Research Location: University of British Columbia

The media can greatly influence how the public perceives people who use drugs (PWUDs). With the escalating opioid epidemic in British Columbia, reframing how one thinks about and describes PWUDs is key to reducing the stigma of drug use, and the subsequent reluctance of PWUDs in accessing health services. While stigma surrounding drug use has traditionally served as a deterrent, it is becoming increasingly recognized that the stigmatization, discrimination and isolation of PWUDs has led to poorer health outcomes and further marginalization. Hence, a need to address the language surrounding substance use disorders and drug addiction and those who use drugs has emerged.

Co-developing with local and regional journalists in BC (knowledge users), Dr. Jane Buxton (research co-lead; BC Centre for Disease Control and University of British Columbia) and her team will attempt to translate innovative peer engagement research to optimize uptake by journalists, and reframe the language used to describe PWUDs. Peer engagement can be defined as the active participation of people with lived experience of substance use in research and policy decision-making processes. Key elements and potential outcomes of knowledge transfer activities include:

• Organization of a knowledge symposia with local and regional knowledge users (i.e. key media) to share, contextualize and harmonize the research with existing practice norms.
• Development of a news release and media availability with a peer spokesperson, researchers, and research users (based on synthesized knowledge from the symposia).
• Creation of a one-page infographic document for BC newsrooms.
• Creation of original photography that accurately shows different views of the opioid crisis, which would then be provided to the media as stock images.
• Submission of an editorial on behalf of the research team that contextualizes the role language plays in reducing stigma among people who use drugs.
• Creation of a brief educational module offered to BC’s five schools/departments of journalism to share the synthesized findings among journalism and broadcast trainees.
• Outreach campaign to editors of The Canadian Press Stylebook (popular reference book providing guidelines to journalists; published annually).

One in 10 reproductive-aged women have endometriosis (where endometrial cells abnormally grow outside the uterus). This can lead to menstrual cramps and pain during bowel movements, pelvic movements, and vaginal penetration. This project focuses on deep penetration pain during sexual activity, which profoundly affects relationships and the sexual quality of life of women with endometriosis.

The interdisciplinary team at the BC Women’s Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis uses surgical-medical treatments, cognitive behavioural and mindfulness based therapies, and physiotherapy to treat women with endometriosis and sexual pain. The centre also has an active CIHR-funded clinical and translational research program, with a focus on sexual pain. Endometriosis-associated sexual pain may be due to endometriosis lesions and/or central nervous system sensitization and treatment efficacy may depend on the specific cause of the pain. The concept that pain may be due to central nervous system changes, and not directly to the endometriosis, may be difficult for some patients to understand. Therefore, there will be a one-day workshop explaining the multifactorial causes of sexual pain and patients will be provided with tools to manage their pain. The aim is to include women from the centre and women from the community along with their partners. This workshop will be created in collaboration with patient partners from start to finish, ensuring the learning objectives are patient-informed and the event is appropriate for the target audience.

The goals of this project are to:

1. Develop a one-day workshop targeted to patients with endometriosis and their partners.
2. Measure the impact of the workshop on patient understanding by using a short self-reported questionnaire created with patient partners.

The long-term goal is to effectively translate research findings on central nervous sensitization to patients with endometriosis so they gain a better understanding of the causes of their sexual pain.

• Primary audience: women (patients).
• Secondary audience members: patient partners/families, hospital foundation, researchers, physicians.

Community Health Representatives (CHRs) are the contacts between community members and health care practitioners in BC’s Indigenous communities. CHRs play an important role in the health care system for Indigenous health; they provide cultural support and health education within these communities.

Improving lifestyle behaviours is an effective way to reduce the burden caused by obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and conditions that affect mental wellbeing within Indigenous peoples. However, there is limited accessibility to effective, culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led and community-based health and wellness resources for CHRs. Therefore, this project will create a resource toolkit for CHRs in BC’s rural Indigenous communities, which is Indigenous-led and integrates and respects the language, culture, and traditions of Indigenous communities.

The toolkit will be developed through co-creation activities with CHRs and Indigenous communities in partnership with Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology (School of Kinesiology, UBC) and the Indigenous Physical Activity and Cultural Circle.