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La majorité des personnes âgées souhaitent vieillir à domicile. À cet effet, le réseau sociotechnologique constitue une ressource clé du « vieillir chez soi »; toutefois, il est fragilisé en vieillissant. Pour le potentialiser, cette thèse explore les possibilités offertes par une banque de temps (BT), un dispositif d’échange de services fondé sur le temps. Pour structurer leurs activités, certaines BT emploient des technologies numériques. Au Québec, le réseau des Accorderies offre une plateforme web d’échange : l’Espace membre. Afin que les personnes âgées l’utilisent et considérant qu’ils ont une compétence numérique généralement inférieure à la population générale, il importe de leur offrir un accompagnement. Cette étude documente comment la participation d’une personne âgée à un programme d’accompagnement à l’utilisation d’une plateforme numérique d’échange permet de potentialiser son réseau de connexions instrumentées (RCI). Cette conceptualisation du réseau sociotechnologique recouvre les individus membres du réseau et les technologies de communication utilisées. L’état du RCI est opérationnalisé suivant trois dimensions : structurelle (taille), fonctionnelle (soutien offert) et qualité. La force multiplexe a aussi été utilisée pour mesurer l’apport d’un membre (humain ou communicationnel) quant au « vieillir chez soi ». L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de documenter le RCI de personnes âgées ayant participé au programme « Accordons-nous ! », consistant en une formation de familiarisation à l’Espace membre et un jumelage avec des accompagnateurs. Nous souhaitons également décrire leur expérience de participation et d’usage de l’Espace membre. Le programme s’est déroulé à l’Accorderie de Sherbrooke, d’octobre 2021 à juin 2022. Au total, 11 participants âgés de 65 ans et plus ont participé. Cette étude exploratoire est structurée par un devis mixte à prédominance qualitative comportant un dispositif avant-après à groupe unique. L’un des principaux consta, Most older adults wish to age in place. To this end, their sociotechnological network constitutes a key resource; however, it becomes fragile with age. To strengthen it, this thesis explores the possibilities offered by a time bank (TB), a service exchange system based on time. In Quebec, the "Réseau des Accorderies" offers a web-based exchange platform: the Member Space. Given that older adult generally have a lower digital competency than the general population, it's important to support them in using this platform. This research documents how the participation of an older adult in a program accompanying the use of a digital service exchange platform enhances their instrumented connections network (ICN). This conceptualization of the sociotechnological network encompasses both the individual members of the network and the communication technologies used. The state of the ICN is operationalized along three dimensions: structural (size), functional (support provided) and quality. Another construct employed is multiplex strength which measure the contribution of a member (human or communicational) to "aging in place". The main objective of this thesis is to document the ICN of older adults who participated in the "Accordons-nous!" program, which consists of a training session to familiarize them with the Member Space and a pairing with support companions. We also aim to describe their experience of participating in the program and using the Member Space. The program took place at the Sherbrooke Accorderie from October 2021 to June 2022. In total, 11 participants aged 65 and over participated. This exploratory study is structured with a mixed-method design predominantly qualitative research and includes a single-group prepost design. One of the main findings is that the reciprocal nature of the exchange was not reflected in the participants' experience, as they faced difficulties in obtaining tangible services (e.g. minor repairs). As for the Member Space, p

Some authors have suggested that eating pleasure is underused to promote healthy eating. However, little is known about the potential of pleasure-oriented messages to lead to healthier food choices. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of pleasure- and health-oriented messages on food choices made from a buffet. One hundred and ninety-eight participants (50% women), unaware of the real objective of the study, were randomized in three groups: 1) pleasure, 2) health, and 3) control. They first completed three 24h food recalls to assess their overall diet quality using the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI; score: 0 to 100). Thereafter, participants came to the research institute and those randomized in the “pleasure” and “health” groups read a leaflet on healthy eating, using either a pleasure or a health orientation respectively. Participants in the control group had no leaflet to read. All participants had subsequently to choose four food items in a buffet offering both healthy and unhealthy foods. Results showed a group by diet quality interaction (p=0.02). Among participants with lower diet quality (C-HEI score below 50), those in the pleasure and health groups were more likely than participants in the control group to choose a healthier main course (prevalence ratios (PR) 1.71, 95% CI 1.12-2.62 and 1.83, 95% CI 1.21-2.77 for the pleasure and health group respectively) and a healthier beverage (PR 1.67, 95% CI 1.02-2.71 and 1.66, 95% CI 1.02-2.72, respectively). No such effect was observed among participants with higher C-HEI scores. In conclusion, our results suggest that in people with sub-optimal dietary habits, pleasure-oriented messages and traditional health messages are both useful to favor healthy main course and beverage choices.

