Quality of Life
The main focus of this theme is to explore the vulnerability and impact of social determinants of health on older adults' quality of life
PROANE
Program of Research on Older Adults and Nursing Education
Equity-deserving Populations, Healthy Aging, Community Connection, and Nursing Education.
Dr. Vivian Afrah Puplampu
Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina
About PROANE
Program of Research on Older Adults and Nursing Education
Program of Research on Older Adults and Nursing Education (PROANE) is a program of research encompassing clusters of research on older adult populations and nursing education. Dr. Vivian Puplampu, a registered nurse and gerontological nurse, started the program in 2016 with a project on the quality of life of older adults living in a cohousing environment in Saskatchewan. Over the years, she has developed a passion for research exploring social connections and social belongingness among older adults, including Black and other racialized older adults, in Canada and internationally, including countries such as Ghana, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
As a Black academic, Dr. Vivian Puplampu has been conducting research on Black undergraduate nursing students and Black faculty members’ experiences in Canadian academia. The fundamental goal of the research projects is to address inequity in society and give voice to marginalized populations such as older adults, older racialized adults, Black students and faculty members in post-secondary institutions in Canada and beyond. The interest in fair treatment of everyone extends to advocacy for all individuals irrespective of their racial background in her teaching, research, and community service.
PROANE is a program of research that aims to promote the quality of life of the population and makes a difference in people’s lives through research, community engagement, teaching and learning.
Team Members
This program of research is supported by the contributions of research team members, community partners, older adults, nursing students, faculty members, research associates, trainees, and staff. Below are our current team members on the racialized immigrants’ older adults’ social connectedness and belongingness Saskatchewan and Alberta project:
- Vivian A. Puplampu (PhD) - PI and Lead Researcher
- Jordana Salma (PhD) – Co-PI
- Festus Y. Moasun (PhD) - Co-PI
- Juliet O. Bushi (PhD) - Co-PI
- Florence L. Luhanga (PhD) - Co-PI
- Anahit Falihi (PhD) – Co-PI
- Christina Nsaliwa (PhD) - Co-PI
- Joseph Osuji (PhD) - Co-PI
- Bukola O. Salami (PhD) - Co-PI
Acknowledgements
Dr. Puplampu acknowledges the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grant for supporting the website development.
She also acknowledges the research teams, partner organizations, community members, students, and faculty members who collaborate across PROANE projects.
Dr. Vivian Afrah Puplampu — Curriculum Vitae
The CV gives more detail for visitors who want Dr. Puplampu’s full academic background.
Research themes
PROANE centers aging, equity-deserving populations, social connection, belongingness, and nursing education.
PROANE is a program of research that centers on older adults, including Black and other racialized older adults, Black nursing students and faculty members, social connection, and belongingness in Canada and beyond.
Social Capital
Promoting Black older adults’ social resources to increase the support available to this population.
Social Connectedness
Expanding racialized older adults’ networks, meaningful connections, and sense of belonging in Canada.
Safe Learning Environment
Research supporting learners’ and educators’ co-creation of knowledge, promoting a safe learning environment, and addressing racism in academia.
Research program
Selected funded and ongoing projects
Dr. Puplampu works with academic research teams, partner organizations, community members, students, and faculty members. Her projects focus on older adults, Black and other racialized populations, immigrants and refugee communities, Black nursing students and faculty members. A central goal in her research is improving quality of life for older adults, Black nursing students and faculty members, and other populations in academia.
Ongoing projects
- Older adults experience of vulnerability and inequality in Recovering from the pandemic.
- The impacts of the environment on racialized immigrant older adults’ social connectedness in Canada.
Projects completed
Select a project title to read its summary and outputs.
The Impact of Cohousing Community on Older Adults’ Quality of Life.
Puplampu, V. A. (PI), Mathews, E., Gross, M., & Puplampu, G. This project was funded by the offices of the Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and the Vice President of Research, University of Regina.
A mixed methods approach involving a survey, individual interviews, and focus groups collected data from 23 older adults residing in a cohousing community in Saskatoon in 2018. Findings showed very high quality of life in all domains assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF instrument: environment, physical, psychological, and social. Qualitative findings showed that cohousing enhanced older adults’ sense of belongingness and access to support from non-familial community members.
Two articles have been published: one in the Canadian Journal on Aging (2020) and one in the Journal of Housing for the Elderly.
Older Adults’ Living Environments: Do They Promote Healthy Aging During a Pandemic?
Puplampu, V. A. (PI). Funded by the University of Regina Humanities Research Institute, this project focused on healthy aging in place during the pandemic. Healthy aging in place means having the health and support to live in one’s home and community for as long as one wishes.
A qualitative exploratory descriptive design explored the experiences of 19 older adults recruited from three living environments in Saskatchewan: assisted living settings, private homes, and a cohousing building. Most participants felt safe in their current residence. Participants in assisted living expressed the greatest satisfaction with feeling safe because of the guidelines put in place.
Outputs include one article in the University of Regina Discourse Journal; one article in Perspectives: Journal of the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association; an interactive video publicly available on Vimeo; and a presentation at the Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association conference in April 2022.
