Research Location: University of British Columbia

Hormonal contraceptives (HC) are used by 850 million girls, women and people with uteri — all reflected in the term women+ — , and 16 percent of people (5-49Y) in Canada. In addition to being contraceptives, HCs are prescribed off-label to treat many other conditions. Few studies have examined effects of these hormones on the brain; however, recent work suggests they can increase risk for mood disorders during adolescence and alter brain activation patterns. Yet, how HC use may influence long-term brain health is not known. Understanding brain health, especially through an equity lens, is critical. Women+ experience different brain health symptoms as a result of their unique experience of stress, which is impacted by age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Stress outcomes affect disease risk, which is also influenced by HCs. Collaborations between academics and research users are vital to understanding the unique ways that women+’s lives impact their brain health. This conference will explore how HCs influence women+’s brain health by bringing together researchers, clinicians, community partners, trainees, and policymakers to exchange knowledge and identify new research priorities that fill knowledge gaps and address patient experiences.

Team members: Katherine Moore (Women’s Health Research Cluster); Jesse Lacasse (Concordia University); Bonnie Lee (UBC); Jennifer Williams (McMaster University); Maureen MacDonald (McMaster University); Nafissa Ismail (University of Ottawa); Elizabeth Hampson (University of Western Ontario); Gillian Einstein (University of Toronto); Frances Chen (UBC); Sofia Ahmed (University of Calgary).

While breastfeeding has many health benefits for both infant and mother, many women and birthing people experience breastfeeding challenges. Insufficient supply, poor latch, and pain, as well as stigma and lack of support can impact breastfeeding goals. These challenges can be heavily influenced by social inequities, parental leave, and societal pressures, particularly among disadvantaged populations in Canada. It is important for postpartum people to receive breastfeeding support from healthcare professionals, especially during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, where in-person contact is limited. Therefore, this C2 project will establish key networks and resources around optimal breastfeeding support in interior BC. Specific objectives are to build partnerships, conduct a needs assessment, and co-create a research agenda to develop and evaluate a virtual breastfeeding intervention study in this region. We expect to identify key aspects of virtual support that will create a thorough and meaningfully designed breastfeeding intervention study, which will ultimately lead to higher rates of breastfeeding rates, as well as improved user satisfaction and self-efficacy among parents and families in BC.

Team members: Elizabeth Keys (UBC – Okanagan); Rishma Chooniedass (UBC – Okanagan); Michele Hopkins (The Bridge Youth & Family Services); Ellen Boelcke (KCR Community Resources); Olivia Andrews (UBC – Okanagan).

Loneliness and social isolation have been increasingly recognized as a growing public health priority with extensive evidence that these issues take a significant toll on population health. Despite this escalating urgency, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, effective evidence-based interventions for mitigating social isolation and loneliness are lacking. Based on previous research by UBC researchers, this project proposes “acts of kindness” as an antidote to social disconnection. Our teams at UBC and UWBC will partner to co-develop and test the effects of an online intervention program to promote social connection in lonely BC residents. We expect that this project will provide an accessible, easy-to-implement program that will mitigate the isolation felt by participating BC residents in the periphery of social networks while also reducing the spread of loneliness throughout those BC residents’ social networks. We also expect this project will promote evidence-based approaches to tackle public health issues in the BC community extending beyond the issue of loneliness, so that UWBC (research users) can ensure that effective and high-quality programs reach British Columbians (ultimate research beneficiaries).

Team members: Jasica Grewal (United Way of BC); Tobias Jones (United Way of BC); Yeeun Archer Lee (UBC); Julia Nakamura (UBC); Rachel Hamilton (UBC).

The COVID-19 pandemic and climate crises highlighted the need for renewed and strengthened systems to promote population physical activity (PPA) in BC. This need, coupled with calls for using complex systems methods, forms the basis for the proposed activities. Complexity can be seen as the context where numerous interacting elements (i.e. people, entities) in a system make it hard to see, describe, and assess what is happening in the whole. Complex systems methods are a way to gain clarity on complex problems by focusing on the patterns of what the system does or how it behaves. After the completion of a formative scoping review and interviews with stakeholders to assess the current state of systems for PPA in BC, we now plan to invite partners and stakeholders from many sectors and facilitate online group sense making sessions. These sessions will involve participatory processes to develop understanding of the current state of the systems for PPA. A second session will focus on identifying directions for strengthening systems for PPA in terms of policy, practice and research. The project team will provide recommendations for potential roles and responsibilities for the BCCDC to strengthen systems for promoting PPA.

Team members: Drona Rasali (BCCDC); Lori Baugh Littlejohns (BCCDC); Geoff McKee (BCCDC); Daniel Naiman (BC Ministry of Health).

Chronic pelvic pain affects ~15 percent of women and an unknown number of gender diverse people. Despite its common and devastating effects, chronic pelvic pain is too often dismissed or mismanaged, which is in part due to physicians’ lack of education on the topic. This study will identify knowledge needs about chronic pelvic pain of BC health professionals-in-training, which will guide the development of a future online resource. To do this, we will 1) Convene a group of experts interested in improving education and care for people with chronic pelvic pain; 2) Assess the knowledge level and attitudes towards chronic pelvic pain in gynecology using a baseline survey completed by medical and nurse practitioner students; and 3) Collaborate with experts to review the needs assessment and co-create a plan for a future resource. We aim to improve the understanding of chronic pelvic pain in health professionals-in-training and ultimately improve care for people with this complex condition by addressing the specific knowledge needs and identifying meaningful information to be included in a future resource to address gaps in medical education.

Team members: Natasha Orr (UBC – School of Nursing); Paul Yong (UBC – Faculty of Medicine); Leanne Currie (UBC – School of Nursing); Karim Qayumi (UBC – Faculty of Medicine); Margaret Carlyle (UBC – Okanagan; Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Department of History and Sociology); Rachel Langer (UBC – Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Laboratory); Lan Randhawa (UBC – Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Laboratory); Helena Daudt (Pain BC); Jennifer Krist (UBC – School of Nursing).