While food and dietary patterns are major determinants of a population’s health, our daily food choices also put pressure on the environment. In that context, providing graphical and comprehensive information is a widely used and potentially promising communication tool to promote healthier and more environmentally sustainable choices when eating out-of-home. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the influence of information about environmental impact and nutritional quality of meal options on consumers’ food choices, consumption and perceptions. A total of 80 men and 80 women were recruited, consisting of students and employees of Université Laval (Quebec City, Canada). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions, with menu information displaying: 1) greenhouse gas emissions scores, 2) nutritional quality scores, 3) eco-efficiency scores or 4) no information (control). Participants had to choose between two meals (i.e., beef burritos or chicken meal) both showing one of the above-mentioned conditions and then consume the chosen meal. Results indicated that nutritional and environmental information had an impact on meal choice. More specifically, participants exposed to such information tended to choose more frequently the meal with the most favorable score for the related condition (p-values < 0.05). However, no impact was observed on the amount of food consumed (p-values > 0.05). These findings suggest that communicating information about environmental impact and nutritional quality of menu items to consumers within institutional settings could be relevant to tackle more sustainable food choices.

The research aimed at examining how liking for foods high in salt and fat and for foods high in sugar are associated with overall diet quality and how these associations differ according to individual characteristics (i.e., sex, age, education, income, nutrition knowledge, and energy reporting status) in French-speaking adults from the Province of Quebec, Canada. As part of the web-based cross-sectional PREDISE study, 1096 men and women completed online questionnaires. The Food Liking Questionnaire assessed reported liking for a variety of salty foods (high in salt and fat) and sweet foods (high in sugar and either high-fat or low-fat) on a scale from 1 to 9. The Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) was computed based on data collected using 24-hour food recalls. Women (vs. men) reported lower liking for salty foods (5.97 ± 1.34 vs. 6.58 ± 1.16, p < 0.0001) and for sweet foods (5.52 ± 1.36 vs. 5.71 ± 1.25, p = 0.015). Multiple linear regressions showed that liking for sweet foods was not associated with C-HEI (B = −0.10, p = 0.78). Given a significant sex interaction in the association between liking for salty foods and C-HEI (p interaction = 0.0218), subsequent analyses were stratified by sex. Multiple linear regressions supported that liking for salty foods was more strongly inversely associated with C-HEI in men (B = −3.37, p < 0.0001) than women (B = −1.46, p = 0.0035). In conclusion, a strong liking for salty foods may interfere with healthy eating, especially in men. Building on these results, future studies should investigate the potential of interventions designed to improve the healthiness of food habits in individuals with strong liking for these foods.

Given that traditional interventions promoting the adoption of a healthy diet are having limited impacts on the population’s food choices and eating behaviours, researchers and health practitioners could explore alternative strategies such as the use of eating pleasure to promote healthy eating. To inform future interventions using this approach, this study aimed to explore how a sample of Quebecers perceives and defines eating pleasure and healthy eating. Specific objectives were to verify what commonalities can be found between their definitions of eating pleasure and healthy eating, and what differences can be observed in their answers based on their gender and body mass index (BMI). Twelve focus groups were conducted in Quebec City, Canada, among women and men with a normal weight and with obesity (n=92). Verbatim transcripts were double-coded using NVivo10. Participants mostly defined eating pleasure through food characteristics related to sensory qualities and psychosocial contexts. In contrast, they mostly mentioned food characteristics related to nutritional quality and ways to regulate eating behaviours to define healthy eating. Most salient perceptions were similar among subgroups based on gender or BMI. Results showed that in participants’ perceptions, the concepts of eating pleasure and healthy eating were different, but appeared to be mostly compatible, which makes the integration of eating pleasure a promising avenue for interventions promoting healthy eating.

