To assess whether a pharmacist in consultation with family physicians can improve medication management for older patients thus reducing hospital admissions, health services and costs due to inappropriate medication use.
Continue reading “Seniors Preventative Health Intervention Program”
As adolescent girls mature into young adults, they experience puberty, menstruation and sexual activity in an environment saturated with information. They learn about social and cultural norms through their social environment, as well as female reproductive health, biological development and sexual health through sexual education. While it is known that many biological and social factors influence women’s health during pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period, less is known about the impact of social and cultural factors on reproductive development and health. Moreover, the link between adolescent development and adulthood in this aspect of health is largely unexplored. Adrienne Bonfonti is studying whether girls’ experiences during this early stage of womanhood have lasting implications for their reproductive health. Adrienne is interviewing first-time mothers to learn how their earlier experiences with education, menstruation, physical development and sexual activity affect their experiences and health during pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. Adrienne’s research should identify which factors have a positive or negative effect on reproductive health outcomes, and what women may be at risk for a turbulent transition into motherhood. This information can be used to improve sexual education or intervention programs for maturing youth in order to further promote healthy development during adolescence and into adulthood.
Nearly 25 percent of Canadians will be 65 or older by 2036. With increasing age, most seniors face the difficult decision of where to live. Jennifer Harvey is studying how seniors’ sense of place, emotional ties and experiences in a community influence their decision to move to a new location or to stay in the same place. She is also studying how support networks differ for seniors who stay in place and those who move. Jennifer is examining the experiences of seniors in two small B.C. communities: Parksville, where almost 31 percent of the population were seniors in 2001, and Qualicum Beach, where 38 percent were seniors. These figures are significantly higher than the provincial average of approximately 13 percent. Results from the research could be used to forecast migration patterns among seniors and improve housing, health and social service policies in communities with aging populations.
Studies have shown that people with Alzheimer’s disease are more inconsistent, compared to healthy older adults, on cognitive tasks (e.g., memory, reaction time). Research in this area has measured fluctuations in performance on multiple occasions over short periods of time. What is not clear is how these inconsistencies affect people’s daily lives. Various factors — including cognitive, visual and perceptual abilities, language and speed of processing — influence functional abilities. Catherine Burton is studying the impact of inconsistent cognitive performance on ability to perform everyday activities, such as managing finances and taking medications. Her research could help characterize the neural systems required for particular cognitive processes, which would assist in identifying people most at risk and in need of support.
Research suggests the family environment plays an important role in youth health and development. For example, youth exposed to more coercive forms of discipline, higher family stress, and less parental care seem to be at higher risk of developing alcohol problems. However, other research suggests genetic factors may influence both risk behaviours and family factors, such as parenting. Ming Ao is studying both biological and adoptive families to determine if the family environment influences mental health and risk behaviours in youth. Ming is assessing how family environment affects young people’s emotional well-being, social skills and competence. The findings from this study could improve understanding of family influence on youth mental health and be used to develop youth health services for biological and adoptive families.
Thanks to new scientific methods, including use of high-speed computers, the search for ways to diagnose, treat and cure disease has changed greatly in the last 50 years. While chance discoveries are still important, new technology allows researchers to systematically probe the molecular nature of disease-causing organisms and the medicines being developed to treat them. X-ray crystallography is a technique to determine the three-dimensional structure of crystallized molecules. Dr. Stephen Evans is using the technique to study the interactions between proteins (such as antibodies and enzymes) with carbohydrates to learn about the atomic structure of these molecules. In one project Dr. Evans is investigating the antibodies responsible for inherited immunity to learn how the body reacts to new and emerging diseases. In another project he is investigating how a protein molecule can mimic a carbohydrate and be used to vaccinate patients against their own cancer. He is also examining how enzymes can be used to make new carbohydrates that can, in turn, be used as new medicines. Finally, Dr. Evans is developing a new version of his SETOR molecular graphics software that will enable researchers to reduce complicated molecular structures to simplified illustrations.
After giving birth, some women have difficulty adjusting to their new role as a mother. Some problems can be attributed to injuries from childbirth, while others, such as depression, fatigue and long-term pain, are not as easily understood. Using questionnaires and face-to-face interviews, Dr. Rachel Westfall is investigating how women’s income, education and support networks affect their recovery from pregnancy and childbirth and the adjustment to being a parent. Dr. Westfall is also looking at the different types of post-partum care available in BC — including midwifery, general physician care and obstetrician care — to assess how some approaches may meet women’s needs better than others. Results from the research could be used to improve post-partum care and the transition to motherhood for BC women.
In early adolescence, both girls and boys report increases in levels of depression. However, by late adolescence the rates of depression among girls are double those found among boys. Research shows that boys and girls’ perceptions about athletic competence (how good they are at sports), social acceptance (how popular they are among peers), and body dissatisfaction (negative feelings about their bodies) are strong predictors of depression. Since girls tend to report lower levels of athletic competence, participate in sports at lower rates, and report higher levels of body dissatisfaction than boys, they may be at greater risk for depression. Erin Boone is examining whether positive involvement in team sports increases perceptions of athletic competence and social acceptance, and helps to diminish body dissatisfaction among both girls and boys. The study will be among the first to assess the mechanisms that link positive team sports involvement to diminished risks for depression in adolescence. Findings will outline the mental health benefits associated with team sports involvement and highlight the need to sustain adolescents’ interest and participation in sports.
Research has shown that quality of health care services influences the health and well-being of women and their families during pregnancy, birth and the first two to three months after birth. Studies also show that access to effective health services is important in helping women follow healthy practices. Less is known about the ways in which relationships between women and their health care providers influence the effectiveness and fair distribution of health services. Helen Brown is investigating this question, with a focus on understanding how these relationships affect healthy practices among women from marginalized or less powerful groups. Helen hopes the research will help improve health care relationships, enhance quality of care, strengthen health promotion and education for childbearing women, and help policy-makers create more effective and equitable services.
The cost of publicly funded prescription drug programs in Canada is growing an estimated 15 per cent a year. Studies show drug plan staff have little time to reassess drugs already on the market and are overwhelmed with submissions from pharmaceutical companies seeking approval of new drugs. In September 2001, federal, provincial and territorial Health Ministers launched the Common Drug Review (CDR) to develop a national process for reviewing evidence on new drugs and reducing duplication among provinces. How CDR will integrate with current communication systems to share information between drug plan staff and researchers is not yet clear. Mowafa Househ is assessing how drug plans use and produce evidence within the CDR system, and how virtual networking can improve the exchange of this knowledge. Using web-based conferencing, Mowafa is developing a three-step protocol to improve links between drug plan manager and researchers. He is applying the protocol to three major drug plan issues: assessing new drugs, re-assessing existing drugs, and evaluating the impact of drug policies.