A presentation at the Public Health Agency of BC\'s conference. Our workshop topic was Poverty and Physical Activity and the activities Vancouver Coastal Health Active Living Coordinators were involved with.

1. So-Sah-latch Mom’s Walking Group, North Shore
MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE
HOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CAN IMPACT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY
JO-ANNE BURLEIGH, ACTIVE LIVING COORDINATOR, NORTH SHORE
MARY CLARK, ACTIVE LIVING COORDINATOR, VANCOUVER
Monday, October 5, 2009

2. WHAT WE’LL COVER:
• Our roles
• What makes us healthy?
• What can physical activity do to impact
people living in poverty?
• Digital stories
• Questions?
Monday, October 5, 2009

3. ACTIVE LIVING
COORDINATORS
• Part of VCH support to“Core Programs”
• North Shore: Healthy Living and Community Development
• Vancouver: Healthy Living Program
• Social Inclusion Framework/Approach:
• Building relationships
• Building bridges
• Building community
Monday, October 5, 2009

4. WHAT MAKES US HEALTHY?
The choices we make are shaped by the choices we have.
“Unnatural Causes” Action Toolkit
Cultural/Behavioural approach
vs.
Social Determinants approach
Monday, October 5, 2009

5. POVERTY AND HEALTH
• Poverty is a more reliable predictor of poor health
than smoking, obesity, stress, or high cholesterol Dr. Dennis Raphael
• Poverty reliably predicts most major chronic diseases,
death from injury, use of health services, life
expectancy, personal perception of health Dr. Dennis Raphael
Monday, October 5, 2009

6. UNDERSTANDING POVERTY
• no consensus on how to measure poverty ie. LICO
• regardless of measurement, BC has a significant poverty problem
• BC has the highest poverty rate in Canada - 5 years in a row
• Vancouver Stats: 27% of households
• North Vancouver Stats: 16% of households
Poverty is a situation that makes the achievement of human potential
difficult, if not impossible.
Dennis Raphael, PhD
Monday, October 5, 2009

7. WHY POVERTY IMPACTS HEALTH
• Material Deprivation
• Excessive Negative Stress
• Building of Health Threatening
Behaviours Dr. ennis Raphael
Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.
Eli Khamarov
Monday, October 5, 2009

8. POVERTY = SOCIAL EXCLUSION
• havingand maintaining good health lies in feeling
included within society
• involvement in recreation and physical activity
can mitigate some of the effects of poverty
Monday, October 5, 2009

9. SOCIAL INCLUSION LENS
ADAPTED FROM HEALTH CANADA, THE LAIDLAW FOUNDATION, AND DR. DENNIS RAPHAEL
-Neces
s
Recrea ar y Elements
tion an
Elements of Exclusion
d Physi of Quality
cal Act
Poverty ivity-
Disadvantage
Inequality Valued
Discrimination Recogn
Barriers to Access Poor Health ition
Disability
Isolation Self-De
Material velopm
Marginalization
Deprivation
e nt
Social J
Excessive Negative ustice
Stress
Outcomes of Inclusion
Involve
Unhealthy
d and Improved Health
Engage Human rights
Behaviours d Adequate Income
Access Access
an
Proxim d
Participation
Valued
ity Contributing
Belonging
Empowerment
Monday, October 5, 2009

10. Physical activity has a scientific basis, but it is also an
experience that provides a context for self-expression,
contentment and a sense of fulfillment at a personal level.
It is pointless focussing on one without the other.
Dr. George Sheehan
Foodbank Drop In Sports Program
Monday, October 5, 2009

11. REDUCING MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
• Access and inclusion to public/
private recreation services
• Supports for childcare, healthy
food
South Asian women learn to swim at Langara YMCA
• Partnership building
Queen Mary and Westview
Elementary Parent Group
Monday, October 5, 2009

12. MANAGING EXCESSIVE NEGATIVE
STRESS
• Playfulness
• Friendships
• Escape Grant McNeil Housing Complex
Physical activity that is playful heals the split Orchard Park Housing Complex
Activity Sampler Program
between body and spirit. Dr. George Sheehan
Monday, October 5, 2009

13. BUILDING OF HEALTH Y BEHAVIOURS
• Opportunities
• Choice
• Self-Exploration So-Sah-latch Mom’s Group Walk, North Shore
• Mastery
• Carry over effects
So-Sah-latch Mom’s Group Completes the Sun Run
Monday, October 5, 2009

14. DIGITAL STORIES
Queen Mary and Westview Elementary Parent Group
Monday, October 5, 2009

15. LESSONS LEARNED
• Sustainability approach
• Public recreation and public health working together
• Increasing awareness about poverty, health and
recreation/physical activity
• Time spent on relationship building is money well spent
• Engagement and community development
Monday, October 5, 2009

16. SOCIAL INCLUSION LENS
ADAPTED FROM HEALTH CANADA, THE LAIDLAW FOUNDATION, AND DR. DENNIS RAPHAEL
-Neces
s
Recrea ar y Elements
tion an
Elements of Exclusion
d Physi of Quality
cal Act
Poverty ivity-
Disadvantage
Inequality Valued
Discrimination Recogn
Barriers to Access Poor Health ition
Disability
Isolation Self-De
Material velopm
Marginalization
Deprivation
e nt
Social J
Excessive Negative ustice
Stress
Outcomes of Inclusion
Involve
Unhealthy
d and Improved Health
Engage Human rights
Behaviours d Adequate Income
Access Access
an
Proxim d
Participation
Valued
ity Contributing
Belonging
Empowerment
Monday, October 5, 2009

17. THANK YOU!
Jo-Anne.Burleigh@vch.ca
Mary.Clark@vch.ca
Monday, October 5, 2009