Newcomer kids to Canada face chronic health risks. Here’s how these researchers hope to help – CBC

Cost of healthy food, access to activities can impact newcomers’ health

Sep 24, 2023

Try as she might, Momina Reza finds that it’s difficult to get her kids to be active and eat healthy foods.

One of the biggest barriers for the single mom, who moved to Canada from Pakistan nearly seven years ago, is the cost.

“I ask about different programs and their prices, they are high for me and so I cannot afford that,” said Reza, who lives in Hamilton, Ont.’s Riverdale neighbourhood.

Reza says her 11-year-old and five-year-old boys are “doing well,” but she acknowledges that it’s a “struggle” to even afford nutritious food for them.

And for other immigrants like herself, Reza says language barriers and long work hours can also make it difficult for parents to encourage their children to take part in extracurricular activities.

Barriers like these are likely contributing to health problems being seen in newcomer children, says Dr. Gita Wahi, a pediatrician at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ont.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/immigrant-children-health-risks-1.6975190