Black older adults’ social capital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Puplampu, V. A. (PI), White, J., Oba, F., & Weeks, L. Strengthening the Social Capital of Older Black Adults in Canada in the Era of COVID-19 was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Engagement Grant.
The study aimed to identify culturally relevant programs to meet racialized older adults’ needs, contribute to knowledge about racialized older adults in Canada, and provide research outputs to older adult organizations, settlement agencies, and policymakers to support integration and inclusion.
Participatory action research gathered data through individual interviews, focus groups, and a community workshop with 22 older Black adults and four community organization staff. Older Black adults described their pandemic experience as normal, although they were lonely and had difficulty using technology to connect. Agency staff reported that the move to online services made the pandemic challenging for their clients, including older Black adults, because of changes in available support.
Outputs include two articles: an integrated review in the Journal of Canadian Ethnic Studies Association and project findings in Perspectives: Journal of the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association. An animated video was also created to disseminate the findings and is available through Google Drive.
Social Hub Club for Older Adults of People of African Descents and Friends.
The People of African Descent Seniors’ Association (PADSA). As a Black Canadian and geriatric nurse, Dr. Puplampu is passionate about advancing care and research for older adults of African descent, a population sparsely represented in Canadian literature.
In 2023, the research team, in partnership with the Saskatoon Council on Aging (SCOA), received $25,000 through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) to start a social hub club. It connected older adults of African descent with Saskatchewan’s mainstream community and older adult organizations to enhance social inclusion and wellbeing.
The research is complete, and PADSA was formed. Qualitative data gathered from five participants at the end of the project have been transcribed. Findings were presented at the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association (CGNA) conference in 2025, and a manuscript is being prepared for publication. A video demonstrates how the project connected Black older adults with older adults in Saskatchewan and is available in the Resources section.
As a co-founder of PADSA, Dr. Puplampu hopes to see the association grow to advocate for older Black adults and increase their visibility in the province and beyond.
Black faculty members’ experiences in academia in Canada.
Puplampu, V. A. (PI), & Luhanga, F. L. (University of Regina, Nursing). The Experience of Black Faculty Members in Academia addresses the limited literature on Black faculty members in Canadian postsecondary institutions. As a Black faculty member, Dr. Puplampu sought to learn from colleagues’ experiences, explore mutual support, and identify how to seek help from the academic community.
A qualitative descriptive design guided interviews with five Black faculty members at the University of Regina. Participants shared experiences of working hard to secure their positions, underrepresentation of Black academics, microaggressions, underestimation of their abilities, and questioning of their credibility.
Findings have been presented to the Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina. An article was published in Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal to contribute to the literature on Black faculty members’ experiences. A book chapter has been accepted in Blackademia: Professoring While Black, to be published by University of Regina Press in Fall 2027.
Projects collaborated on
- Nursing Students’ Experiences of Bullying During Clinical Practice.
- Revealing Black undergraduate nursing students’ experiences in Saskatchewan.
- COVID-19 & Cohousing Partnership Engage Study: COPES.
- Recruitment and Retention of Black Students in Nursing Programs in Saskatchewan.
Awarded grants
- SSHRC Partnership Development Grant — website development and partnership research on housing, community, and social connectedness.
- Government of Canada New Horizons for Seniors Program — Social Hub Club for Older Adults of People of African Descents and Friends.
- SSHRC Insight Grant — research on Black undergraduate nursing students’ experiences in Saskatchewan.
- SSHRC Partnership Engagement Grant — Strengthening the Social Capital of Older Black Adults in Canada in the Era of COVID-19.
- University of Regina research funding — Older Adults’ Experience of Vulnerability and Inequality in Recovering from the Pandemic.
Resources
Videos and publications
These resources share Dr. Puplampu’s work with older adults, communities, social connection, health, and nursing education.
Videos
One video highlights the Social Hub Club for Older Adults of African Descents and their Friends. The other focuses on immigrant and refugee older adults in Canada.
Social Hub club for Older Adults of African Descents and their Friends
Racialized Immigrant and Refugee Older Adults in Canada
Selected publications and contributions
This list includes more of Dr. Puplampu’s publications on aging, social connection, health, and nursing education.
- Luhanga, F.L., Essien, D., Matebekwane, K. A., Maposa, S., Puplampu, V., Abudu, F. O., Ansah, A., Garvey, C., Jefferies, K., & Salami, O. (2026). The impact of anti-Black racism on Black undergraduate nursing students in Canada. Nursing Inquiry, 33, e70110.
- Puplampu, V.A., Ho, A.H.Y., Kazi, M., Baffour-Awuah, A., Dalidowicz, M., Bushi, J., Salma, J., Osuji, J., Moasun, F.Y., Chipanshi, M., Luhanga, F., Falihi, A., Nsaliwa, C., Pierson, J., Mambu, L.M., & Salami, B.A. (2026). Scoping review on the impact of the environment on racialized immigrant older adults’ social connectedness and sense of belonging. Journal of Aging Research.
