children’s participation in longitudinal cohort studies 2. Co-create strategies to promote participation in a longitudinal prospective cohort study for newcomer children and their families using HCD 3. Establish the feasibility of implementing the co-designed prospective cohort study in a 6-month pilot cohort My innovative approach uses robust methodologies to engage newcomer communities in culturally-safe research. My findings will lay the foundation for a multi-site prospective cohort study for newcomer children to follow their growth and health outcomes longitudinally, providing much-needed evidence to inform clinical practice. Supported by a robust research team, outstanding mentorship and in an environment that prioritizes health equity research, my study will serve as a leading example of how CBPAR and HCD methodologies can be combined with traditional study designs to include families inform better public health policies to care for refugee children.