Bio:

Tebogo Leepile, or “Tebby,” a Botswana native, is completing her Ph.D. in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Tebby’s work broadly focuses on understanding and leveraging the intersections between food environments and the social determinants of health, particularly among the marginalized, less privileged, and underserved populations. For her Ph.D., she evaluated the household food security and nutritional status of Indigenous San women and children in rural Botswana. Prior to her Ph.D., she completed her MSc in Human Life and Environmental Sciences at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan. 

Project Summary:

Non-communicable diseases are a persisting public health concern globally. Time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting, has gained popularity recently, particularly in high-income countries, as a promising weight management tool with multiple other health benefits for chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. Time-restricted eating, however, is not an entirely novel idea; it is a historical practice among various Indigenous people globally. This comparison study, therefore, aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of time-based food consumption patterns among rural and urban-based Indigenous San people of Botswana and the First Nations in Canada. Different participatory techniques will be used for data collection; discrete choice experiment, focus group discussions, and questionnaires. Among others, we hope to collaborate with the San Research Centre at the University of Botswana, Letloa Trust, First Nations Health Authority, and the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health at the University of British Columbia.