- Anim-Larbi, M., Puplampu, V., Maposa, S., & Mahani, A. (2025). A scoping review protocol on childhood immunization reminder strategies available to parents in Canada and the United States of America. PLoS One, 20(5), 1–11.
- Puplampu, V. A., Pierson, J., Oba, F., Weeks, L., Gawdun, J., & White, J. (2024). Older Black adults’ social capital during COVID-19 and its impact on mental wellbeing. Perspectives Journal, 45(1).
- Puplampu, V.A., Luhanga, F.L., & Baffour-Awuah, A. (2023). The experience of Black faculty members in academia. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 55(2), 51–71.
- Puplampu, V. A., Silversides, H. P., & Phillips, K. (2023). A scoping review on older adults from Africa social connectedness experiences in North America. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 38(2), 115–135.
- Luhanga, F.L., Maposa, S., Puplampu, V. A., & Abudu, E. (2023). Challenges for Black undergraduate nursing students in a Western Canadian province. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 55(4), 457–471.
- Luhanga, F.L., Maposa, S., Puplampu, V. A., Abudu, E., & Chigbogu, I. (2023). Experiences of Black nursing students in a western Canadian province. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 20(1).
- Bigonnesse, C., Weeks, L., Puplampu, V., Paris, M., Dupuis-Blanchard, S., McInnis-Perry, G., & Hache-Chiasson, A. (2022). Influence of cohousing communities on social determinants of health in later life: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis.
- Pierson, J., Puplampu, V. A., & White, J. (2022). The history of Black people in Canada and the intersection of policies on their settlement. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 54(2), 47–65.
- Puplampu, V.A., Baffour-Awuah, A., Benson, P.M., & Adams, L. (2022). The impact of older adults’ living environment on their healthy aging in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perspective, 43(1), 17–27.
- Weeks, L.E., Bigonnesse, C., Rupasinghe, V., Hache-Chiasson, A., Dupuis-Blanchard, S., Harman, K., McInnis-Perry, G., Paris, M., Puplampu, V.A., & Critchlow, M. (2022). Experiences of older adults living in Canadian cohousing communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Aging and Environment.
- Baliko, K., & Puplampu, V. A. (2021). Aging in the age of COVID. Discourse Research Magazine.
- Matthews, E., Puplampu, V. A., & Gelech, J. (2021). Tactics and strategies of adaptation among parents caring for children with developmental disabilities. Global Qualitative Nursing Research.
- Luhanga, L. F., Puplampu, V. A., Arvidson, S., & Ogunade, A. (2020). Nursing students’ experiences of bullying in clinical practice. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 10(3), 89–97.
- Puplampu, V. A., Peters, S., & Chipanshi, M. (2020). A scoping review on the impact of cohousing on older adults’ quality of life. Perspectives: The Journal of the Gerontological Nursing Association, 41(2), 14–27.
- Puplampu, V.A. (2020). Older adults and their caregivers’ self-management of COPD post COVID-19: A literature review. Australian Journal of Nursing Research.
- Puplampu, V. A., Matthews, E., Puplampu, G., Gross, M., Pathak, S., & Peters, S. (2020). The impact of cohousing on older adults’ quality of life. Canadian Journal on Aging, 39(3), 1–15.
- Puplampu, V. A. (2019). Forming and living in a seniors’ cohousing: The impact on older adults’ healthy aging in place. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 34(3), 1–18.
- Puplampu, V. A. (2017). Nursing students’ and faculty members’ experiences of comfort during transition to context-based learning. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 14(1), 1–11.
- Puplampu, V. A., & Ross, C. (2017). Nursing faculty and student transition to a context-based learning curriculum. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(7), 54–65.
- Darkwah (now Puplampu), V. A., Yamane, H., Richter, S., Caine, V., Maina, G., et al. (2012). A systematic review on the intersection of homelessness and healthcare in Canada. Journal of Nursing & Care, 1(5), 1–5.
- Darkwah, V. A., Ross, C., Williams, B., & Madill, H. (2011). Undergraduate nursing students’ self-efficacy in patient education in a context-based learning program. Journal of Nursing Education, 50(10), 579–582.
Credentials & mentorship
Academic leadership, older adult nursing, and student support.
PhD, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
Master of Nursing, Teaching and Learning, University of Alberta
Certified Gerontological Nurse, Canadian Nurses Association
Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina
Dr. Puplampu supports graduate and undergraduate students, mentors student researchers, reviews academic work, and contributes to older adult, nursing, and community organizations.
Partnerships
Community partnerships
The People of African Descent Seniors Association (PADSA)
Visit PADSAShe is also a co-founder and board member of the People of African Descent Seniors Association (PADSA) in Saskatchewan.
- Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (EISA)
- Saskatoon Council on Aging (SCOA)
- Saskatoon Open Door Society (SODS)
- Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM)
Contact
Connect with Dr. Vivian Puplampu
Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina — Saskatoon Campus
Disclaimer
Website information and permissions
The information on this website is provided for general informational and educational purposes. It is not intended to be a complete or definitive source on the topics presented.
Please contact Dr. Vivian Puplampu before reproducing, adapting, or using website content, images, or research materials from this site.