Vaccine Procurement: The Changes Needed to Close Access Gaps and Achieve Health Equity in Routine and Pandemic Settings.

Vaccines are not the only public health tool, but they are critical in routine and emergency settings. Achieving optimal vaccination rates requires timely access to vaccines. However, we have persistently failed to secure, distribute, and administer vaccines in a timely, effective, and equitable manner despite an enduring rhetoric of global health equity.

Dual modality feeders: a group of human milk feeders with unique practices and needs.

Objective: Dual modality feeding (DMF) - feeding human milk interchangeably from the breast and from a bottle - comes with unique practical, emotional and relational challenges, as well as support needs. Yet, there is little research that explores the experiences of individuals who use DMF in the Canadian context. The aim of this study is to explore the practices, challenges, reasons and enablers of DMF.

An equitable vaccine delivery system: Lessons from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Canada.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing health disparities and disproportionately affected vulnerable individuals and communities (e.g., low-income, precariously housed or in institutional settings, racialized, migrant, refugee, 2SLBGTQ+).

Public health communication in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Communication is central to the implementation and effectiveness of public health measures. Informed by theories of good governance, COVID-19 pandemic public health messaging in 3 Canadian provinces is assessed for its potential to encourage or undermine public trust and adherence.

Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods constant comparative approach to triangulate epidemiological COVID-19 data and qualitative data from news releases, press briefings, and key informant interviews.

Infant feeding experiences and concerns among caregivers early in the COVID-19 State of Emergency in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The global emergency caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted access to goods and services such as health care and social supports, but the impact on infant feeding remains unclear. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore how caregivers of infants under 6 months of age perceived changes to infant feeding and other food and health-related matters during the COVID-19 State of Emergency in Nova Scotia, Canada. Four weeks after the State of Emergency began, between 17 April and 15 May 2020, caregivers completed this online survey, including the Perceived Stress Scale.

In-store food environment for adults and children in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Objectives: This paper examines the retail food environment in grocery and convenience stores across Nova Scotia with specific attention to prominence and promotion of foods and beverages, as well as in-store promotion of foods and beverages to children.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional analysis of data on the availability, price, prominence, and promotion of foods and beverages classified as "healthier" and "less healthy" was undertaken as a part of a Nova Scotia Consumer Food Environment (NS-CFE) project. Data were collected in a random stratified sample of 47 grocery stores and 59 convenience stores by trained research assistants working in pairs using adapted Nutrition Environment Measures Survey Toronto grocery store (NEMS-S) and NEMS Corner Store (NEMS-CS) tools.

Availability and affordability of healthy and less healthy food in Nova Scotia: where you shop may affect the availability and price of healthy food.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the availability and price of healthier compared with less healthy foods by geography, store category and store type for convenience stores, and by store size for grocery stores in Nova Scotia.

Design: A cross-sectional study that examined differences in the overall availability and price of healthier compared to less healthy foods in grocery and convenience stores in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Consumer Food Environment project was part of a larger initiative of the Nova Scotia government (Department of Health and Wellness) to assess the food and beverage environment in Nova Scotia in 2015/16.