2014 Showcase of Health Research

Friday, February 7, 2014

8:30 am to 1:30 pm

Best Western Plus Nor’Wester Hotel and Conference Centre Highway 61, Thunder Bay, ON

Since 2006 the Research Department at St. Joseph’s Care Group has hosted what has become the premier annual venue for the dissemination of research relevant to the health of Northwestern Ontarians. The Research Department is pleased to host “Making a Difference: 2014 Showcase of Health Research”.

This event is made possible through the generous support of the Leadership Team at St. Joseph’s Care Group.

Podium Presentations

2014 Schedule of Events

8:30 am Registration and Poster Set up - Kaministiquia Room

9:00 am Welcome and Opening Remarks

Michel Bédard, Scientific Director, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Tracy Buckler, President & Chief Executive Officer, St. Joseph’s Care Group

9:15 am Mindfulness Group Intervention Reduces Depression After Traumatic Brain Injury: Are Individual Changes in Depression Scores Clinically Significant and Reliable?

L Ozen, S Dubois, C Gibbons, M Bédard – Lakehead University, St. Joseph’s Care Group

9:35 am A Decade of Applied Clinical Research in Shared Mental Health Care: Empirical Evaluation and Evolution

J Haggarty, S K Bailey – St. Joseph’s Care Group, Lakehead University

9:55 am Adult Playgrounds: Their Impact on Physical Activity Among Adults 60 Years of Age and Older

H Møller – Lakehead University

10:15 am Bereaved Family Members’ Satisfaction with End-of-life Care within Four Ontario Long-term Care Homes

J Garlick, M L Kelley – Lakehead University

10:35 am Poster Presentations and Nutritional Break - McGillivray Room

11:05 am Supervisor and Organizational Factors Associated with Supervisors’ Support for Work Accommodation for Low Back Pain Injured Workers

P Reguly, V Kristman, W Shaw – Lakehead University, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety

11:25 am The Natural History of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Colonization: A Retrospective Two Year Analysis

J Scoging, S Carella – Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

11:45 am Barriers and Facilitators to Midwifery for Women in Thunder Bay

H Møller, L Bishop, K Burnett, M Dowsley, P Wakewich –Lakehead University

12:05 pm A Systematic Review of Strategies for Increasing Evidence Informed Decision-Making by Nurses in Tertiary Care

J Yost, D Thompson, F Aloweni, K Newman, R Ganann, A McKibbon, M Dobbins, D Ciliska – McMaster University, Lakehead University, Ryerson University

12:25 pm Poster Presentations and Lunch – McGillivray Room

*Presenter in Red

Poster Presentations

1 Addressing Weight Bias in the Training of Health Professionals

E Cameron – Lakehead University

2 Developing Palliative Care Programs in Long-Term Care Homes: A Framework and Resources for Organizational Change

M L Kelley, S Kaasalainen, K Brazil, P Chow, C McAiney, P Sevean, J Sheehy, J SimsGould – Lakehead University, McMaster University, Queens University of Belfast, St. Joseph’s Care Group, Municipality of Halton, University of British Columbia

3 “Making a Difference!” Exploring the Value of Volunteering in Palliative/ End-of-Life Dementia Care

K Jones-Bonofiglio, K Kortes-Miller – Lakehead University

4 Peer-led Debriefing Training Using High Fidelity Simulation and INNPUT Model for Front Line Staff in Long-Term Care: An Evaluation

J Vis, K Jones-Bonofiglio, K Kortes-Miller, J Marcella, M L Kelley – Lakehead University

5 Personal Support Worker Empowerment in Long-Term Care

C Burford, M McKee, M L Kelley, J McAnulty – Lakehead University

6 Journey to Improve Oral Care in Long-Term Care Homes

L McKeown, H Woodbeck – Confederation College, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario

7 The Effect of Common Teaching Tools on Upper Extremity Muscle Activity

C Zerpa, N Lopez, E Przysucha, P Sanzo – Lakehead University

8 Reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition for Age Band 2 (7 to 10 years old)

A Boyle, E Przysucha, C Zerpa – Lakehead University

9 Effects of Variable Type of Practise on Soccer Skills in Children Between 8 and 12 Years of Age

M Massei, E Przysucha – Lakehead University

10 Parental Beliefs and Attitudes on Their Daughters’ Health and Development Through Their Participation in Hockey

A Thorvaldson, J Farrell – Lakehead University

11 Enabling Older Adult Participation in Community-Based Exercise Programs: Developing the ‘Fitness that Fits’ Tool

T Larocque, J Lang, J Farrell, I Newhouse, G Paterson – Lakehead University

12 Exercise Motivation and Adherence for Cancer Survivors Engaging in a Structured Group-Based Exercise Program

M Hurley, J Farrell – Lakehead University

13 WE-Can: Evaluating a Wellness and Exercise Program for Individuals with Cancer

D Haggarty, T Larocque, I Newhouse – Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Lakehead University

14 From Cancer Patient to Regular Patient: Transitioning From the Cancer Centre to a Primary Care Provider for Follow-Up

L Kandler, A Docherty, K Simpson, K Bean – Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

15 Comparing Referrals for Common Mental Disorders (CMD) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI) from Primary Care Sites With and Without Shared Mental Health Care (SMHC)

G Gaylord, S K Bailey, J Haggarty – Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Lakehead University, St. Joseph’s Care Group

16 Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Personality Styles, and Context as Predictors of Psychological Outcomes

A Rawana, J Tan – Lakehead University

17 A Pilot Evaluation of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training Group for Patients Presenting for Bariatric Services

M McMahan, A Mushquash – Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Care Group

18 Community Based Participatory Research: Connecting, Learning, and Understanding

T Alani – Lakehead University

19 The Importance of Program Evaluation in Community-Based Clinics for Children and Their Families

S Chomycz, F Schmidt – Lakehead University, Children’s Centre Thunder Bay

20

When Does “Yes” Mean “Yes”? Is Parental Consent a Necessary Component of Obtaining Informed Consent From Minors in Canada’s Indigenous Context?

C Cheng, S Nadin, M Katt, P Braunberger, J Fogolin, J B Minore, C S Dewa –St. Joseph’s Care Group, Lakehead University, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

21 An SPSS Macro to Compute Confidence Intervals for Pearson’s Correlation

B Weaver, R Koopman, H Maxwell – Lakehead University, Simon Fraser University

22 Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition Questionnaire

N Mullen, B Weaver, T Meuser, M Berg-Weger, S Marshall, H Tuokko, M Bédard –Lakehead University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Victoria, St. Joseph’s Care Group

*Presenter in Red

Poster Presentations Continued...

23 The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: A New Shorter Version

L Patterson, B Weaver, N Smith, M Bédard – Lakehead University, St. Joseph’s Care Group

24 CRSD-IDSQoL: Psychometric Properties of a Questionnaire Designed to Measure the Impact of Driving Status on Quality of Life Among Older Adults

L Patterson, N Mullen, B Weaver, N Smith, M Bédard – Lakehead University, St. Joseph’s Care Group

25 USA Cyclist Fatality Trends 1985-2009

E Sawula, S Dubois, B Weaver, M Bédard – St. Joseph’s Care Group, Lakehead University

26 The Therapeutic Effects of Taping in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

P Sanzo, C Zerpa, E Przysucha – Lakehead University

27 Is Moving Better Than Standing Still? Comparison of Visuomotor Adaptation During a Dynamic and Static Target Task

A Hantjis, J Lawrence-Dewar, S Parker – Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, Lakehead University

28

Comparison of Breast Feeding Rates at Birth, Post-Discharge, 2 Weeks, 2 Months, 4 Months and 6 Months Postpartum Among Mothers With Babies Born in 2005 Versus 2009

L E Sieswerda, E Leinonen – Thunder Bay District Health Unit

29 Preconception Health Knowledge in a Non-Student Community Sample of Thunder Bay and District Residents (Preliminary Findings)

K Toivonen, K Duchene, K Oinonen, R Scofich – Lakehead University, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

30 Student Preconception Health Knowledge: Preliminary Findings in Thunder Bay and District

K Duchene, K Toivonen, K Oinonen, R Scofich – Lakehead University, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

*Presenter in Red

Speaker #1

Mindfulness Group Intervention Reduces Depression after Traumatic Brain Injury: Are Individual Changes in Depression Scores Clinically Significant and Reliable?

