Evidence Network

In the fight for kids’ attention, parents don’t stand a chance

New study shows Canadian kids see more than 25 million online food and beverage ads a year — mostly for junk food A version of this commentary appeared in Policy Options, the Hamilton Spectator and the Waterloo Region Record Dear Parents, I’m writing you because you may be in the dark about the amount of unhealthy […]

Inner city children’s vision is being left behind

We can remember many of them, leaning forward, almost off their tiny kindergarten-sized chairs, squinting with one eye to try and make out a rather large ‘H’ or ‘O’ on a chart across the room. We saw them try to cheat by uncovering their other eye or slyly turning their head to one side.

How can Canada reduce the number of children in care?

There are approximately 30,000 foster kids in Canada. Manitoba has the highest rates in Canada, with 10,000 kids in care. Canada does not have a national strategy for the provision of child protection services and does not keep reliable national statistics on kids in care, making it difficult to fully grasp the problem, says Dr. […]

What I learned as a medical student working with low-income families in Toronto

As a medical student taking part in a Social Paediatrics course at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), I was recently immersed in the lives and healthcare needs of low-income families in Toronto. This experience reshaped the lens through which I now view healthcare and helped me recognize that societal factors greatly influence the emotional and physical wellbeing of children and their families.