Today, many Canadians' diets include processed foods that contain high levels of saturated fats, sugars, and sodium. These unhealthy eating habits are the leading causes of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer conditions that cost the public health system more than $13 billion annually in direct and indirect expenses.
Back row left to right: 3MT® judges Tito-Dante Marimpietri, City of Oshawa councillor, Alan Boughton, Peel Police Service Board member, Jeff Goldman, Tamarac Investment Group, Paul Douglas, Ontario Market Lead, (front) 3MT® winner Salma Bafagih, and 3MT® judge Owen Marshall-Glew, Aecon Nuclear.
Salma Bafagih, a Master of Health Sciences in Community, Public, and Population Health degree candidate in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHSc), has set her sights on understanding Canadians' food literacy in hopes to help them choose healthier options.
Bafagih recently clinched the top spot at Ontario Tech's annual Three Minute Thesis competition with her research presentation titled What's on your plate? Examining predictors of food literacy among Canadian adults.
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®), annually organized by the university's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS), has grad students present their research and its wider impact in three minutes or less to a panel of non-specialist judges. They're challenged to present complex research in an engaging, accessible and compelling way, using only one static slide as a visual prop.
After a preliminary round on March 19, the field of competitors was narrowed to six for the March 20 final round and awards presentation.
When Bafagih started her fourth-year undergraduate research practicum supervised by Dr. JoAnne Arcand, Associate Professor, FHSc, she knew she was interested in nutrition research. The topic of food literacy grabbed her interest after seeing family members grapple with their own health and dietary decisions.
"People think that they don't have to change their behaviour or change the way they eat because they don't notice any overt health conditions, but having a better diet is one of the most effective ways preserve your health," Bafagih says.
An individual's dietary choices are largely influenced by their food literacy. Bafagih decided to explore predictors of food literacy within the general population, which has never been done on a national level.
Bafagih's thesis impressed the judges and earned her a victory that advances her to the provincial 3MT competition at the University of Toronto on Wednesday, May 14.
"I said it on the first day to all my peers: Thank goodness I'm not a judge,' because everyone did a phenomenal job. The research was all so novel, so inspirational. I saw so many people give such engaging talks," Bafagih says, adding that she chose to see the experience as a fun learning opportunity. "I had to stop myself from thinking about it as a competition because my stomach started doing flips."
She plans to take that same approach with her to the provincial 3MT competition.
"I'm really excited to go to provincials," Bafagih says. "Once again, I'm going to meet so many new people and learn about more amazing research."
This year's 3MT® was generously sponsored by belairdirect.
2025 Ontario Tech University 3MT® finalists
- Salma Bafagih *, Master of Health Sciences (Community, Public and Population Health) candidate: What's on your plate? Examining predictors of food literacy among Canadian adults
- Spencer Hang***, Master of Science (Applied Bioscience) candidate: How nuclear generators affect the building blocks of life in fish.
- Alicia Kollaard, Master of Health Sciences (Kinesiology) candidate: Cardiovascular and immune responses to prolonged and interrupted sitting
- Varvara Ninowsky**, Master of Science (Forensic Psychology) candidate: Ties that bind: Social closeness and eEmpathy in individuals with psychopathic traits
- Aliyat Olatinwo, Master of Health Sciences (Kinesiology) candidate: Turning voices into choices: Shaping age-friendly programs for Durham
- Gillian Slade, Master of Health Sciences (Kinesiology) candidate: The sweet spot: Investigating cycle time on shoulder fatigue during fixed overhead workload
* First place ($1,000 and the opportunity to represent the university at the provincial competition)
** Second place ($500)
*** People's Choice winner (as selected by the audience, $250)