Lana Ozen

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

Sacha Dubois

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Carrie Gibbons

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Michel Bédard

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Depression is common after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Our research group has consistently found reductions in depression in people with TBI following a mindfulness group intervention (MGI) compared to controls with no history of head injury. While these results, based on group averages, have been statistically significant, we were interested in examining whether the change in TBI participants’ individual scores was clinically meaningful.

Method: First, reliable change scores were calculated for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) to determine whether changes in individual depression scores represented more than fluctuations of an imprecise measuring instrument. Second, we calculated the number of TBI participants who also showed clinically significant change, determined by at least one drop in depression severity level: minimal, mild, moderate, severe.

Results: Sixty-four individuals (71%) showed reliable improvement in BDI-II scores and 57% of all individuals had reliable improvement that was also clinically significant. Specifically, from pre to post-intervention, 22% of TBI participants had reliable improvement in BDI-II scores that dropped to the lowest level of ‘minimal depression’, 19% improved to ‘mild’, and 16% to ‘moderate’. The remainder of individual BDI-II change scores (43%) were either non-reliable and/or non-clinically significant.

Conclusion: This study provides important information on the clinical significance of individual change after our MGI, supplementing our previous research based on conventional statistics. The majority of TBI participants showed reliable and clinically significant improvement in depression after our MGI. Future research should take clinical significance into consideration to better understand the clinical meaningfulness of individual change after MGIs.

Speaker #2

A Decade of Applied Clinical Research in Shared Mental Health Care: Empirical Evaluation and Evolution

John Haggarty

Mental Health Outpatients Programs,St. Joseph’s Care Group

S. Kathleen Bailey

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Empirical research in applied health settings can be an important feature of clinical practice often overlooked. We will demonstrate how our ongoing research programme has informed patient care.

Method: We reviewed the charts of primary care patients referred to a shared mental health care (SMHC) clinic at intervals over a ten year period to identify characteristics of our patients and inform clinical practice. Up to N=4241 mental health referrals were included in analyses.

Results: Over 70% of adult referents were female. When reason for referral was employment-related, women accounted for only 57%. Over 25% or patients referred had significant somatic complaints, however somatic symptoms only accounted for 5% of referrals. Patients who left treatment because of non-engagement were more likely to suffer from a depressive disorder, F(1, 1471)=4.164, p=.041, and were somewhat younger (M=34 years old, SD=12.24) than those who were discharged for a different reason (M=38 years, SD=15.81; t(1471)=-5.35, p<.001). Psychiatric symptoms, psychosocial problems, and degree and type of disability varied by reason for referral. Treatment response was generally good and equivalent across patient groups. Mean number of treatment visits was 3, 90% of patients had 9 or fewer treatment visits in SMHC.

Conclusion: Examining mental health patient characteristics and outcomes gave unique insights to treating people in primary care whose problems range from lower acuity to serious mental illness. Every patient contact and every treatment can be an opportunity for practice improvement and academic contribution. Our efforts with this program exemplified how to utilize such an opportunity.

Speaker #3

Adult Playgrounds: Their Impact on Physical Activity Among Adults 60 Years of Age and Older

Helle Møller

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Inactivity is among the leading causes of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers and levels of inactivity are increasing globally which has a particular impact on our older populations. Our objectives were to examine the facilitators and barriers to older adults being physically active using a free outdoor adult playground as the optic.

Methods: Employing an anthropological approach, we conducted a pilot study in a Danish neighbourhood surrounding an adult playground using participant observation, semi structured interviews and a survey.

Results: Results included that those who used the playground were predominantly women who had been active since childhood; were physically active in other ways; valued the social aspect of PA and felt socio-enomically secure; that 25% of survey respondents used the playground regularly and that 30% would like to but did not have time because of being active in other ways, needed instruction, or needed someone to go with. Approximately a third of survey-respondents did not engage in any vigorous PA; almost 30 percent would like to be more physically active; but becoming so would require better health and someone to be active with.

Conclusion: Providing free initiatives such as an adult playground may increase existing inequality gaps if steps are not taken to ensure that PA is a natural part of citizens life course and that the playground is introduced to older adults who have not had a physically active life ideally as a collaboration between municipalities health and education organizations, communities and families.

Speaker #4

Bereaved Family Members’ Satisfaction with End-of-Life Care Within Four Ontario Long-term Care Homes

Jenna Garlick

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Mary Lou Kelley

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Understanding bereaved family members’ perspectives offers long-term-care (LTC) homes valuable quality improvement data and to better meet the needs of residents and families at end-of-life.

Method: The Family Perception of Care Scale (FPCS) is a 27 item survey that collects information about bereaved family members’ perceptions of and satisfaction with end-of-life care in LTC homes. It has four domains; 1) Resident care, 2) Family Support, 3) Communication, 4) Rooming, and provided room for comments. In conjunction with the “Improving Quality of Life for People Dying in LTC homes” the FPCS was mailed out to 152 family members of residents who died during 2012 in four Ontario long-term care homes. 86 surveys were returned (57% response rate). Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and qualitative data were analyzed thematically.

Results: The overall satisfaction score was 83/100, indicating family members were generally satisfied with the end-of-life care. Satisfaction did not significantly differ between homes. Important items for satisfaction were location of death, pain management, dignity, being informed about the resident’s health and feeling welcomed in the home. Scores were higher for rooming (86) and communication (86) and lower for resident care (82) and family support (76). Survey comments were organized into the four domains of the FPCS.

Conclusion: Results indicate that the structural characteristics of the home are less important to family satisfaction than resident care, such as pain control, dignity, communication and relationships. These indicators of satisfaction need to be included more predominantly in future home satisfaction surveys.

Speaker #5

Supervisor and Organizational Factors Associated with Supervisors’ Support for Work Accommodation for Low Back Pain Injured Workers

Paula Reguly

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

Vicki Kristman

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

William Shaw

Centre for Disability Research, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety

Background/Objectives: Early return to work (RTW), facilitated by temporary job modification contributes to preventing chronic work disability due to low back pain (LBP). However, workplace dimensions of job modification are poorly understood. We examined whether supervisor and organizational factors influence supervisors’ likelihood to support work accommodations for injured workers with LBP.

Methods: Supervisors from Canadian and US employers were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study (December 2010 - January 2013) by completing a web-based, self-report questionnaire. The dependent variable was the likelihood a supervisor would provide job accommodations for a back injured worker described in a case vignette. Independent variables included supervisor autonomy, leadership style, and pain and work disability beliefs; corporate safety culture; organizational disability management; and workplace social capital. Covariates included supervisor demographics and workers’ physical job demands. Factors associated with supervisors’ likeliness to accommodate were identified using multivariable regression.

Results: A total of 804 supervisors from 19 employers participated. The final, most parsimonious, multivariable model explained 17.1% of the variance (95% CI: 11.6, 22.6) in supervisors’ likeliness to accommodate. It included supervisors’ country of residence, gender, autonomy, and leadership style (consideration); and organizational disability management, all of which were significantly associated with likeliness to accommodate (p value ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: Several supervisor and organizational factors were shown to be associated with supervisors’ likelihood to accommodate back-injured workers. Next steps include assessing these factors by demographic and physical job demand variables, and confirming predictive ability through longitudinal research. This information will help employers enhance early RTW and prevent work disability.

Speaker #6

The Natural History of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Colonization: A Retrospective Two Year Analysis

Jenny Scoging

Infection Control, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Sharon Carella

Interprofessional Education, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Background/Objectives: To determine the natural history of colonization with Vancomycin-resistant enterocci (VRE), after an initial positive sample.

Methods: Electronic record review of all positive VRE microbiology reports on admitted patients.

