Profile
Elizabeth Onyango is an Assistant Professor of Healthy and Sustainable Communities in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. She is a critical interdisciplinary and community-based health researcher with interests in explorative studies of what matters to populations, food security and nutrition, as well as social inequalities in the health and wellbeing of migrants. Her work also extends into intersections of gender, gender-based violence, household food security and associated health outcomes in minority populations. Elizabeth has published extensively on these topics.
Outputs Show only Author
Title
Category
Date
Authors
Projects
The food (in)security and mental health nexus in high-risk immigrant populations in middle- and high-income countries: A scoping review TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Publication 2025-01-01 TRS1 1.2 Exploring neighborhood transformations and community gardens to meet the cultural food needs of immigrants and refugees: A scoping review TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Publication 2025-01-01 TRS3 1.3 Food security and mental health nexus: The experiences of high-risk immigrant youth in Canada TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta, Toronto Metropolitan University, University of British Columbia Conference 2025-05-08 Odhiambo, S. ,
Akateh, D. ,
Wong, J. ,
Yohani, S. ,
Saewyc, E. ,
Onyango, E. TRS1 1.2 Growing roots: the role of collective community gardening in cultural food insecurity and social integration of African immigrants in Alberta, Canada In western countries such as Canada, immigrants are experiencing cultural food insecurity - that is the inability to acquire, afford, and access one' ethnic foods and community gardens have emerged as potential area for addressing cultural food insecurity. However, limited knowledge exists on the role of collective community gardens in addressing the cultural food needs of immigrant communities. We conducted a community-based participatory research (CBPR) informed by an Afrocentric lens using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Data collection involved an online survey (n = 119) which was co-developed and co-administered with our community partners- Sinkunia Community Development Organization (SCDO). Semi-structured, in-depth interviews (IDI) were also conducted with purposefully sampled participants (n = 10) to obtain nuanced narratives. This study included Black identifying African immigrants from sub-Saharan countries. High prevalence of food insecurity (75.6%) was observed in the survey participants, higher than the general Canadian household prevalence rate. Participants recalled experiencing food insecurity ranging from mild (39.5%) to moderate (26.1%) and severe (10.1%) food insecurity. High prevalence of cultural food insecurity (80.7%) was also observed with most participants reporting some level of deprivation of cultural foods. However, participants demonstrated resilience and adaptability in maintaining their cultural food-ways amid these challenges. Collective community gardens allowed immigrant communities to: (a) cultivate connections through food production ('seeds of sovereignty'); (b) build intergenerational bridges ('seeds of identity'); (c) grow together across generations; and (d) grow strong to embody health and wellbeing. The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence on the embodied benefits of community gardens for food security and social place-making of immigrant populations. High interest and engagement in gardening activities in the population suggests potential for expansion of community-led initiatives to support social and cultural integration of immigrant. This is important to Alberta's and to Canada's current and future sustainable economic and social growth.TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Publication 2025-07-02 TRS3 1.3 Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement in Collective Gardening Among Black African Immigrants in Alberta, Canada Background: Community gardens are increasingly popular in Canadian cities, serving as transformative spaces where immigrants can develop self-reliant strategies for accessing culturally familiar and healthy nutritious foods. However, numerous facilitators and barriers exist that limit the engagement of racialized groups such as Black-identifying immigrants. Using a socio-ecological framework, this research explores barriers and facilitators of engagement of Black African immigrants in collective community gardening in Alberta, Canada. Methods: The study adopted a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach using mixed methods. Data collection included structured surveys (n = 119) to assess general engagement, facilitators, and barriers; in-depth interviews (n = 10) to explore lived experiences; and Afrocentric sharing circles (n = 2) to probe collective perspectives in relation to engagement in collective gardening. Participants were