The sympto-thermal method (STM) helps prevent unplanned pregnancy by increasing a woman’s awareness of when she is most fertile. It uses body observations such as cervical mucus and body temperature. The STM can help women who do not use other birth control methods. For example, those with specific religious or cultural beliefs. This is more likely in newcomers to BC. Other methods of fertility awareness, such as detection strips, are expensive. Past research has shown that the STM is an effective option with no side effects. However, the main problem is that people do not get enough STM education from trained instructors. In BC, STM instruction is provided by the Catholic church, which limits the availability of this knowledge. Our project aims to address this by translating the STM research evidence into education for BC newcomers. This includes newcomer women and gender-diverse people assigned female at birth and their partners. We will partner with a community organization and people with lived experience. This will ensure the free education is relevant, accessible and respectful of different cultures and backgrounds. When people have access to evidence-based birth control options, they can make informed pregnancy decisions.
Year: 2024
Introduction to Health Technologies: Development and implementation of a public workshop series
The sustainability of healthcare in BC hinges on innovation and technology to improve health, well-being, and independence while keeping people out of hospital. Existing and emerging technologies can and will have a big impact on healthcare. However, we have found that patients, caregivers, industry leaders, and clinicians all highlight patient education as a key factor in ensuring health technologies are used effectively in patient care. In person and interactive events are most effective for sharing health knowledge and can also provide community building and support systems. Our goal is to build awareness of existing and emerging health technologies for patients, caregivers and care providers by hosting a series of introductory workshops. Each workshop will have an expert introduce an existing or emerging health technology. Workshop participants will help to identify key information to include in one page technology summaries and short videos that will be distributed through our research-user network. The final workshop in the series will have graduate students presenting their research to help train public communication in the next generation of researchers and technology developers.
Making it Work: Creating A Community Resource Guidebook to Transform Program Theory into Practice
Making It Work was a community-based research study that utilized an Indigenized approach to program theory development. The study explored why, when, how, and for whom community-based services work for people living with HIV, hepatitis C, and;or co-occurring challenges with mental health and;or substance use, with a particular focus on case management and community development programs;services using Indigenous service delivery models and a harm reduction approach.
The main study outcome was a program theory built from conversations and surveys with services users and providers. The program theory uses a realist model, and illustrates the mechanisms (how and why), contexts (when and for whom), and outcomes to ensure services are culturally safer and support positive outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous service users.
This Guidebook will synthesize the program theory into a resource for community-based organizations to bridge the gap between research and practice. It will help organizations implement study findings through a mixture of resources applicable in their work with a goal of leading to better services and health outcomes for people living with HIV, hepatitis C, mental health challenges and;or who use substances.
Beyond Birth: Enhancing a Parental Guide to Support Perinatal Mental Health in BC
Perinatal depression and anxiety (PND;A) are known to be the most common complications of pregnancy, with 1 in 4 birthing parents being affected. Pacific Post Partum Support Society (PPPSS), a BC-based non-profit organization, has been using a peer support model to assist parents and families experiencing PND;A since 1971. Our handbook, first published in 1987 and referred to as the ‘Purple Book’, is a popular and effective tool for parents, providing essential guidance on coping with PND;A with topics covering intrusive thoughts, parenthood myths, and more. The handbook has been widely distributed by PPPSS and health authorities to parents in BC. Since its last revision in 2011, it has become clear that the handbook no longer fully reflects the diversity of families PPPSS serves. Attention to inclusive language and content that addresses the specific needs of equity-deserving groups, such as Indigenous families and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is critically needed. This update will align the book with the latest research, best practices, and insights from persons with lived experience. By doing so, we can ensure that the handbook remains a relevant and empowering resource for all parents navigating the complexities of PND;A in BC.
Enhancing Knowledge Translation in Pain Management Through an Integrative Video Blog Series
This project aims to expand a well-established online video blog that brings together pain researchers, clinicians and patient partners to share critical insights about pain challenges and management. Season 5 will reintegrate our initial approach by mixing responses from all stakeholders. The project plans to align with an event co-hosted with Pain BC or the Canadian Pain Society to maximize impact and outreach.