Results: 58% of 84 patients cleared VRE colonization status. Of those that cleared, 33 of 49 cleared within the first six months. A Kaplan-Meier survivability curve showed that the likelihood of clearance decreases the longer colonization persists. The variables we reviewed had no impact on length of colonization, except patients who were classified as immunosuppressed had a statistically higher rate of clearance.

Conclusion: After two years,the majority of VRE colonized patients were able to clear colonization within the first six months. After six months,the likelihood of clearance decreased. There seemed to be some association with colonization clearance in patients who are immunosuppressed. Further research should confirm that patients who are immunosuppressed are cared for under more stringent infection control measures, as well as increased use of antibiotics.

Speaker #7

Barriers and Facilitators to Midwifery for Women in Thunder Bay

Helle Møller

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

Lisa Bishop

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

Kristin Burnett

Department of Indigenous Learning, Lakehead University

Martha Dowsley

Department of Geography and Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University

Pam Wakewich

Women’s Studies and Department of Sociology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: While the uptake of midwifery in Thunder Bay is well above the provincial average, it is significantly under utilized by Aboriginal women and women of ethnic minorities. Objectives: To explore factors shaping diverse women’s birth attendant choices and decisions; and to increase facilitators and reduce barriers to their birthing choices.

Methods: Drawing on data from a larger pilot study, this paper discusses barriers and facilitators to midwifery access for a) First Nations, b) Euro-Canadian and c) visible minority and refugee women in Thunder Bay. Using in-depth interviews we explored where the women obtained information regarding birth attendant options; how and why they chose their caregiver; and their perceptions of the quality of their prenatal, birthing and post-natal care experiences.

Results: Facilitators included: health care provider/community and/or peer awareness of and positive attitude towards midwifery; personal knowledge and access to midwifery; expectations of a ‘healthy’ pregnancy and birth. Barriers included: health care provider and/or internalized constructions of ‘at risk’ groups (First Nations women) and risky bodies (young women); expectations of ‘complications’ to pregnancy and birth; negative health care provider attitude towards midwifery; little, or no knowledge of, or access to information about midwifery; late contact with/low number of midwives.

Conclusion: Women, their families, and health care providers need more and easier access to midwives and to knowledge about their services and scope of practice. Education should start in public schools and continue for all coming health care providers.

Speaker #8

A Systematic Review of Strategies for Increasing Evidence Informed Decision-Making by Nurses in Tertiary Care

Jennifer Yost School of Nursing, McMaster University

David Thompson School of Nursing, Lakehead University

Fazila Aloweni School of Nursing, McMaster University

Kristine Newman School of Nursing, Ryerson University

Rebecca Granann School of Nursing, McMaster University

Ann McKibbon Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University

Maureen Dobbins School of Nursing, McMaster University

Donna Ciliska School of Nursing, McMaster University

Background/Objectives: Evidence informed decision-making is believed to improve client outcomes; however the integration of research findings into nursing practice is sub-optimal. There is a gap in knowledge about what strategies work best to promote evidence informed decision-making in nursing practice. Objective: To synthesize the research evidence on strategies for promoting evidence informed decision-making among nurses in tertiary care.

Method: A systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies was conducted. Included studies examined the implementation of a knowledge translation strategy to promote evidence-informed decision making knowledge, skills, behaviours, and patient outcomes, as well as contextual factors. In addition to screening studies for inclusion, two independent reviewers rated methodological quality and extracted data from included studies. Findings were synthesized narratively and combined using meta-analytic techniques when appropriate.

Results: A range of strategies were implemented to promote evidence informed decision-making behaviours and patient outcomes. The majority of strategies were multifaceted and included an educational component. Behaviours did not significantly increase as a result of a multifaceted strategy [mean difference 2.7, 95% CI (-1.7 to 7.1)]. Findings identified barriers and facilitators to implementation consistent with the literature. The importance of nurse managers and advance practice nurses in promoting evidence-informed decision was evident.

Conclusion: Knowledge translation strategies to promote nurses’ evidenceinformed decision making behaviours and patient outcomes are being implemented and evaluated. Strategies identified in this synthesis may be helpful for informing decisions about how to promote nurses evidence-informed decision making behaviours and patient outcomes in tertiary care.

Poster #1

Addressing Weight Bias in the Training of Health Professionals

Erin Cameron Faculty of Education, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Weight-based discrimination, expressed as fat phobia and fat bullying, is prevalent in health education. Given that health educators report significant weight bias and endorse negative stereotypes, this study reviews the literature around weight bias and health education.

Methods: Through a comprehensive literature review, over 900 abstracts were retrieved. Despite a growth in obesity and weight related literature, only 126 articles addressed weight bias in health education.

Results: The published evidence is limited to personal perspectives and existing strategies appear resistant to weight bias. More work is clearly needed to examine the key factors that are necessary for effective stigma reduction and to determine particular approaches and strategies that work best. Furthermore within the handful of experimental studies targeting weight bias reduction that have been published, many yield conflicting findings. While some writing has shared individual perspectives of and specific strategies for addressing weight-based oppression, more novel empirical-based studies that are broader in scope and based in a range of perspectives are needed.

Conclusion: Leaders in Canada are calling for health educators to address fat intolerance, insensitivity, and discrimination, yet few have examined effective teaching strategies for reducing weight bias. This study argues now, more than ever, it is time for health educators to throw their weight, so to speak, into this important social justice issue.

Poster #2

Developing Palliative Care Programs in Long-Term Care Homes: a Framework and Resources for Organizational Change

Mary Lou Kelley

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Sharon Kaasalainen

School of Nursing, McMaster University

Kevin Brazil

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University of Belfast

Paulina Chow St. Joseph’s Care Group

Carrie McAiney

Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, McMaster University

Pat Sevean School of Nursing, Lakehead University

Janice Sheehy

Department of Social and Community Services, Municipality of Halton

Joanie Sims-Gould School of Social Work, University of British Columbia

Background/Objectives: Palliative care programs in long-term care (LTC) homes improve quality of life and resident care. The goal of the Quality Palliative Care in Long-term Care (QPC-LTC) Alliance (2009-2013) was to develop palliative care programs specific for LTC and research the process and outcomes.

Methods: A Comparative Case Study Design of four non-profit LTC homes in Ontario. The number of residents ranged from 96 to 200, with the number of staff from 91 to 242. Each home developed a palliative care program unique to their needs using our research process. A theoretical framework for capacity development and Participatory Action Research (PAR)3 approach engaged and empowered LTC study participants to identify their gaps and barriers to providing palliative care and then implement innovations, resources and tools. Evaluation of all activities was ongoing in each home.

Results: The research created a framework to guide formalization of palliative care programs in LTC. It includes three core components: (1) philosophy of palliative care (2) program description with organizational policy and (3) process of organizational change. These components are supported by 40 tools, modules, in-services, innovations for direct care (physical care, psychosocial care, and communication), education, and community partnerships. Resources are provided for managers, registered staff, personal support workers, allied health care providers, residents and families.

Conclusion: The findings of this research can support other LTC homes across Canada to create formalized palliative care programs that provide residents with quality care for life, until the end-of-life and meet legislative requirements and accreditation standards.

Poster #3

“Making a Difference!” Exploring the Value of Volunteering in Palliative/End-of-Life Dementia Care

Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio

School of Nursing, Lakehead University

Kathy Kortes-Miller

Faculty of Education, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Opportunities for improving quality of life must include discussions about building capacity to support those with special needs related to palliative/end-of-life dementia care. Increased training for volunteers on the topic of palliative/end-of-life dementia care is a specific need which had been identified by our local hospice/palliative care volunteer organization. This quantitative research study consisted of a purposive sample of 10 palliative care volunteers. The purpose of the study was to build capacity for a strong hospice/palliative care volunteer component in our community with specialized training in palliative/end-of-life dementia care. Community partnerships were formed to gather best practice strategies and current academic knowledge from theory, practice, and research.

Methods: A full day workshop was designed to provide didactic and experiential learning to explore the value of volunteering in palliative/end-oflife dementia care. An online survey design was used to evaluate the impact of the six hour workshop on knowledge and confidence for hospice volunteers who expressed a desire to learn more about companioning someone during palliative/end-of-life dementia care, especially in the long-term care setting.