purposefully recruited through community networks within African immigrant-serving community organizations. Results: Our findings revealed how barriers at various levels of the socio-ecological model (SEM) interact to shape the interest and engagement of African immigrants in collective community gardening. Access to collective gardens was associated with significant benefits, including maintaining healthy foodways, knowledge exchange, growing social capital, and community connections that support overall wellbeing. Conclusions: This study contributes an accessible framework for understanding and addressing the complex barriers that limit engagement in community gardens for vulnerable communities, while highlighting opportunities for creating more inclusive and culturally responsive urban agriculture initiatives.TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Publication 2025-05-16 TRS3 1.3 Cultural relevance of food security initiatives and the associated impacts on the cultural identity of immigrants in Canada: A scoping review of food insecurity literature TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Publication 2025-05-01 Onyango, E. , Keji Mori, Stephanie Fernandez, Bahareh Seyyedin, Nkechinyere Chinedu-Asogwa, Dayirai Kapfunde
TRS1 1.2 27th Biennial CESA Conference TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Conference 2024-11-14 TRS1 1.2 "A Talk about Gender-Based and Intersectional Violence: Stories of Hope for a Gender Equal World" TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Event 2024-03-08 TRS3 1.3 Anti-Oppression Workshops TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Event 2024-03-15 TRS3 1.3 “A Taste of Home”: Growing a sense of belonging through innovative community gardening for African immigrants in Alberta, Canada TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Grant 2025-07-09 TRS3 1.3 Community-Based Participatory Action Research to Improve Breast Cancer Screening for Black Women in Alberta TRS1 1.3 University of Alberta Grant 2025-01-01 TRS1 1.3 Co-designing Roadmaps for Promoting Culturally Relevant Food in Long-Term Care Homes TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Grant 2025-01-01 TRS1 1.2 Optimizing Health Data Infrastructure to Support Refugee Health in Alberta TRS1 1.3 University of Alberta Grant 2025-11-24 TRS1 1.3 Engagement of African Immigrants in Municipal and Community Initiatives to Address Food Insecurity in Alberta, Canada TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Grant 2023-06-01 TRS1 1.2 Endowment Fund for the Future: : Support for the Advancement of Scholarship (EFF-SAS) TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Award 2024-09-16 TRS1 1.2 Cultivating Wellbeing: The Influence of Community Gardens on the Mental Health and Cultural Preservation among Afro-diasporic communities in Edmonton, Alberta Canada TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Research Activity 2025-07-01 TRS1 1.2 Cultivating Wellbeing: The Influence of Community Gardens on the Mental Health and Cultural Preservation among Afro-diasporic communities in Edmonton, Alberta Canada TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Research Activity 2025-11-29 TRS1 1.2 Sinkunia Community Development Organization Collaborated with the organization to conduct qualitative research phase of the project - collage, photo elicitation, and FGDs to determine the ideal community garden that is mentally restorative and that allows for knowledge exchangeTRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Partnership 2025-07-01 TRS1 1.2 American Anthropological Association TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Conference 2025-11-21 TRS1 1.2 American Anthropological Association TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Conference 2025-11-21 TRS1 1.2 Canadian Coalition for Global Health TRS1 1.2 University of Alberta Conference 2025-10-25 TRS1 1.2 Mental Health Equity Through Collaborative Discovery & Collective Action: A Collaborative Learning and Training Symposium TRS1 1.2, TRS1 1.3 Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Alberta Conference 2025-10-18 TRS1 1.2, TRS1 1.3 A Taste of Home': Growing a sense of belonging through innovative community gardening for African immigrants in Alberta, Canada TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Award 2025-04-01 TRS3 1.3 Co-designing roadmaps for promoting culturally relevant food in long-term care homes in partnership with community food programs to address modifiable risk factors for poor health in the African, Caribbean, and Black population in Canada TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Award 2025-12-05 TRS3 1.3 Collective Community Gardening for Food Security and Integration of African Immigrants in Edmonton, Alberta TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Conference 2025-12-08 TRS3 1.3 Neighbourhood-based community gardens and food security TRS3 1.3 University of Alberta Research Activity 2025-09-26 TRS3 1.3
YouTube
