Projects within this area have advanced the conceptual rationale for multi-service hubs and offered evidence of how and where they can be effective. Projects have
- Underscored a view of health as multiply- and often over-determined by proximal and distal factors
- Illustrated how cluster analysis of research findings about the ecological embeddedness of focal health problems facing a particular population of children (e.g., Indigenous children) can help to identify a select number of determinants that must be targeted in order to promote health and prevent chronic disease
- Shown that efforts to intervene before the problems have become entrenched or clinically irreversible would, of necessity, need to reach back into the period of early childhood development (including the prenatal period). Health antecedents can be placed meaningfully on trajectories that trace back to the period of early childhood.
- Identified key components of a 'complete' set of programs that would address the clusters of determinants that over-determine the emergence of a constellation of health issues in a particular population (e.g., Indigenous children)
- Set out parameters for integrated and intersectoral strategies for health promotion and chronic disease prevention within First Nations and Inuit contexts
- Discussed promising practices and models, highlighting key components for successful implementation.
In one project, conducted by Dr. Ken Moselle and Jessica Ball for the Healthy Child Development Program of Health Canada, it was found that many of the proximal factors affecting key health issues for Indigenous children could be addressed in existing programs, but these programs need to be integrated and coordinated. Analysis of the objectives, essential components, and service recipients of existing programs for children and families can overlapping program targets, service recipients, and professional roles, pointing to where integration might be achieved.