Results: The data were analyzed to evaluate the educational intervention (workshop) and create a foundation for continuing education on this important topic. Findings from this study support the use of an educational intervention to increase knowledge and confidence on dementia care and palliative/ end-of-life care for volunteers working with clients and families, especially in the long-term care setting.

Conclusion: This study supports the use of a workshop to increase knowledge and confidence for volunteers, an opportunity to “make a difference” by recognizing the value of volunteering not only for the volunteer but for clients with dementia and their families. This poster describes the research study design, methods, community partnerships, development of the workshop content (which included the use of high fidelity simulation), rationale for the original online survey tool, data analysis, results, and recommendations for further research. The poster is complete with photos and quotes from study participants.

Poster #4

Peer-Led Debriefing Training Using High Fidelity Simulation and INNPUT Model for Front Line Staff in Long-term Care: An Evaluation

Jo-Ann Vis

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio

School of Nursing, Lakehead University

Katherine Kortes-Miller

Faculty of Education, Lakehead University

Jill Marcella

Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health, Lakehead University

Mary Lou Kelley

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: A quality improvement initiative (QI) for oral care best practice was carried out in a Long Term Care Home from Jan 2010-Aug 2011 by a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), Registered Nurse, Best Practice Coordinator(RN BPC) - Registered Nursing Association Ontario (RNAO), administrators, RN and Personal Support Worker (PSW) ‘Champions’, for oral care. This Long Term Care Home in Northern Ontario has a staff of 100 including Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, and Personal Support Workers. The objectives of the QI initiative were to improve oral care, and to decrease levels of debris in the mouth. Additionally it was anticipated that front line staff would come to more completely understand the importance of oral care to reduce debris and disease, and to practice cleaning residents’ mouths.

Methods: The methods included a Pre and Post Oral Assessment of residents by the RDH using Resident Assessment Instrument- Minimum Data Set (RAI MDS LTC) criteria, and review of the Home’s RAI-MDS reports on oral care by RN BPC. Process Measures included participation in educational/training sessions and chart audits of oral care that coincided with dates of assessments.

Results: Results that were derived from completed audits, identified issues and themes emerged. In many cases the documentation was incorrect. According to documentation 83% of residents had staff help but the levels of debris in the mouths contradicted the documentation. Documentation indicated some residents refused oral care for 5 consecutive days with no follow-up.

Conclusion: Researchers concluded complex factors, including systemic institutional challenges, affect the proper provision of oral care.

Poster #5

Personal Support Worker Empowerment in Long-Term Care

Charlene Burford

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Marg McKee

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Mary Lou Kelley

School of Social Work, Lakehead University

Jessica McAnulty

Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Ontario Personal Support Workers (PSW) provide 80-90% of residents daily care. Despite great responsibility to residents’ and their families, PSWs have little job preparation, autonomy and decision making power within the organization. Literature reports “heavy workloads, rigid work routine, low autonomy and low status”. Engaging PSWs and empowering them to contribute to developing the palliative care program was an explicit goal of the “Improving Quality of Life for People Dying in Long-term Care Homes” five year participatory action research project (PAR). To that end, a survey was conducted to evaluate PSW psychological empowerment.

Methods: Empowerment was evaluated utilizing the Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace (PEiW) survey measuring four dimensions on a 7 point likert scale: empowerment; meaning (the work I do is meaningful to me), competence (I am self-assured about my capabilities), self-determination (I have considerable opportunity for independence and freedom in how I do my job), and impact (my impact on what happens in my department is large). Surveys were distributed on site in four Ontario LTC homes to all staff working during a specified week in 2013. 193 PSWs completed the survey.

Results: Results indicated high mean scores on meaning (6.76) and competence (6.58), slightly lower scores for self-determination (5.82) and lowest scores for impact (4.22).

Conclusion: Consistent with other research, PSWs scored lowest on impact. However, the very high scores on meaning and competence presented opportunity. PAR builds on existing capacity therefore, these findings direct researchers to focus on engaging these PSW strengths.

Poster #6

Journey to Improve Oral Care in Long-Term Care Homes

Lynda McKeown

Oral Care Programs, Confederation College

Heather Woodbeck

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO)

Background/Objectives: A quality improvement initiative (QI) for oral care best practice was carried out in a Long Term Care Home from Jan 2010-Aug 2011 by a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), Registered Nurse, Best Practice Coordinator(RN BPC) - Registered Nursing Association Ontario (RNAO), administrators, RN and Personal Support Worker (PSW) ‘Champions’, for oral care. This Long Term Care Home in Northern Ontario has a staff of 100 including Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, and Personal Support Workers. The objectives of the QI initiative were to improve oral care, and to decrease levels of debris in the mouth. Additionally it was anticipated that front line staff would come to more completely understand the importance of oral care to reduce debris and disease, and to practice cleaning residents’ mouths.

Methods: The methods included a Pre and Post Oral Assessment of residents by the RDH using Resident Assessment Instrument- Minimum Data Set (RAI MDS LTC) criteria, and review of the Home’s RAI-MDS reports on oral care by RN BPC. Process Measures included participation in educational/training sessions and chart audits of oral care that coincided with dates of assessments..

Results: Results that were derived from completed audits, identified issues and themes emerged. In many cases the documentation was incorrect. According to documentation 83% of residents had staff help but the levels of debris in the mouths contradicted the documentation. Documentation indicated some residents refused oral care for 5 consecutive days with no follow-up.

Conclusion: Researchers concluded complex factors, including systemic institutional challenges, affect the proper provision of oral care.

Poster #7

The Effect of Common Teaching Tools on Upper Extremity Muscle Activity

Carlos Zerpa

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Nathalie Lopez

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Eryk Przysucha

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Paolo Sanzo

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Excessive muscle activation and repetitive movements of the upper extremities while using teaching tools in the classroom (e.g., blackboard use, Power Point presentation, or both) can cause muscle fatigue and increase the risk of muscle injury. Based on these concerns, there is a need to examine upper extremity muscle activation levels associated with classroom teaching tools to develop appropriate recommendations for teachers to minimize injury risk.

Methods: We analyzed data from 18 participants who were asked to teach a lesson using different teaching tools (e.g., blackboard, Power Point, or both). Muscle activation was measured using surface electromyography on the upper and middle trapezius, infraspinatous and anterior deltoid muscles for each teaching tool. The data were analyzed using two way repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: Inferential statistics revealed an interaction effect between teaching method and muscle type (F=4.861, p<0.05). The interaction effect revealed that using the blackboard as a teaching tool produced a high effect on muscle activation. On the contrary, when using Power Point as a teaching tool, all muscle groups converged producing a low level of muscle activity. When using both teaching methods combined (blackboard and Power Point), however, a moderate effect on muscle activation levels was obtained.

Conclusion: The outcome of this study can be used as an avenue to provide recommendations for teachers to minimize and prevent the risk of injury of the upper extremities by using alternating teaching methods (blackboard and Power Point). Future research should explore other tools ( e.g., smart boards) in relation to muscle activation levels.

Poster #8

Reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for ChildrenSecond Edition for Age Band 2 (7 to 10 years old)

Alexandra Boyle

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Eryk Przysucha

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Carlos Zerpa

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: The purpose was to examine the reliability of age band 2 (7 through 10 year olds) of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children – Second Edition (MABC-2). To date, no research has been conducted on the reliability of this section despite the fact that many items were altered when compared to the original version.

Methods: Eighteen typically functioning children (4 boys, 14 girls) (M = 8 years, 9 months, SD = 1 year) participated in the study. Intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient was used to examine the reliability of MABC-2 via test-retest experimental design. Each child participated in two, 30 minutes sessions, one week apart. The reliability of the total score (TIS) and 3 sub-scores (manual dexterity; ball skills; balance) was examined.

Results: The ICC coefficient for the total composite score (Total Impairment Score) was 0.66, thus indicating that caution is warranted when making inferences based on this score. The sub-components had ICC values of 0.63, 0.82 and 0.61 for manual dexterity, aiming and catching and balance, respectively. These values indicate, once again, that at least some aspects of the test need further examination in respect to measurement error.

