Research Pillar: Population Health

The degree to which occupational exposure to carcinogens causes cancer is uncertain, but many researchers believe that only a small fraction of occupationally related cancers are reported to workers’ compensation systems. The primary challenge in studying occupational cancer is assessing exposure. In the past, most studies used qualitative methods to compare health risks of workers with differing levels of exposure to carcinogens. With today’s lower levels of exposure in the workplace, quantitative assessment is becoming more important. But there is a lack of standardized methods for quantitatively assessing exposure. Melissa Friesen is developing standardized methods — particularly including the use of statistical modeling — to improve the precision and specificity of quantitative exposure estimates. She will test the methods on data from three large studies of contaminants at BC. Melissa will also work with the US National Cancer Institute to apply the methods to data from case-control studies. This research will lead to improved methods for quantitative exposure assessment, which are necessary for public policy initiatives such as assessing risk, establishing preventative strategies and setting exposure limits.

Approximately 14 per cent of Canadians suffer from chronic low back pain, making it the second most common chronic condition in the country. Some studies suggest that having a high level of satisfaction with social support may increase well-being of people with chronic back pain. However, there is little research that has addressed the potentially harmful effects of social support. Susan Holtzman is examining how support networks help or hinder patients in coping with chronic back pain over time. She will study 200 patients and their partners, using questionnaires and daily records to track pain levels, disability, mood, types of support received, satisfaction with support, coping strategies, and health. Findings from this research may lead to more effective and individualized treatment programs.

Stress can play a significant role in physical and mental health. The workplace is one common source of stress, which has been linked to psychological distress, back pain, gastrointestinal diseases, cardiovascular disease and heart disease. It’s also estimated that stress accounts for more than 50 per cent of absenteeism. However, stress in the workplace does not inevitably lead to illness and is preventable. Dayna Lee-Baggley is investigating how coping techniques and strong social support from co-workers, supervisors and family can decrease the harmful effects of workplace stress. Her study focuses on understanding how stress and coping unfold on a daily basis in the workplace, as well as the ways stress can “spillover” at home. The research will help identify individuals who may have difficulty coping with workplace stress and workplaces that may promote or hinder successful coping. The study results will also suggest intervention strategies to support people at risk of suffering from the adverse health outcomes caused by workplace stress.

Research has shown that smoking and drinking typically begin in adolescence. Stefania Maggi is studying the role of family, peers, school and neighbourhoods in developing risk-taking behaviours including smoking and drinking. She aims to identify the factors present early in life — such as parenting styles and socioeconomic conditions — that can predict smoking and drinking during adolescence. Stefania is closely examining how socioeconomic conditions shape the way parents relate to their children, and how the relationship between self-concept and affiliation with peers influences smoking and drinking. While other researchers have addressed these issues, few studies have examined a representative sample of Canadian children on a long-term basis. Stefania is analyzing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Her study will make a valuable contribution to programs aimed at reducing smoking and drinking among adolescents.

Research suggests that exposure to air pollution contributes to small increases in lung cancer rates. However, errors in measurement of air pollution exposure, as well as in measurement of other risk factors such as cigarette smoking, limit the ability to quantify the extent to which air pollution increases risk of lung cancer. Elizabeth Matovinovic is developing an assessment of air pollution exposure for British Columbia, which will include an estimate of individual exposures to traffic-related air pollutants. Elizabeth will apply the assessment to data from the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance registry to produce individual estimates of chronic exposure to air pollutants, with a special emphasis on traffic-related pollutants. The research will help improve understanding of the impacts of air pollution, particularly the relationship between chronic exposure to air pollution and lung cancer, an area that hasn’t been researched extensively.

Eating disorders affect an estimated three per cent of women, placing them at risk for physiological problems, social and emotional difficulties and disruption to their working lives. Research has shown that the causes of eating disorders are complex, but studies have identified certain psychological and social risk factors, including personality traits such as perfectionism. Brandy McGee is investigating how perfectionism combines with cultural influences to cause eating disorders. She is examining the idea that when perfectionists compare themselves to physical ideals suggested in cultural images such as advertisements, they feel they have failed in the area of appearance, which contributes to eating disorders. The study involves assessing levels of perfectionism, eating attitudes and eating behaviour of participants. The research will help in the development of preventative health care programs and improve understanding of the psychosocial and cultural issues affecting health.