Garden of Love, DTES (GOLD) Podcast: Stories of Indigenous Cultural Reconnection and Healing from the Downtown Eastside
Holding Space and Uya’am Gaak Cultural Society are seeking funding to produce six episodes of our integrated knowledge translation project, a podcast highlighting the work and impact of Elder Rhonda Stephens and Uya’am Gaak Cultural Society to foster cultural and spiritual reconnection among Indigenous peoples living in and around Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. This project is currently in its pilot phase, with the first four episodes of the podcast telling stories from the V6A Community Garden focused on resilience, strength, and healing from the land, provisionally titled Garden of Love, DTES (GOLD) Podcast. The REACH award will help us to widen the scope of the podcast to include land-based healing activities currently run by Uya’am Gaak and to continue to engage research users with whom we already work closely. The podcast directly engages research users in the planning, recording, and production phases. As the podcast is currently structured as a limited four-part series due to budget constraints, we are seeking funding to transform the podcast into a regularly scheduled output for disseminating research findings in the form of stories, interviews, poetry, music, and field recordings.
From Social Media Advertisement to Type 2 Diabetes Remission: Harnessing Innovative Social Media Strategies to Make Remission Possible in British Columbia
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) remission, which means that blood sugar levels return to sub-diabetes levels without taking any glucose-lowering medications, is achievable for many people living with T2D through changes to diet;lifestyle. T2D remission offers new hope to those living with diabetes and empowers them to make positive lifestyle changes. Despite this potential, many individuals living with T2D remain unaware that remission is possible. Our mission is to raise awareness and provide support for people living with T2D to help make Remission Possible across British Columbia.
The “Remission Possible” team includes researchers, doctors, people living with T2D, and social media experts to help share the inspiring stories of persons with lived experience of T2D remission through Facebook advertisements. Once people view one of our advertisements, they are directed to our website, www.DiabetesRemission.ca, where they find credible information on remission and can sign up for doctor-led programs designed to support them in their remission journey. Given the popularity of social media, this strategy can directly connect thousands of people who might benefit from T2D remission and guide them to programs that can help improve their health.
Addressing stigma of dementia on social media: Collaboration, innovation, and knowledge translation
Stigma of dementia is a critical issue that reduces the quality of life of people living with dementia and their family care partners. Existing research shows that dementia education and awareness campaigns are urgently needed to address stigma of dementia on social media. More specifically, our research found that dementia-related stigma on social media fosters stereotypes, misinformation, and discrimination. How we talk about dementia shapes how policymakers, health professionals, and the public value the lives of people with dementia.
The purpose of this project to enhance dementia awareness and education to target dementia-related stigma on social media. Working in collaboration with our B.C. community partners, healthcare professionals, student trainees, and people living with dementia and their care partners, we will develop a hybrid Café Scientifique that will consist of both an in-person and online panelist discussion on stigma of dementia that is open to the general public. We will also create an infographic to counter dementia-related stigma on social media. This initiative will foster dementia awareness and education on social media to reduce stigma and enhance the quality of lives of people living with dementia.
Sharing Our Tools: A Workshop Series to Share Practical Tools for Unlearning & Undoing White Supremacy and Indigenous-Specific Racism for Population & Public Health
From 2021-2023, the BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer engaged in a CIHR and HRBC funded research project called, “Unlearning & Undoing White Supremacy in the OPHO” (The U&U Project). We built and used tools to unlearn, monitor, and undo white supremacy in our structures, policies, practices, norms, and values.
This is an important way we are working towards upholding instructions we have received, including in the Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action, Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & 2SLGBTQQIA+ Calls for Justice, and In Plain Sight Recommendations.
Elders and Indigenous health leaders have told us that our tools are valuable and trustworthy. Settler health leaders and practitioners have shared that our tools offer tangible and meaningful ways to pick up the work of eradicating Indigenous specific racism.
Now, we plan to build a series of hosted and self-directed workshops to share our U&U tools more broadly.
Aim 1 – Build workshop curriculum for our U&U Tools
Aim 2 – Deliver workshops throughout BC’s population & public health ecosystem
Aim 3 – Build a website & YouTube channel to share materials
Aim 4 – Submit tools & findings for publication in peer reviewed journals
Disseminating the Best Practices for Spinal Cord Injury Physical Activity Counselling in rural and remote areas in British Columbia
Recently, our team worked together to co-create best practices for delivering physical activity counselling to adults with a spinal cord injury (SCI). These best practices were developed using a systematic approach and were based on the best available scientific evidence on effective SCI physical activity counselling and general health behaviour change research. The best practices were developed for any individual providing formal or informal physical activity behavioural support (counselling) to adults with a SCI. Disseminating the best practices to health and lifestyle professionals working in rural and remote areas is particularly important as these professionals have limited access to training opportunities.
This Reach Award will facilitate knowledge translation on the best practices of SCI physical activity counselling to rural health and lifestyle professionals. Our team will work together to co-develop, co-deliver and co-evaluate training events on these best practices to improve counselling services for people with SCI. In turn, improving physical activity counselling services can enhance the quality of life for people with SCI living in rural and remote areas in British Columbia.