Conclusion: The results suggest that MABC-2 exhibits only a moderate degree of reliability across the majority of the items/scores, for children between the ages of 7-10. In regards to future investigations, a larger sample and implementation of different methods of estimation (e.g., internal consistency; intra-observed reliability) are warranted.

Poster #9

Effects of Variable Type of Practise on Soccer Skills in Children Between 8 and 12 Years of Age

Michael Massei

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Eryk Przysucha

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Variability of practice (VP) hypothesis represents one of the most important concepts in motor learning. The purpose of this study was to examine if variable type of practice was more beneficial than the blocked condition in acquisition of basic soccer skills in young children.

Methods: Nine participants, 2 girls and 7 boys (M= 9.8, SD= 1.3) took part in the study. They needed at least 2 years of previous experience at the club and/or rep level of soccer. The blocked practice group had to pass/shoot from the 18 foot distance into a net, whereas the variable group had to pass/shoot from both the 18 and 22 foot distances, with their non-dominant foot. A transfer test was used to infer potential learning effect.

Results: The results showed no substantial difference between the groups during the acquisition trials as both groups exhibited a comparable degree of accuracy at 18 (Mblocked = 70% vs. Mvariable= 75%) and 22 feet targets, where both groups were successful on 70% of the attempts. However, significant differences emerged during the transfer test (Mvariable = 60% vs. Mblocked = 40%).

Conclusion: In line with VP hypothesis, variable type of practice resulted in increased accuracy as compared to blocked attempts. From the practical standpoint, these results indicate that when teaching fundamental movement skills such as kicking/ shooting the coaches should vary task demands (e.g., distances; size of implements; size of targets) during instruction. This approach although may not be beneficial at first, it will eventually lead to better learning.

Poster #10

Parental Beliefs and Attitudes on Their Daughters’ Health and Development Through Their Participation in Hockey

April Thorvaldson

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Joey Farrell

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Parental attitudes toward sport participation may influence a child’s desire to play and subsequent enjoyment of sport. Girls in the novice division may be participating in ice hockey for the first time. This inaugural experience in sport may have long-term implications on their health and development. A pilot study was conducted to obtain an understanding of how a parent’s beliefs and attitudes regarding sport participation have influenced the decision to have their daughter play hockey.

Method: Parents (n = 5, male = 3, female = 2) of girls participating in ice hockey in the novice division (4 to 8 years old) of the Thunder Bay Women’s Hockey Association were questioned using a semi-structured interview and demographic survey. The questions investigated their personal experiences in sport and how they feel playing ice hockey will impact the health and development of their daughter.

Results: The themes presented in the data are that: (a) parents would like their daughters to have fun playing sport, specifically hockey; (b) to enjoy and develop a life-long commitment to physical activity; (c) to make social connections, and build friendships; and (d) to acquire skills through sport that may be transferrable to other facets of their lives, such as teamwork.

Conclusion: Parents want their daughters to have fun while participating in ice hockey. Parents want to promote physical activity and have their daughters establish positive social connections with their peers. Further Research could evaluate the nature of the players’ experiences and whether they actually experience what the parents’ intended.

Poster #11

Enabling Older Adult Participation in Community-Based Exercise Programs: Developing the ‘Fitness that Fits’ Tool

Tracey Larocque

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Justin Lang

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Joey Farrell

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Ian Newhouse

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Glen Paterson

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: The benefits of regular and moderate exercise for older adults are well known. However, some older adults lack knowledge, have minimal experience and are unaware of their functional capacity. Researchers suggest exercise guidelines need to help match older adults with appropriate programs to optimize health, motivate individuals to engage, and enhance awareness of exercise ability. An individualized functional fitness based system would provide older adults with the means to select functionally appropriate, community-based exercise programs that can address these suggestions.

Methods: Fourteen instructors representing 28 exercise classes for older adults were interviewed and surveyed. Class descriptions and expectations of functional level required to participate were extrapolated to develop the Fitness that Fits (FTF) Tool. Sixty (55 + yrs of age) class participants completed the Seniors Fitness Test to assess functional fitness levels and were surveyed to determine whether class FTF level matched participant FTF level.

Results: Only 30% of participants exhibited ‘matched’ fitness and class levels, however, 83% of the participants stated the tool would be great for beginners or to support the transition from a clinical- to a community-based exercise program. 62% said they would use it again for themselves.

Conclusion: Participant comments suggest promise though the reasons for mismatch need to be addressed if the FTF tool is to be disseminated for public use. Another project is currently underway.

Poster #12

Exercise Motivation and Adherence for Cancer Survivors Engaging in a Structured Group-Based Exercise Program

Maelyn Hurley

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Joey Farrell

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Many cancer survivors are motivated to seek information about lifestyle factors that may influence recovery and longterm quality of life, emphasizing the importance of exercise during and after treatment (O’Mathuna, 2012). Cancer survivors have unique barriers as a result of their cancer and treatments including exercise motivation. Research has yet to explore what influences exercise motivation for cancer survivors and how it coincides with their ability to cope. Literature is lacking in terms of how a structured group-based exercise program (SGEP) may influence future participation of structured and unstructured exercise.

Method: Demographic information and exercise experience was collected via questionnaire. A semi-structured interview provided a better understanding of the participants experience in a SGEP and how it influences their intent to exercise and engage in continuous healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Results: Five individuals were recruited and indicated that previous exercise experience and functional abilities declined during cancer treatment/recovery. Weight gain and loss of energy were reported as side effects of cancer treatment, influencing their desire to enroll in a SGEP. Program structure and group dynamics were relevant as important motivating factors for participant participation, however exercises specific to individual needs should be addressed. Participants agreed unanimously that the SGEP provided educational benefits towards future exercise participation.

Conclusion: SGEPs provided participants with exercise education and ability to connect with other cancer survivors. Intent to continue exercise at home or through other SGEPs was evident. SGEPs should be individualized while ensuring that participants receive the benefits of group support.

Poster #13

WE-Can: Evaluating a Wellness and Exercise Program for Individuals with Cancer

Daphne Haggarty

Centre for Education and Research in Aging and Health, Lakehead University; Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Tracey Larocque

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Ian Newhouse

Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Centre for Education and Research in Aging and Health, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: After receiving cancer treatment, elderly patients are at risk for experiencing a decline in mental and physical functioning, especially when they lack social contact and exercise. Research has shown that exercise is an effective cancer treatment and prevention strategy, but literature examining group-based community programs is scarce.

Method: The WE-Can program is a 10-week wellness, exercise, and education program offered twice per week for 1-hour. We analyzed data from 59 participants (8 intakes) who were receiving, or had recently completed treatment for cancer. Information on physical ability (Senior’s Fitness protocol), fatigue (BFI), and wellness (SF-36) was collected at baseline and at program completion. Participant feedback was explored using inductive content analysis.

Results: Improvements to physical functioning were observed with regards to aerobic capacity (t(47)=5.88, p=.01), muscular strength (t(51)=7.68, p=.01), and flexibility (t(55)=2.96, p=.01). Reported levels of fatigue over the past week were reduced (t(45)=3.53, p=.01). Mental well-being (t(47)=2.14, p=.05) and physical well-being (t(47)=6.46, p=.01) likewise benefited. Participants expressed high levels of program satisfaction. Five major themes emerged regarding the program’s strengths: program staff, program design, group support, confidence building, and physical gains.

Conclusion: The WE-Can program supports individuals with cancer to remain or become active throughout their recovery and improves psychosocial wellbeing. Group-based community exercise programs for individuals with cancer offer a unique sense of cohesion.

Poster #14

From Cancer Patient to Regular Patient: Transitioning from the Cancer Centre to a Primary Care Provider for Follow-Up

Liane Kandler

Supportive & Palliative Care, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Andrea Docherty

Outpatient Nursing & Clinic Operations, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Kathy Simpson

Oncology, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Kathryn Bean

Oncology, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Background/Objectives: Regional Cancer Care Northwest implemented a Transition Clinic (TC), wherein colorectal and breast cancer patients are discharged to their primary care provider for follow-up treatment. This two-part presentation will address 1) the TC model, implementation, and associated challenges and 2) patient evaluation of the TC.