Background and aims: The "Life's Simple 7" (LS7) metrics were developed by the American Heart Association (AHA) to assess and promote cardiovascular health in the American population. The purpose of this study was to assess the overall cardiovascular health of French-speaking adults from the Province of Quebec using the LS7 score. Methods and results: A total of 777 age and sex-representative participants of five different administrative regions in the Province of Quebec (387 men and 390 women; mean age ± SEM: 41.9 ± 0.1 years) were included in these analyses. Metrics of the LS7 score (smoking, physical activity, diet, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting total cholesterol and blood glucose) were analysed to generate a final score ranging from 0 to 7. Only 0.5% of participants met all criteria for ideal cardiovascular health. The diet metric showed the lowest prevalence of "ideal" scores (4.8%) whereas not smoking was the metric with the highest prevalence (88.1%). Women had a higher LS7 score than men, while age and education level (negative and positive association, respectively; p < 0.0001) were also associated with the LS7 score. Conclusion: Consistent with studies conducted among other populations, very few French-speaking adults from the Province of Quebec achieve an ideal cardiovascular health. These data indicate that further public health efforts aimed at promoting the LS7 metrics, focusing primarily on diet, are urgently needed. Specific groups, including older adults and those with lower levels of education, should be targeted when developing cardiovascular health promotion interventions.

Background: Occupational therapists who work in hospitals need to assess patients’ home environment in preparation for hospital discharge in order to provide recommendations (eg, technical aids) to support their independence and safety. Home visits increase performance in everyday activities and decrease the risk of falls; however, in some countries, home visits are rarely made prior to hospital discharge due to the cost and time involved. In most cases, occupational therapists rely on an interview with the patient or a caregiver to assess the home. The use of videoconferencing to assess patients’ home environments could be an innovative solution to allow better and more appropriate recommendations. Objective: The aim of this study was (1) to explore the added value of using mobile videoconferencing compared with standard procedure only and (2) to document the clinical feasibility of using mobile videoconferencing to assess patients’ home environments. Methods: Occupational therapists assessed home environments using, first, the standard procedure (interview), and then, videoconferencing (with the help of a family caregiver located in patients’ homes, using an electronic tablet). We used a concurrent mixed methods design. The occupational therapist's responsiveness to telehealth, time spent on assessment, patient’s occupational performance and satisfaction, and major events influencing the variables were collected as quantitative data. The perceptions of occupational therapists and family caregivers regarding the added value of using this method and the nature of changes made to recommendations as a result of the videoconference (if any) were collected as qualitative data, using questionnaires and semistructured interviews. Results: Eight triads (6 occupational therapists, 8 patients, and 8 caregivers) participated. The use of mobile videoconferencing generally led occupational therapists to modify the initial intervention plan (produced after the standard interview

Bread is a highly consumed food and an important source of nutrients in the diet of Canadians, underlining the need to improve its nutritional quality. The Food Quality Observatory (Observatory) aimed to evaluate the nutritional value of the sliced bread products available in Quebec (Canada), according to their grain type and main flour. Analyses included comparing the bread’s sodium content to Health Canada’s daily values (DV) and sodium voluntary targets, comparing the bread’s fibre content thresholds with the source of fibre mentioned, and assessing whether the main flour was associated with the nutrient content. The nutritional values of 294 sliced breads available in Quebec were merged with sales data (from October 2016 to October 2017), with 262 products successfully cross-referenced. The results showed that 64% of the breads purchased were ‘low’ in fibre (i.e., below 2 g per two slices), while 47% were ‘high’ in sodium (i.e., above 15% DV per two slices). Attention should be paid to 100% refined grain bread and to bread with refined flour as the main flour, since they are great sellers, while showing a less favourable nutrient content. This study shows that there is room for improvement in the nutritional content of Quebec’s bread offer, particularly regarding sodium and fibre content.

Background: In Western societies, the acceptability of entomophagy is low despite the sustainable and nutritional benefits of insects. It is recognized that insect meals incorporated in into familiar foods increases willingness to eat insects. Chefs can offer positive culinary insect-based experiences to their customers which can then contribute to increasing the acceptability of entomophagy by consumers. However, little is known about chefs' perceptions of the use of insect-based ingredients. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the reasons why innovative student chefs are willing (or not) to incorporate mealworms meals into their dishes. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 innovative student chefs at the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ). Thematic analysis based on a priori Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Theory was conducted using transcript verbatim. Results: Most participants had a past consumption experience with entomophagy and all of them had a positive attitude toward this practice. The main perceived disadvantages of mealworm meal was the texture (granular and uneven), the odor as well as the low acceptability by consumers. Despite that, student chefs were generally willing to use insect-based ingredients, but they thought that transparency and more opportunities for consumers to try good insect-based dishes are keys to enhancing the acceptability of insect consumption. Conclusion: Understanding perceptions of innovative chefs about the use of insect-based ingredients can help to promote their use in gastronomy and ultimately improve their acceptability by consumers.