Immigrant Health and Well-Being

Canada’s immigration policies admit younger, better educated, and healthier individuals than their Canadian born counterparts, creating the healthy immigrant effect. However, the health advantages of immigrants diminish with increased duration of residence. Narrow definitions of settlement and integration as the “length of time in Canada'' ignore historical and ongoing colonial power relations (e.g. residential schools, slavery, exclusionary immigration policies, systemic racism, gender inequities, structural violence against LGBTQ+ peoples, etc.). Such power relations produce exclusive public policies, shape inequitable distribution of resources, and create barriers to “true” and successful “whole-of-society integration”. There is an urgent need for innovative social and technological strategies that engage immigrant communities in prioritizing needs, co-creating solutions, and integrating community-centred tools to reduce health disparities.

This research theme is underpinned by a strong commitment toward reconciliation and principles of equity, access, and social justice, which are essential components of critical populations health promotion. Drawing on integrated life-course and social-ecological approaches, we are applying social innovation, meaningful engagement, capacity building, and collective empowerment in all research activities. To address immigrant health disparities, we are prioritizing the needs of distinct populations by conducting population-based analyses to explicate systemic barriers and facilitators of immigrant health and wellness, and engaging key stakeholders in translating evidence into policy solutions, best practices, and innovative community-centred interventions. In particular, we are implementing the following research initiatives:

• Timely population-based analysis to inform policy and practice: We will engage stakeholders to co-identify and prioritize the needs of distinct immigrant and racialized populations and use the evidence to inform policy solutions and innovative interventions. 
• Advancing social integration and collective flourishing through innovative interventions and policy action: We will translate and disseminate evidence from population-based analyses, and engage affected communities and stakeholders to co-design community-centred trailblazing interventions to advance equity-based multidirectional whole-of-society integration.
• Indigenous perspectives of migration, integration, and reconciliation in health care: We will focus on learning from First Nations, Inuit and Metis perspectives about migrants to unceded and Treaty lands, especially migrant health professionals and apply insights and learning to co-design training on competence care.
• Using Advanced Digital Technology (ADT) to promote access to health services and health equity: We will explore the potential of ADT to enhance the delivery of secured and personalized health services.
• SingWell to promote integration, wellbeing and resilience: We will explore the benefits of group singing as a tool to improve cross-cultural communication, improved health and social wellbeing among immigrants and refugees.