Method: The evaluation surveyed patient reactions to the Transition Clinic at time of discharge (n = 96) and again approximately 4 months post (n = 49; ongoing data collection in progress), focusing on patient understanding of the TC, perceived benefits and drawbacks, relationship with primary care provider, overall satisfaction with the model and with being transitioned, and distress. Descriptives and frequencies will be presented, as well as correlational, t-test, and chi square analyses.

Results: To date, notable findings include increased patient distress associated with: decreased understanding who is responsible for their care, decreased perception of TC benefits, decreased perception that their family doctor will be able to provide follow-up care, decreased overall satisfaction with the TC, and a poorer reaction to being transferred. Amount of time they have been seeing their family doctor was unrelated to other variables, however increased belief in family doctor’s ability to provide follow-up care significantly related with positive feedback across variables.

Conclusion: Findings will be discussed in the context of how the TC model can be adapted to address common patient concerns and feedback Please note: A preliminary version of this data was presented at the Canadian Association of Oncology Nursing 2013 conference; this presentation will include additional time 2 data.

Poster #15

Comparing Referrals for Common Mental Disorders (CMD) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI) from Primary Care Sites with and Without Shared Mental Health Care (SMHC)

Graham Gaylord

Northern Ontario School of Medicine

S. Kathleen Bailey

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

John Haggarty

Mental Health Outpatient Programs, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Background/Objectives: SMHC models differ from traditional outpatient mental health (MH) services in that physicians refer to a co-located MH service where patients receive treatment in a less stigmatized environment. Thunder Bay is unique in its implementation of SMHC in that over half of primary care (PC) sites implement some form of co-located MH care. We examined differences in MH referrals between two PC clinics. One clinic was co-located with SMHC, the other was not.

Method: Chart reviews were conducted to examine outpatient MH referrals (N=2050) from two demographically similar PC sites over a five year period (2001-2005).

Results: MH referrals increased by 2.05 and 2.98 times at the SMHC and non-SMHC clinics, respectfully, over five years. The SMHC clinic made 3.60 times as many MH referrals in total. Reason for referral differed significantly between the two clinics (χ2=47.192, df=2, p<.001). The SMHC clinic referred 2.58, 5.15 and 1.83 times more patients for depression, anxiety, and SMI. Referrals for depression to non-SMHC were 1.45 times more likely from the non-SMHC clinic (t =-3.53,df=531.85, p<.001).

Conclusion: The clinic with SMHC made more MH referrals than the comparison clinic. Referral rates for anxiety and SMI to traditional MH services were similar between clinics, while referrals for depression were less at the SMHC clinic. The stepped-care SMHC model appears to enhance the MH referral filter at the primary care level by increasing access to care while decreasing referral rates to traditional MH services.

Poster #16

Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Personality Styles, and Context as Predictors of Psychological Outcomes

Alana Rawana

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Josephine Tan

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Certain emotion regulation (ER) strategies are more strongly associated with symptoms of psychopathology and are used more consistently across achievement and interpersonal contexts. It is possible that the cognitive personality style of the individual may relate to the type of ER strategy used in different contexts and their psychological outcomes.

Methods: Participants (N=315) were assessed on cognitive personality styles (sociotropy, autonomy), ER strategies (seven types), depression, positive affect, and life satisfaction in two negative contexts (interpersonal, achievement).

Results: Among high sociotropic individuals, problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, and experiential avoidance predicted depression in interpersonal (b = -.10, p < .05; b = -.16, p < .01; b = -.13, p < .05; respectively) and achievement (b = -.14, p < .01; b = -.18, p = .001; b = -.12, p < .05; respectively) contexts. Among high autonomous individuals, worry/rumination predicted depression in interpersonal (b = .12, p < .05) and achievement (b = .14, p < .01) contexts.

Conclusion: High sociotropic individuals who engaged in problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, or experiential avoidance in both contexts reported low levels of depression whereas high autonomous individuals who engaged in worry/rumination strategies across contexts experienced depression symptoms. These results highlight the importance of considering the cognitive personality style of an individual as this style may be implicated in the effectiveness of certain ER strategies.

Poster #17

A Pilot Evaluation of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training Group for Patients Presenting for Bariatric Services

Mandy McMahan

Adult Mental Health, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Aislin Mushquash

Mental Health Outpatient Programs, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Background/Objectives: Binge eating is characterized by eating a large amount of food in a short period of time. Among patients seeking bariatric services, binge eating is common and often associated with negative outcomes after bariatric services. Despite this recognition, programs targeting binge eating and associated psychosocial factors are not routinely offered through bariatric services. Evidence suggests that Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills training is effective in reducing binge eating and improving psychosocial functioning. However, evidence supporting DBT skills training among bariatric patients is not available. The present study examined whether a pilot DBT skills group contributes to reduced binge eating and improved psychosocial functioning among patients seeking bariatric services.

Methods: Patients meeting criteria for Binge Eating Disorder, who were waiting for services with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre – Bariatric Care Centre, were given an opportunity to participate in the DBT skills group. The DBT skills group occurred weekly, for 10 weeks. Sessions focused on developing skills in: Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Participants completed a series of measures assessing their binge eating and associated psychological functioning before and after the group.

Results: Attrition was low over the course of the group (i.e., 10 of the 11 participants completed the group). All 11 participants completed pregroup measures, and 9 participants completed post-group measures. From pre- to post-group, participants showed significant reductions in the primary outcome of binge eating. In addition, results suggest a trend towards improvements in negative mood regulation and depressive symptoms, although statistical significant was not reached.

Conclusion: Preliminary results from this pilot study suggest that among patients seeking bariatric services, a brief DBT skills group has the potential to reduce binge eating – a behaviour often linked to poorer outcomes in bariatric services. Results also suggest there is merit in continuing to evaluate this service in a larger sample.

Poster #18

Community Based Participatory Research: Connecting, Learning, and Understanding

Taslim Alani Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Considering the many approaches to gaining knowledge that exist, the current presentation seeks to inform participants about community based participatory research (CBPR) methods, including its value and how it can be used. CBPR involves collaborating with individuals within a community, establishing needs and resources, and, through the research process, working to benefit the community. Goals of such approaches are to build trust, enlist new resources and allies, create better communication, and to improve overall health outcomes as successful projects transform into lasting collaborations.

Methods: The presentation will highlight several techniques that can be used in CBPR. Moreover, the presentation will use examples from research projects that have employed CBPR and the utility of such methods. One such project involves developing a psychological intervention for First Nations women who have experienced intimate partner violence.

Results: Through the employment of CBPR, not only do researchers work with knowledge and information that is relevant to the individuals involved, but the research process can empower the community involved. Such methods allow for communities to directly gain from research being done, reinforcing the benefit of collaborative research. Moreover, such methods encourage researchers to think critically about their role and purpose for engaging in the research process.

Conclusion: Researchers should consider using CBPR methods more frequently, especially when working with or for community development.

Poster #19

The Importance of Program Evaluation in Community-Based Clinics for Children and Their Families

Suzanne Chomycz

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Fred Schmidt

Children’s Centre Thunder Bay; Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Program evaluations are long-standing tools utilized by various disciplines to assess specific program outcomes. Program evaluation has recently been translated to the field of psychology as a way of monitoring client change and improving the effectiveness of specific interventions. However, there is a lack of literature available for clinicians in community-based clinics who desire to evaluate the effectiveness of their services. The current poster will review the existing literature on how best to assess clinically significant treatment outcomes in community-based children’s mental health services.

Methods: A comprehensive and systematic review of the current literature was conducted of program evaluations in various settings (e.g., clinics and universities) and with different populations (e.g., clinical, forensic, and school-based).

Results: Traditionally, statistical methods were used to describe change in community-based research, but fail to fully capture clinically relevant data that can assist with long-term treatment planning and recommendations. The strengths and weaknesses of various methods of determining change will be discussed, as outlined in the literature: the Reliable Change Index, effect sizes, and benchmarking. An application of these change indices will be conducted from a recent evaluation of a parenting program (N = 200) in a community-based clinic.

