Joy Walcott-Francis holds a BSc in International Relations (Major) from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and a MA in Gender and Development Studies from the University of Hull, England. As a PhD Candidate, she situates her work within the larger discourse around cardiovascular health and lifestyle behaviour.  Her interest in the area comes as a result of the growing statistics emanating out of North American and European countries which indicate that black women, a group with which she self-identifies, tend to present with higher risk factors (hypertension & diabetes especially)for the disease than their European counterparts. 

The focus of Joy’s PhD research is on exploring the uptake (and experiences) of physical activity by black women residing in BC.  Physical inactivity among black women, according to studies, is high, accounting for their increased susceptibility to cardiovascular related illnesses. Joy’s contention however, is that because the bulk of the existing research places emphasis on the black “immigrant” woman who is less active, the larger question of the experiences and agency of the women who do participate in physical activity remains unknown, and it is to this smaller group that we must look if healthy lifestyles are to be achieved and maintained by black women.  Joy has recently taught a course on Gender, Health and the Body.  She is involved in a scoping review project entitled “Challenges and Facilitators to Cardiovascular Health in New Immigrants to Developed Countries” funded by SSHRC, and she currently volunteers on the board of the African Women’s Health Services Society.

Study on “Negotiating Physical Activity – African/black immigrant women in Canada tackle Cardiovascular Disease”. 

Do you self-identify as a black woman or a woman of African descent?

Do you reside in Canada?          AND

Are you are currently physically active?

Please contact Joy at jmw19@sfu.ca.  She would love to hear from you!