Francine Darroch ( She/Her )

Associate Professor

• MEd (Providence College), MPH (University of Waterloo), PhD (University of Ottawa)
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Primary field of Specialization:

Community-Based Participatory Research, Social and Cultural Determinants of Health, Gender and Health

Research Interests:

Dr. Francine Darroch is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Carleton University. She is an interdisciplinary researcher with expertise in qualitative health research, public health, inequities in pregnancy and physical activity, maternal health, and the intersections of racism, gender-based violence, substance abuse, trauma, and structural violence. As founder of the Health and Wellness Equity Research Group at Carleton University, Dr. Darroch leads feminist participatory action research that focuses on leveraging physical activity to improve the quality of life of self-identified women and their families. Her current work aims to address inequities in physical activity for pregnant and parenting individuals and families through trauma- and violence-informed approaches to physical activity. While Dr. Darroch’s research is predominantly focused on self-identified women and children, her work also extends to exploring and advocating for gender-sensitive programming for fathers living in marginalizing circumstances. Dr. Darroch’s main overarching goal is to co-create programs and resources to increase access to physical activity, enhance social cohesion, community connections, and improve overall health by way of addressing individual, systemic, and structural barriers to health and well-being.

Her current research as Principal Investigator is supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Preventing and Addressing Family Violence: The Health Perspective investment as well as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant.

Dr. Darroch has additional research interests in gender equity and elite sport and is the Principal Investigator on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Development Grant in this realm. Through community-based participatory research with a team of Parenting Track and Field Olympians and interdisciplinary colleagues, she has examined issues of importance to the athletic community such as training during pregnancy (advocacy for sport-specific guidelines) and gender equity in athletic governance and sponsorship.

Overall, Dr. Darroch’s multi-faceted research efforts are a reflection of her passionate commitment to social justice, health equity, and challenging power differentials in research practices as an advocate for populations that experience systemic marginalization.

Select Publications:

McKeon, G., Roberts, C., Paquette-Smith, M., & Darroch, F.E. (2026). Adoption, implementation and sustainability of a trauma- and violence-informed physical activity program for women experiencing interpersonal and structural violence. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Darroch, F.E., Ferraro, Z., Schneeberg, A., Smith, S., Giles, A.R., Wykes, D., McGettigan, R., Stellingwerff, T. (2026). Pregnancy, Birth Outcomes, and Postpartum Injury in Elite to World-Class Runners: A Mixed Methods Study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09984-4

Darroch, F.E., McKeon, G., Smith, S., Burzee, Z., Roberts, C., McGaughey, T., Hayhurst, L., & Rebar, A. (2026). Effects of a Trauma- and Violence-Informed Physical Activity on Mood and Wellbeing Among Women Who Have Experienced Violence. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029226002013?via%3Dihub

Sheppard-Perkins, M. D., Roberts, C., Epifano, K. M., Simpson, N., Kennelly, J., & Darroch, F. E. (2026). More than shelter: Exploring the role of social and affordable housing in shaping women’s access to physical activity in Canada. Health & Place, 101, 103737.

McKeon, G., Hira, S., Roberts, C., Sheppard-Perkins, M. & Darroch, F.E. (2026). Trauma- and Violence-Informed Physical Activity for Women Experiencing Interpersonal and Structural Violence: Qualitative Perspectives on Mental Health Benefits. Community Health Equity Research & Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/2752535X261473558

Sheppard-Perkins, M., McGaughey, T., Darroch, F.E. (2026). Distance as a Determinant: A Spatial Analysis of Crisis and Second-Stage Housing for Survivors of Domestic Violence in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Public Health, https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-026-01234-6

McKeon, G., Lederman, O., & Darroch, F.E. (2026). Training needs and competencies of exercise professionals in trauma and abuse: a qualitative study of expert perspectives. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 30,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2026.100776

Teychenne, M., Baker, T., McKeon, G., Darroch, F., Deslandes, A., Daley, A.J., Woman, A., & Rebar, A. (26th January 2026). ‘From glass cliffs to glass ceilings: What can we do to support women working in the academic field of sport and exercise psychology? Psychology of Sport and Exercise https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103084

Sheppard-Perkins, M. D., Simpson, N., McGaughey, T., Hayhurst, L. & Darroch, F.E. (2025). Reclaiming Recreation: Leveraging a Participatory Mapping Approach for Effective Recreational Physical Activity Advocacy, Leisure/Loisir (RLOI) https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2025.2601519

Sheppard-Perkins, M., & Darroch, F. E. (2025). Space, place, and the politics of access: Service provider perspectives on health system responses to sexual-and gender-based violence in rural communities. Health & Place, 96, 103572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103572

Ritondo, T., Giles, A.R., & Darroch, F.E. (2025). Canadian National Sport organizations safe sport policies: Are pregnancy and parenting athletes included? International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2025.2599136?src=

Sheppard-Perkins, M., McGaughey, T., & Darroch, F. E. (2025). Spatial Disparities of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Emergency Room Use in Canada: A Rural Perspective. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 08862605251398490. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605251398490

Ritondo, T., Darroch, F., & Giles, A. (2025). Elite running, pregnancy, and parenthood: an intersectional policy analysis of World Athletics’ Gold and Platinum label road races. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2025.2583982

Roberts, C., Culver, D. M., & Darroch, F. (2025). Equipping service providers: how social learning spaces enhance trauma- and violence-informed physical activity practices. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2025.2592040

Gao, Nina, Christy, C.; Darroch, F., Broom, A., McKenzie, S., Mootz, J., Oliffe, J. (2025). Men’s Experiences with Fatherhood in Heterosexual Relationships: A Narrative Analysis. American Journal of Men’s Health, 19(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883251381426

McKeon, G., Roberts, C., McGaughey, T., Smith, S., Winnicki, J., Darroch, F.E. (2025). Evaluation of Online Trauma- and Violence-Informed Physical Activity Training Modules. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 23(2), 219–228. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2025-0264

Pebole, M., Katz, D., Fortier, C., Iverson, K., Darroch, F., Hall, K., Dennard, A., McKeon, G., Rooney, M., Teychenne, M. & Whitworth, J. (2025). Developing physically and psychologically safe exercise spaces: Insights from women veterans on trauma-informed exercise interventions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102969

Sheppard-Perkins, M. & Darroch, F. E. (2025). Strained Systems, Escalating Needs: Service Provider Perspectives on the Rural Landscape of Sexual-and Gender-based Violence in the Five-years post-COVID. Journal of Family Violence, 1-16. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-025-00947-5