Abstract

Canada is a highly industrialized multicultural society with nearly 22 percent of its population made up of foreign-born individuals coming through the immigration process. Recent immigrants tend to experience a decline in their health status over time as their years in Canada increase. This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors, including reduced leisure time, changing active lifestyle, and adaptation to the new sociocultural environment. While a great deal of research has focused on children, there is paucity of research in this area among West Africans in Canada. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the facilitators and barriers of active living among recently immigrated West African children living in Saskatchewan. Using purposive sampling, thirty-one interviews were conducted with children and their parents separately to reduce social desirability bias. Children between 10 and 17 years were interviewed in each family. A grounded theory methodological approach involving a constant comparative analytical process was utilized. The families identified some sociocultural facilitators and barriers to physical activity for their children. The facilitators included having an enabling environment in close proximity, parental role modeling, peer influence, and school influence. The barriers reported included the Saskatchewan weather, the neighborhood environment, societal norms such as bullying and discrimination, competing priorities for the parents, financial constraints, and the children’s passive screen time. This study provides expanded understandings of physical activity among West African immigrant children, which has policy implications for active living in Canada. Physical activity appeared to take a secondary position in the lives of these families and could be significantly improved by reinforcing the facilitators and addressing the identified barriers.