Welcome

Abstract

Welcome from the Co-Editors-in-Chief

We are so pleased to welcome readers to volume 4, issue 3 of the Healthy Populations Journal (HPJ). HPJ is a student-run, open-access, peer-reviewed journal nestled within the Healthy Populations Institute at Dalhousie University. Our focus is to highlight student-led population health research and support new authors in the academic publishing process. Since our inaugural issue in the spring of 2021, we have published 13 issues and continue to grow. Submissions from students locally, nationally, and internationally continue to demonstrate the need for student-led and student-focused peer-reviewed journals that disseminate diverse, creative, and interdisciplinary knowledge.

The cover of this issue features photography by one of HPJ’s founders and outgoing Co-Editor in Chief, Christie Stilwell. As Christie formally steps down from her role, the HPJ would like to acknowledge her leadership and support as an invaluable asset in ensuring the growth of HPJ. On her departure, Christie offers us a juxtaposition of the new and old as inspiration for repurposing what we outgrow and challenging the status-quo in an effort to live more sustainably.

Articles in this issue cover timely, interesting, and important topics such as the value of community-based doula training to support Black maternal health (Ottley), how play-based programs for autistic children and youth are perceived by their caregivers (So), and the factors that influence mental health literacy in Canada (Hill). Student perspectives are highlighted in a study that explores the relationship between student employment status and capacity to meet 24-hour movement guidelines for health and well-being (Shivgulam) and student perceptions and awareness of social prescribing in post-secondary settings (Smoke). The issue wraps up with a review protocol that aims to summarize literature on the feasibility and benefits of exercise programs in individuals living with a brain cancer diagnosis (Langley). We extend our appreciation to these authors and the reviewers who supported this work, bringing it forward to another exciting issue.

HPJ would not be possible without support from the Healthy Populations Institute and the guidance from the HPJ Editorial Board Members. We look forward to this period of transition into longer-term planning and restructuring. Stay tuned for more and, on behalf of the board, I extend a most heartfelt thank you to Christie for all her work, support, and leadership on HPJ.

We truly hope you enjoy reading volume 4, issue 3.

   

ivan beck

Christie Stilwell

PhD in Health Candidate,

Dalhousie University

PhD in Health Candidate,

Dalhousie University

Co-Editor-in-Chief, HPJ

Co-Editor-in-Chief, HPJ