Research Publications

Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: A qualitative study. (2025). Curran, Johnson, McCulloch, Lane, Clegg, Wong, Kydd, Keeping-Burke, Standing, Lamtey, McIsaac, Peeters, Cassidy, Staunton, Collins. BMJ Paediatrics Open.

Making numeracy and literacy learning visible in play-based publicly funded programs. (2025). McLean, Cummings, LeBlanc, Briscombe, Mohamed, & McIsaac. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. 

Early childhood professional well-being in Nova Scotia: A latent profile analysis. (2024). Larson & McIsaac. Journal of Early Childhood Research.

‘For me it’s just the conversation.’ responsive feeding influences among early childhood educators. (2024). Levin, McIsaac, Campbell, Dickson, Caldwell, Barich, Rossiter. Public Health Nutr.

Advancing assessment of responsive feeding environments and practices in child care. (2024). Campbell, McIsaac, Young, Dickson, Caldwell, Barich, & Rossiter. Journal of Nutritional Science.

Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families: A mixed-methods study protocol. (2024). Curran, Lane, McCulloch, Keeping-Burke, Johnson, Wong, Cassidy, McIsaac, Lamptey, Clegg, Forbes, Breneol, Sheriko, Best, Burgess, Sinclair, Rose, Standing, Somerville, King, Doucet, Flieger, Lamb, Parsons Leigh, Stewart. PLoS ONE.

CELEBRATE Feeding: A responsive approach to food and feeding in early learning settings. (2024). Rossiter, Young, Dickson, Campbell, Caldwell, McIsaac. Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 

Relationship between childhood disability or developmental delay and COVID-19 pandemic impacts on families across the Canadian Maritime provinces. (2024). Lamptey, McIsaac, MacQuarrie, Cummings, Rossiter, Janus, & Turner. Journal of Child and Family Studies. Infographic Summary.

Mothers, household bubbles and social support during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2023). Humble, McIsaac. Journal of Comparative Family Studies.

Early childhood leisure experiences of African Nova Scotian children: The privilege of risky outdoor play. (2023). Watson, Stirling Cameron, Hickens, Hamilton-Hinch, Pimentel, McIsaac. Leisure/Loisir.

How an early learning and child care program embraced outdoor play: A case study. (2023). Richard, Turner, Stone, McIsaac. Journal of Childhood, Education & Society.

Amplifying the encounters of young Black children with anti-Black racism: An exploration of parents’ and early childhood educators’ perspectives on early learning and child care environments. (2023). Pimentel, McIsaac, Watson, Stirling-Cameron, Hickens, & Hamilton-Hinch. Journal of Childhood Studies. Infographic Summary.

Looking through the lens: A photovoice study examining access to services for newcomer children. (2023). Fakhari, McIsaac, Feicht, Reddington, Brigham, Mandrona, McLean, Harkins & Stirling Cameron. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being.

Child immigrant post-migration mental health: A qualitative inquiry into caregivers’ perspectives. (2023). Fakhari, McIsaac, & Spencer. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies. Infographic Summary.

Anti-Black racism in the early years: The experiences of Black families and early childhood educators in Nova Scotia. (2023). Stirling-Cameron, Hickens, Watson, Hamilton-Hinch, Pimentel, & McIsaac. HPCDP Journal.

Shifting play experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: Family responses to pandemic restrictions. (2023). McIsaac, Cummings, MacQuarrie, Lamptey, Harley, Rossiter, Janus, Turner. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. Infographic Summary.

Lack of publicly available documentation limits spread of integrated care innovations in Canada. (2023). Stewart, Dionne, Urquhart, Oelke, McIsaac, Scott & Haggerty. Healthcare Policy.

Relative importance of well-being determinants in Atlantic Canadian families during the pandemic. (2023). Hill, McIsaac, Janus, Lamptey, Rosssiter & Turner. Inquiry. Infographic Summary.

Responsive feeding environments in child care settings: A scoping review of the factors influencing implementation and sustainability. (2022). McIsaac, MacQuarrie, Barich, Morris, Turner & Rossiter. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health.

Early pandemic impacts on family environments that shape childhood development and health: A Canadian study. (2022). McIsaac, Lamptey, Harley, MacQuarrie, Cummings, Rossiter, Janus, Turner. Child: Care, Health and Development. Infographic summary.

A scoping review of quality in early childhood publicly-funded programs. (2022). McLean, McIsaac, Mooney, Morris, Turner. Early Childhood Education Journal. Infographic summary.

Comparison of responsive feeding practices in child care and home environments in Nova Scotia. (2022). McIsaac, Richard, Turner & Rossiter. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.

Adverse childhood experiences: Early childhood educators awareness and perceived support. (2022). Smith & McIsaac. Healthy Populations Journal.

Responsive feeding values and practices among families across the Canadian Maritime provinces. (2022). Rossiter, Richard, Whitfield, Mann, McIsaac. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.  Infographic summary.

Programmes to support transitions in community care for children with complex care needs: A scoping review. (2022). Breneol, Doucet, McIsaac, Riveroll, Cassidy, Charlton, McCulloch, McKibbon, Luke, Splane, Curran. BMJ Open.

Programmes to support paediatric to adult healthcare transitions for youth with complex care needs and their families: A scoping review. (2022). Doucet, Splane, Luke, Asher, Breneol, Pidduck, Grant, Dionne, Scott, Keeping-Burke, McIsaac, Gorter & Curran. Child Care Health Dev.

The perceived value of a universal early learning program: A parent perspective. (2022). McIsaac, Smith, Turner, McLean, Harkins. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 

Exploring parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ risky outdoor play using a socio-ecological lens. (2022). MacQuarrie, McIsaac, Cawley, Kirk, Kolen, Rehman, Spencer & Stone. (2022). European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. 

Appetite for change? A socio-ecological exploration of facilitators and barriers to implementing provincial nutrition guidelines in Canadian recreation and sports facilities. (2021). Kirk, Olstad, McIsaac, Prowse, Caswell, Hanning, Raine, Mâsse & Naylor. Health Promotion International. 

An environmental scan of existing Canadian child care resources targeting improvements in nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep. (2021). Carson, Predy, Hunter, Storey, Farmer, McIsaac & Flynn. Early Childhood Educ J.

A call for change in the public education system in Nova Scotia. (2021). Hamilton-Hinch, McIsaac, Harkins, Jarvis, LeBlanc. Canadian Journal of Education.

Engaged scholarship partnerships between researchers and public policy decisions-makers: A scoping review. (2020). McIsaac & Riley. Health Research Policy and Systems. 

Drawing Out Their Stories: A scoping review of participatory visual research methods with newcomer children. (2020). Brown, McIsaac, Howard. International Journal of Qualitative Methods.

Newcomer families’ experiences with programs and services to support early childhood development in Canada: A scoping review. (2020). Brown, McIsaac, Reddington, Hill, Brigham, Spencer, Mandrona. Journal of Childhood, Education & Society.

Exploring the foundation for collaborative governance to support early childhood in Nova Scotia. (2020). McIsaac, Kelley, Turner, Kirk. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

Families’ experiences of a universal play-based early childhood program in Nova Scotia: Implications for policy and practice (2020). Carolan, McIsaac, Richard, Turner & Mclean. Journal of Research in Childhood Education.  Infographic summary.

Baseline results from the Eat, Play, Live trial: A randomized controlled trial examining the impact of nutrition policy and capacity building on food environments in recreation and sport facilities. (2020). Olstad, Prowse, Raine, Tomlin, Kirk, McIsaac, Mâsse, Caswell, Hanning & Naylor. Food Policy.

Educator perceptions on the benefits and challenges of loose parts play in the outdoor environments of childcare centres. (2019). Spencer, Joshi, Branje, McIsaac, Cawley, Rehman, Kirk & Stone. AIMS Public Health.

School quality of life: Comparison of Canadian and Israeli elementary school students. (2019). Bar-Haim Erez, Weintraub, Kuhle & McIsaac. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation.

Evaluating an engaged scholarship approach to improve health promotion within the education system. (2019). McIsaac, Riley, Kirk. Management in Education.

Exploring school food environments through youth photo voice. (2019). Spencer, McIsaac, Stewart, Penney, Bruschett, Kirk. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour. 

The association between school nutrition resources, policy adherence and food served. (2019). McIsaac, Penney, Masse, Kirk. National Library of Medicine.

Understanding system-level intervention points to support school food and nutrition policy implementation in Nova Scotia, Canada. (2019). McIsaac, Spencer, Stewart, Penney, Brushett, Kirk. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Voluntary nutrition guidelines to support healthy eating in recreation and sports settings are ineffective: Findings from a prospective study. (2019). McIsaac, Jarvis, Olstad, Naylor, Rehman, Kirk. AIMS Public Health.

Describing food availability in schools using different healthy eating guidelines: Moving forward with simpler nutrition recommendations. (2019). McIsaac, Ata, Kirk. Canadian Journal for Dietetic Practice and Research.

Voluntary nutrition guidelines to support healthy eating in recreation and sports settings are ineffective: Findings from a prospective study. (2018). McIsaac, Jarvis, Olstad, Maylor, Rehman & Kirk. AIMS Public Health.

Factors influencing implementation of nutrition policies in schools: A scoping review. (2018). McIsaac, Spencer, Meisner, Kontak, Kirk. Health Education & Behaviour.

Integrated knowledge translation in school-based population health intervention research. (2018). McIsaac, Penney, Storey, Sigfridson, Cunningham, Kuhle, Kirk. Health Research Policy and Systems.

Moving from policy to practice: A report of school nutrition policy adherence in Nova Scotia. (2018). McIsaac, Kontak, Kirk. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.

Use of resources for health promoting schools in rural Nova Scotia. (2018). McIsaac, Sigfridson, Ohinmaa, Veugelers, Munro-Sigfridson, Kirk, Kuhle. Health Behaviour and Policy Review. 

The application of implementation science theories for population health: A critical interpretive synthesis. (2018). McIsaac, Warner, Lawrence, Warner, Urquhart, Price, Gahagan, McNally, Jackson. AIMS Public Health.

Reproducing or reducing inequity? Considerations for school food programs. (2018). McIsaac, Read, Williams, Raine, Veugelers, Kirk. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.

“A tough sell”: Findings from a qualitative analysis on the provision of healthy foods in recreation and sports settings. (2018). McIsaac, Jarvis, Spencer, Kirk. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada.