Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting Canadians. Despite the availability of effective therapies and guidelines on how to manage asthma appropriately, poorly controlled asthma remains a significant health issue, with morbidity (complications) and death rates continuing to increase both in Canada, and worldwide. Dr. Larry Lynd’s previous research identified that asthmatics of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have poorly controlled asthma. Building on his previous work, Dr. Lynd is now studying the factors that may be contributing to these differences, using a novel methodology called Discrete Choice Experimentation, originally developed for market research. Study participants complete a questionnaire which is designed to determine their individual preferences for different aspects of asthma management. The questionnaire asks questions related to areas such as avoiding side effects, realizing a benefit from drug therapy, and how much individuals are willing to pay to achieve these outcomes. By comparing this data with their socioeconomic information, Dr. Lynd hopes to determine if there are differences between individual’s preferences are based on their levels of education and household income. The results of this study will provide further insight into some of the factors that may be contributing to poorly controlled asthma, which in turn will contribute to the development of specific programs and interventions aimed at improving asthma control and outcomes. This study is one component of Dr. Lynd’s broader research program involving the development and application of new methods for therapeutic risk-benefit analysis.
Research Pillar: Population Health
BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network
The BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network (BCEOHRN) is a provincial network that creates new efficiencies, partnerships and opportunities in the area of environmental and occupation health research. The network aims to improve the health of people affected by occupational and environmental risks by training, attracting and retaining top quality environmental and occupation health researchers. It aims to remove obstacles that arise from diversity of researcher needs, locations, expertise and topics by increasing common resources and shared opportunities within the environmental and occupation health research community.
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BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Network
The BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Network bridges basic, clinical, population health, and social/behavioural science domains and all target populations of mental health and addictions. It aims to meet the research community’s needs for greater collaboration and partnerships, increased research capacity, enhanced linkages between academic researchers and health authorities, and more nurturing and support for clinician researchers and young investigators.
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BC Network for Aging Research
The BC Network for Aging Research (BCNAR) brings together disciplines, research streams, institutions, community based organizations and health regions with an interest in aging research. The network has four dynamic themes within which it addresses the current needs and challenges of aging research in British Columbia: bridging, knowledge exchange, embracing frontiers and mentoring.
BC Rural and Remote Health Research Network
The BC Rural and Remote Health Research Network (BCRRHRN) intends to increase the investigation of issues relevant to improvements in the health of rural and remote communities from biomedical, clinical, health services and population health perspectives. The Network encourages the development of rural health research capacity among multidisciplinary teams, based in the experience and characteristics of rural and remote regions and with an emphasis on creating and nurturing academic-community partnerships.
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BC Child and Youth Health Research Network
The BC Child and Youth Health Research Network provides an infrastructure to lead and harmonize the children and youth health research agenda in BC. Through coordinating and leading emergent research, the aim is to develop an evidence base for programs and policies that promote resilience and positive development for children and youth and ultimately improve their health and well-being.
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Disabilities Health Research Network
The Disabilities Health Research Network is an integrated, multidisciplinary, and BC-based network that fosters high quality research to better the lives of Canadians with disability. It promotes research that solves real problems for persons with disability, improves clinical practices of relevance to the health of persons with disability, and leads to improved policies of relevance to persons with disability.
Network Environments for Aboriginal Research BC
Network Environments for Aboriginal Research BC brings together community-and institutional-based researchers in Aboriginal Health across BC. Its goal is to establish a network of researchers in Aboriginal health driven by, and responsive to, Aboriginal community directives and dedicated to capacity building within the communities themselves.
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Women’s Health Research Network
While issues related to the health of women and girls are investigated by researchers across many disciplines and areas, the Women’s Health Research Network (WHRN) is specifically dedicated to expanding focussed women’s health research that will increase the understanding of and capacity for sex and gender-based analyses and for integrating women’s health concerns into other areas of health research.
Puberty, sex and childbirth: Implications of sexual education and early sexual activity on maternal health outcome
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.