Conclusion: Program evaluations are essential tools for improving the quality of services in the “real world”, with feedback obtained from evaluations often translating into better client outcomes.

Poster #20

When Does “Yes” Mean “Yes”? Is Parental Consent a Necessary Component of Obtaining Informed Consent From Minors in Canada’s Indigenous Context?

Chiachen Cheng Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Shevaun Nadin Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Mae Katt

Centre for Rual and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University

Peter Braunberger

Sister Margaret Smith Centre, St. Joseph’s Care Group

Jane Fogolin St. Joseph’s Care Group

J. Bruce Minore Centre for Rual and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University

Carolyn S. Dewa Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Background/Objectives: Ethical practice compels researchers to obtain informed consent from research participants. When the participants are minors, research ethics boards (REB) often require the guardian of the minor to consent to their participation. However, there are some research contexts that make obtaining parental consent impractical and unethical, and require an ethical alternative to obtaining parental consent.

Methods: The NorthBEAT project is a descriptive study about the mental health service needs of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth in Northern Ontario. Many of the research participants are youth < 18 years old who have experienced psychosis and are living in communities away from their guardians. This context posed serious practical and ethical barriers to obtaining parental consent. Informed by the literature and in consultation with REBs, an informed consent protocol was developed that does not require parental consent.

Results: The REB approved consent protocol is a two step process. In the first step, only capable youth are invited to participate in the study. In the second step, the participants’ capacity is assessed during the consent process.

Conclusion: While REB convention is to require parental consent for youth participation in research, there are circumstances that make obtaining parental consent impractical, and more importantly, unethical. The NorthBEAT protocol presents a feasible and ethical alternative to requiring parental consent, and shows that informed consent of a capable minor may be sufficient for low risk research.

Poster #21

An SPSS Macro to Compute Confidence Intervals for Pearson’s Correlation

Bruce Weaver

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Ray Koopman

Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University

Hillary Maxwell

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: In 1999, the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Statistical Inference recommended that confidence intervals be reported along with effect size estimates such as correlations. Likewise, the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals state that when possible, one ought to report along with effect size estimates “appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals)”. IBM SPSS Statistics, a widely used statistical software package, does not include confidence intervals in the output from its CORRELATIONS procedure.

Methods: We wrote an SPSS macro to compute confidence intervals for Pearson’s correlation. It allows users to specify the confidence level and to choose either listwise or pairwise deletion. It requires only the Statistics Base module in release 14 or later.

Results: We provide examples of how to use the macro and of the output it generates.

Conclusion: We hope that SPSS users will find this macro easy to use, and that it will facilitate the recommended practice of reporting confidence intervals for correlations.

Poster #22

Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition Questionnaire

Nadia Mullen

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Bruce Weaver

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Thomas Meuser

School of Social Work, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Marla Berg-Weger

Geriatric Education Centre, St. Louis University

Shawn Marshall Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Holly Tuokko

Centre on Aging, University of Victoria

Michel Bédard Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: The Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition (ARMT) is a 24-item questionnaire (4 sub-scales) to measure emotional and attitudinal readiness to cope with mobility loss. In developing the ARMT, Meuser et al. (2011) used principle component analysis (PCA) followed by varimax rotation of components with eigenvalues >1. Recent guidelines suggest that: 1) true factor analysis should be used rather than PCA when searching for latent constructs, 2) the “eigenvalues >1” criterion frequently retains too many factors, and 3) oblique rotation should be used initially rather than orthogonal rotation. We conducted this study to determine if exploratory factor analysis (EFA) following these guidelines would identify the same latent constructs that Meuser et al. reported.

Methods: Data from 247 participants aged 70 to 89 were subjected to EFA (principal axis factoring, number of factors determined by scree-plot, oblimin rotation).

Results: This analysis identified 4 correlated factors, which accounted for 45.9% of the variance. Twenty-three items had factor loadings ≥.3. Three of the 4 sub-scales were the same as the original ARMT, although the items loading on each sub-scale differed somewhat.

Conclusion: The total score and 4 sub-scales of the 24-item ARMT are intended to encourage discussion and planning in advance of mobility loss, and identify individuals who may benefit from mobility counseling. Further research will need to establish whether the 23-item ARMT and 4 associated sub-scales can help achieve these goals more effectively.

Poster #23

The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: A New Shorter Version

Loretta Patterson

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Bruce Weaver

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Nathan Smith

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Michel Bédard

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ), which is a long (50-item) questionnaire designed to measure driving errors, lapses, and violations, has yet to be validated in a Canadian sample. The factor structure of the DBQ has also been inconsistent across younger age groups. The purpose of this study was to create a shorter version of the DBQ and to examine the psychometric properties in a younger Canadian sample.

Methods: The long version (LV) of the DBQ was administered to 236 individuals, aged 18 to 35 years, in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Results: An exploratory factor analysis (using principal axis factoring for extraction and oblimin rotation) supported a 4-factor solution, which explained 43.12% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alphas for factors 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 0.92, 0.84, 0.76, and 0.78, respectively. A short-version (SV; 5-items per factor) of the DBQ was created based on high factor loadings and high item-total correlations. Cronbach’s alphas for factors 1, 2, 3, and 4 of DBQ-SV were 0.82, 0.79, 0.74, and 0.71, respectively. Correlations between the SV and LV were excellent and ranged from 0.91 to 0.94.

Conclusion: The DBQ-SV produced comparable results to the DBQ-LV. The SV demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency and correlations between both versions were excellent. Reducing the number of items did not substantially affect the properties of the DBQ. This shorter version may lead to easier administration of the instrument among younger drivers.

Poster #24

CRSD-IDSQoL: Psychometric Properties of a Questionnaire Designed to Measure the Impact of Driving Status on Quality of Life Among Older Adults

Loretta Patterson

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Nadia Mullen

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Bruce Weaver

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Nathan Smith

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Michel Bédard

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group;

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Driving an automobile has been considered crucial to quality of life. As older drivers transition to being non-drivers, quality of life may become compromised. Our objective was to create a psychometrically sound measure of quality of life domains that may become compromised subsequent to driving cessation.

Methods: The Centre for Research on Safe Driving – Impact of Driving Status on Quality of Life (CRSD-IDSQoL) questionnaire and the Driving Habits questionnaire were administered to 114 (104 drivers; 10 non-drivers) individuals across Canada.

Results: An exploratory factor analysis (using principal axis factoring for extraction and oblimin rotation) supported a 3-factor solution which explained 52.06 % of the total variance. Factor 1 (mobility) explained 33.81% of the variance, while factors 2 (emotionality) and 3 (financial/impact on others) explained 9.70% and 8.55% of the variance, respectively. Cronbach’s alphas for the mobility, emotionality, and financial/impact on others domains were 0.89, 0.76, and 0.10, respectively. Mobility was positively correlated with number of kilometers driven per week, finding no driving situations stressful, finding driving in bad weather stressful, and having no driving restrictions.

Conclusion: The CRSD-IDSQoL includes three domains of quality of life including mobility, emotionality, and financial/impact on others. The mobility and emotionality factors demonstrated good internal consistency and the mobility factor displayed evidence of validity. Future research should compare drivers to non-drivers’ quality of life scores on the CRSD-IDSQoL.

Poster #25

USA Cyclist Fatality Trends 1985-2009

Erica Sawula

Research Department, Lakehead University

Sacha Dubois

Research Department, Lakehead University

Bruce Weaver

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Michel Bédard

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: Bicycling is an environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and healthy mode of transportation. However, in the U.S., more than 50,000 bicyclists were injured in 2009 and 630 died from accidents with vehicles (NHTSA, 2011).Our study examines fatality trends and contributing factors among bicycle crashes in order to better inform public health policy and practice.

Methods: We used the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to examine bicycle involved fatal crashes between 1985 thru 2009. Total bicycle fatalities were calculated in 5 year time-periods (e.g., 1985-1989) and compared to motorcycle and car totals. Demographic trends (e.g., cyclist age, sex) and crash conditions (e.g., crash setting, alcohol/drug involvement) were examined by time-period.

