Our research is working to advance knowledge of physical literacy & activity and mental health

Current Projects

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ADAPT Study

The overarching objective of the Application of integrateD Approaches to understanding Physical activity during Transition into emerging adulthood (ADAPT) study is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the salient factors predicting changes in physical activity during adolescents’ transition into emerging adulthood. The ADAPT study is a 4-year project comprised of two interrelated studies. Study I is a large prospective cohort study involving an online questionnaire. Study II involves a subset of the participants, who wear an accelerometer and complete Ecological Momentary Assessments 5 times a day over a 7-day study period.

IPLAY

The aim of IPLAY is to understand the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a Physical Literacy (PL)-based program designed for new immigrant youths. We are developing the IPLAY program in collaboration with WinSport and are conducting a mixed methods evaluation across three time points. The quantitative stream will consist of an assessment of movement competence, task self-efficacy, confidence, perceptions of competence, motivation, and enjoyment, affective states, knowledge and understanding and mental health & wellbeing. The qualitative stream will use a grounded theory approach to explore past experiences with physical activities in Canada, self-assessments of each PL domain, and the general expectations/experiences of participating in the IPLAY program.

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CATCH Study

The Coordination and Activity Tracking in Children (CATCH) study has been ongoing since 2014 with the goal of looking at the relationships between motor coordination and physical fitness abilities of children from early to mid-childhood. The goal of the CATCH study is to examine the pathways connecting DCD, physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition from early to middle childhood. This relationship is important to evaluate to help determine the type of intervention children require. This prospective cohort study has been following 4-, and 5-year old boys and girls for 3 years with annual assessments of physical activity, body composition, health-related fitness, and motor skills.

ARCHWAYS

Recognizing the challenges first-year students typically experience, McMaster University developed a support program called Archway for incoming first-year students for the 2020/2021 academic school year, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team is involved in assessing the program from the student perspective while exploring how well the program may or may not have 1) encouraged student connectedness, 2) supported students and, 3) maximize student rentention.

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Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS)

The CCWS is a common surveillance tool that provides a necessary basis for assessing the mental health and wellbeing of students and identifying priorities for intervention at an institutional level. The CCWS presents an opportunity to develop a uniquely Canadian system for information sharing and analysis of institutional-level policies, practices and strategies relevant to student mental and physical health.