Inequities in opportunities to participate in regular physical activity (PA), and the health risks associated with insufficient PA, including low self esteem, increased adiposity, low academic performance and the early onset of non-communicable diseases among youth, requires urgent attention. Insufficient PA is higher among rural youth, who are typically excluded in PA related research. Our recent review shows that overall, successful PA interventions for rural youth involve intersectoral collaboration. We propose a series of multisectoral youth engagement workshops to identify and address PA barriers for youth living in northern BC.
This is a community-based project involving 4 collaborative engagement workshops to identify and address barriers to youth PA in northern, rural, and remote BC communities. This strategy will bring together youth, community-based organizations, decision makers and researchers. The project will consist of brainstorming workshops conducted over 12 months aimed at centering youth voices. We will provide opportunities for youth to take leadership roles in developing and promoting PA programs, as well as advocating for policies and initiatives that support their regular PA participation in the community.