Gleaning real-world evidence on multisectoral partnerships to equitably promote physical activity in urban areas
Creators: name: Gauvin, Lise
name: Muhajarine, Nazeem
name: Saint-Onge, Kadia
name: St-Cyr, Jany
Publisher: name: The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada
Year: 2022

description: Purpose: To share real-world evidence on multisectoral partnerships (MP) aimed at equitably promoting physical activity in Canadian cities and to derive practical implications. Description: In the fall of 2018, the WHO launched the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030. The plan proposes four strategic objectives and 20 policy actions to attain 10% and 15% reductions in physical inactivity by 2025 and 2030 respectively. A central feature of the accompanying implementation plan involves the creation and nurturing of MP to effect system changes. In this symposium, we report on findings and methodological challenges encountered in conducting a pan Canadian program of research called MUSE: Multisectoral Urban Systems for health and Equity in Canadian cities. MUSE focuses on studying MP that will equitably lead to promoting physical activity and healthy eating in Montreal, Toronto, Saskatoon, and Vancouver. The program of research is aimed at gleaning new evidence on the composition, structure, functioning, and outputs of Canadian MP that are nurtured by public health organizations with municipalities to improve built environments related to transportation, leisure infrastructure, and the food environment – that is, “system components” that can support physical activity. Another cross-cutting issue of interest is how equity is – or is not integrated into the work and outputs of MP. The symposium will include an overarching view of the MUSE research program and a synthesis of current knowledge about successful MP. Presentations will outline: i) findings from a content analysis of mission statements and partnership activities as posted on websites, ii) results of qualitative interviews and focus groups conducted with the leadership of the partnerships, and iii) perceptions of action capacity to enact the 20 WHO policy actions among the organizations that are members of one of the partnerships. Presenter 1: Dr. Lise Gauvin, CRCHUM &amp; École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal and Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, Saskatchewan Population Health Research Unit (SPHERU) &amp; Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. Title: Overview and Canadian examples of MP. Description: This introduction provides an overarching view of MUSE and describe examples of MP. Presenter 2: Jany St-Cyr, Departement de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal &amp; CRCHUM. Title: Multisectoral partnerships: What the literature tells us. Description: This presentation overviews the facilitators and barriers to multisectoral partnerships as reported in the literature. Presenter 3: Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine and Jacob Alhassan, SPHERU &amp; Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. Title: Perspectives from the leaderships of multisectoral partnerships. Description: This presentation highlights what MP leaders in Saskatoon believe are key ingredients. Presenter 4: Kadia Saint-Onge, Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal &amp; CRCHUM. Title: Aspirations and action capacity for multisectoral work. Description: This presentation outlines how partnership members in Montreal perceive their action capacity and what they aspire the partnership to be. Presenter 5: Dr. Lise Gauvin, CRCHUM &amp; École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal. Title: Perceptions of capacity for the 20 policy actions proposed in the WHO’s Global Action Plan 2018-2030. Description: This presentation outlines what partnership members believe their organisation and the partnership can and cannot do in terms of policy action. Presenter 6: Dr. Lise Gauvin, CRCHUM &amp; École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal and Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, SPHERU &amp; Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. Title: Methodological challenges, recommendations, and next steps. Description: This introduction provides overarching comments before open-up the discussion with the audience. All participants: To optimize discussion, symposium participants will be invited to respond to multiple choice questions and to provide open-ended comments through an online voting and response system. Responses and comments will be shared “live” with the audience. A panel discussion will maximize opportunities for sharing ideas. Results: Advancing knowledge about MP involves several methodological and operational challenges. Interacting with knowledge-users allows for collectively identifying of practical implications for creating and nurturing MP. Conclusion: Studying MP holds promise for strengthening physical activity promotion. Funding: Research supported by a CIHR Healthy Cities Team Grant.
description: The Health &amp; Fitness Journal of Canada, Vol. 14 No. 3 (2021): Proceedings from the 8th International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress