How a community-led health program with Japanese roots is helping Winnipeggers
A community-led health program running for decades is looking into why it's effective at helping people stay healthy.
It's called Hans Kai, which translates to 'group meeting' in Japanese.
The program brings neighbours together to learn about wellness and the importance of staying connected long after their education on health is done.
"Instead of going to the doctor and saying, 'oh yeah, you have to eat more of this, or you have to be more active,' it's letting you determine what's important to you, setting your own goals and doing that with the support of a group that's in a similar kind of situation," said Michelle Kirkbride, the community development coordinator at Norwest Community Co-op.
She explained the idea for Hans Kai came from a community health trip to Japan taken by a NorWest director.
Hans Kai starts with a nine-session health school on different wellness pillars like diet, social supports and access to services.
Afterwards, the group stays together, makes its own agenda, and meets up once or twice a month.
The program has been running in Winnipeg for more than a decade, and early research shows Hans kai helps especially with mental health.
"We want to know why the program works, not just does it work," said Kirkbride.
"Investigating participants' experiences is going to tell us how the program works, what are the mechanisms that make the program work," said Margherita Cameranesi, a clinical psychologist & MITACS postdoctoral fellow at the University of Manitoba.
She is running a randomized clinical trial on what makes Hans Kai effective.
Participants are followed for two years. Their physical and mental health are measured. There are also interviews and focus groups at different points along the way.
"So instead of being like, okay, what are the things you're struggling the most with -- now it's like okay, what was your experience in the past six months that you were in the program?" Cameranesi explained.
Hans Kai participant Myrna Evaristo knows about being active. The Zumba instructor has been teaching classes for years at the NorWest Community Co-op.
She later joined Hans Kai, the program she was teaching, because she herself was interested in more ways to be healthy.
"Before attending the Hans Kai program, I [didn't] know about eating healthy," she said.
It's nearly been four years since joining a group and they still meet regularly, and each time they do, they measure their blood sugar and blood pressure.
Evaristo, who is prone to diabetes, says her biggest change since joining Hans Kai is eating less sugar.
"I love to eat sweets but now its in moderation," said Evaristo.
She added she's also fostered new friendships and a support network to help stay healthy.
Kirkbride said NorWest Community Co-op holds the Canadian patent to the Hans Kai program.
It's trained people across Canada, except Newfoundland and PEI, and in the U.S. to deliver it.
The next step is taking it internationally to Kenya.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.