Contributing to our Health -- A Series About StFX Research Making A Difference In Our Communities
StFX is a leader in health innovation and entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. In this ongoing series, we proudly shine a spotlight on our health research leaders, research and community health partnerships and their impact. For more on the Contributing to our Health series, click the link below.
Contributing to our Health series
“I want to focus on a project that can improve the overall health and well-being of a population already dealing with such severe life changes and recommend and implement an effective policy tailored to their needs to become more food secure.” ~ Connor Laskoski
Connor Laskoski is looking to understand—and to improve--food insecurity experienced by refugees in Nova Scotia.
The fourth year health honours student from Calgary, AB says many refugees experience different levels of food insecurity during their transition to Canada and upon settling in Canada due to numerous factors including financial constraints, affordability, and accessibility.
In his thesis, Mr. Laskoski is reviewing current settlement policies intended to promote the food security of newcomer refugees in Nova Scotia. He is using a scoping review and stakeholder interview analysis to determine policy gaps contributing to food security disparities among refugees.
“My interest in studying refugee populations began last year in my global health class, which my current supervisor, Dr. Mahasti Khakpour, taught. After writing an extensive group paper on refugees, I was fascinated by Dr. Khakpour’s research on food insecurity. I was also incredibly interested in my health policy class in my third year and thought a policy review would be a unique approach to this issue,” he says.
“I also wanted to research this topic because the refugee crisis is a significant issue currently, and Canada, mainly Nova Scotia, is resettling more refugees than ever before. Therefore, I want to focus on a project that can improve the overall health and well-being of a population already dealing with such severe life changes and recommend and implement an effective policy tailored to their needs to become more food secure.”
Mr. Laskoski says this research is fundamental as food insecurity is directly associated with poor health outcomes.
“Food insecure refugees are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, as well as severe chronic conditions such as depression, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Food insecurity among refugees is also directly interconnected to other social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and community engagement and services.”
He says it is important to note that healthier refugees that are food secure are less likely to utilize healthcare resources and supports. “This is incredibly important, especially in rural Nova Scotia, which has a growing refugee population and an extremely overburdened healthcare system.”
He says another significant aspect of the research is equipping policymakers with the information they need.
This research, he says, also strives to create connections with key stakeholders and community members critical to promoting food security for refugees utilizing their resources.
“Finally, the groundwork we do with this research can further be expanded to analyze food insecurity policy for refugees on a national and even global level,” he says, noting the continuation of this research is critical to combat the significant challenges that result in poor health outcomes for newcomers in Canada and globally.
“I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to research this topic. In undergrad, it is usually unfeasible to do a project that is this large and complex. However, through the support of my incredible supervisor, my thesis can positively impact a population in Nova Scotia that continuously suffers in Canada from factors they do not have any control over. In addition, this research has inspired me to look into various graduate programs regarding global health to expand my future research and take this study to a national level.”