Results: There were 19,759 cyclists involved in fatal crashes (1985-2009). Of these, 18,898 (96%) cyclists were fatally injured and 465 (2%) suffered incapacitating injuries. In comparison, 85% of motorcyclists and 42% of car drivers/passengers were fatally injured. The majority of fatally injured cyclists were male (87%). Over the 30-year time-period, the proportion of bicycle fatalities by age shifted. For example, between 1985-1989 74% of bicycle fatalities were cyclists under 29 years of age, by 2005-2009 this reduced to 33%. In comparison, 19% of cyclist fatalities were aged 30 thru 59 between 1985-1989, by 2005-2009 this had increased to 52%. Crash conditions by time-period will also be presented.

Conclusion: Given the high cyclist casualty rate when involved in fatal crash and taking into account the age-shift in fatally injured cyclists, improvements to our road transport systems utilizing a safe systems approach should be considered.

Poster #26

The Therapeutic Effects of Taping in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

Paolo Sanzo

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Carlos Zerpa

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Eryk Przysucha

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University

Background/Objectives: The therapeutic effects of taping in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. P Sanzo, C Zerpa, E Przysucha, Lakehead University Background/Objectives: Knee pain secondary to patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common complaint. The incidence ranges from 3-40%, accounting for 5% of athletic injuries. There are a variety of taping techniques available but the exact mechanism of effects is unknown.

Kinesiotape (KT) and Leukotape (LT) are two types of tape used. In recent years, the vibrant colors of tape and high profile media exposure have increased the interest and use clinically. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research on the effects of KT and LT in PFPS patients.

Methods: Information was obtained through a comprehensive narrative literature review of articles from 2000 to present from a variety of journals and databases.

Results:The exact mechanism on how taping works remains unknown with limited studies incorporating suitable methodological design and quality. The review revealed that KT and LT positively affects psychological constructs such as pain, improves motor abilities (e.g. flexibility, strength), and the performance of fundamental skills (e.g. balance). Additionally, LT alters quadriceps neuromuscular control, the amount of knee flexion during gait, and patellar tracking. Therapeutic benefits may be further enhanced when combined with exercise. Recently, it has been shown that the effects of taping may not be biomechanical in nature, rather on underlying neural correlates of behaviour as evident on brain mapping and functional MRI.

Conclusion: The exact mechanism of therapeutic taping remains controversial. Research has demonstrated positive findings with few complications and negative effects. However, future research is required to confirm the proposed positive clinical effects.

Poster #27

Is Moving Better Than Standing Still? Comparison of Visuomotor Adaptation During a Dynamic and Static Target Task

Andrea Hantjis

Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute; Lakehead University

Jane Lawrence-Dewar

Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute

Shayna Parker

Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute

Background/Objectives: Visuomotor adaptation is the ability to adjust movements in order to successfully complete day-to-day tasks such as driving a car, brushing your teeth, or catching a ball. The present study compares participants’ visuomotor adaptation behaviour during a typical static point-to-point target task to that during a novel dynamic point-topoint task in which the target is moving. We hypothesized that a dynamic task would induce better adaptation with better performance after adaptation occurs.

Methods: 22 young, healthy right-handed adults completed both static and dynamic computer-based point-to-point visuomotor adaptation tasks written in Presentation software. By distorting the movement of the cursor in relation to the participants’ intended movements, visuomotor adaptation performance was investigated. Measures of path distance to reach the target, time to reach the target, and cursor velocity were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS to determine if there were significant differences in adaptation behaviour between the static and dynamic tasks.

Results: Participants showed better adaptation during the dynamic task reflected by shorter path distances and faster movement times and velocities once the distortion in cursor movement was removed.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the dynamic task holds promise for the study of visuomotor adaptation as better adaptation was found during trials with a moving target as signified by better performance by the participants. The results of this study provide the framework for future investigations of the neural correlates of visuomotor adaptation through functional MRI studies and for research in stroke patients.

Poster #28

Comparison of Breastfeeding Rates at Birth, Post-Discharge, 2 Weeks, 2 Months, 4 Months and 6 Months Post-Partum Among Mothers with Babies Born in 2005 Versus 2009

Lee E. Sieswerda Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Eija Leinonen Healthy Babies Healthy Children, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Background/Objectives: Health Canada recommends infants be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding for 2 years or more with the introduction of nutrient rich solid foods to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Despite this recommendation, breastfeeding duration in Canada falls well below the recommended duration for breastfeeding.

Methods: Two cohorts of data were analyzed from returned infant-feeding questionnaires. The first cohort of data was collected in 2006 from mothers with babies born in 2005 and was based on 298 questionnaires. The second cohort of data was collected in 2010 from mothers with babies born in 2009 and was based on 249 questionnaires. Mothers were asked about their feeding practices at birth, post-discharge (or at 48 hours if the mother was never admitted to hospital), 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months. Breastmilk could be received by breast or bottle, and was categorized into exclusive breastmilk or any breastmilk.

Results: There were no statistically significant changes in the percentage of children being fed any amount of breastmilk from 2005 and 2009. However, a statistically significant trend toward longer duration of exclusive breastmilk was found from 2005 to 2009. The largest change was noted at 4 months post-partum, where 58% of mothers were exclusively feeding breastmilk in 2009 compared to 38% in 2005.

Conclusion: There was a statistically significant increase from 2005 to 2009 in the average duration of women exclusively giving breastmilk. The largest increase in the proportion exclusively giving breastmilk was at 4 months post-partum.

Preconception Health Knowledge in a Non-Student Community Sample of Thunder Bay and District Residents (Preliminary Findings)

Kirsti Toivonen

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Katelyn Duchene

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Kirsten Oinonen

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Rosemary Scofich

Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Background/Objectives: The present study was focussed on identifying preconception health (PCH) knowledge deficits in Thunder Bay and District in order to help shape knowledge translation strategies.

Methods: Participants included 138 (20 men) non-student residents of Thunder Bay and District. Information on demographics; and PCH knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, and intentions for future pregnancies was collected using an online or paper and pencil questionnaire.

Results: While only 10.4% of participants reported that they didn’t know about specific behaviours or changes people should make prior to pregnancy, 31.6% were unaware that men should make any specific changes. Additionally, knowledge deficits were noted in terms of the effects of smoking (34.6%) and body weight (22.2%) on the ability to conceive, as well as the effects of preconception weight on pregnancy outcomes (31 to 60.3%), breastfeeding (54.3%), and infant health (68.6%). Other PCH knowledge deficits were noted for knowledge about decreasing use of plastics (42.5%), decreasing dust in the home (50.7%), eating organic or pesticide-free foods (42.5%), and getting a flu-shot (42.5%). Knowledge about preconception weight was associated with education and age. Income was associated with general reports of the need for PCH changes, and both income and education were associated with knowledge that men should make such changes. Having a family health care practitioner was also associated with PCH knowledge.

Conclusion: Specific PCH knowledge deficits were identified in Thunder Bay and District. These findings will be useful for planning local knowledge translation strategies as a first step in optimizing the health of future generations.

Poster #30

Student Preconception Health Knowledge: Preliminary Findings in Thunder Bay and District

Katelyn Duchene

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Kirsti Toivonen

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Kirsten Oinonen

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University

Rosemary Scofich

Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Background/Objectives: Preconception health (PCH) is a preventative strategy aimed at improving one’s health prior to conception in order to best prepare for pregnancy. Planned pregnancies are associated with healthier PCH behaviour and healthier offspring than unplanned pregnancies. Thus, having PCH knowledge and engaging in PCH behaviour should optimize offspring health.

Methods: Data were analyzed from 463 students (74 men) from Thunder Bay and District, primarily university students (n = 444). Information on PCH knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, and future intentions was collected using an online or paper and pencil questionnaire.

Results: Analyses indicated that 24.8% of participants had never heard or learned about specific behaviours or changes that individuals should make prior to pregnancy. Moreover, 51.6% were unaware that men should make specific changes in their health behaviours before trying to conceive with their partner. Additionally, 24.0% or more did not know that individuals should do the following prior to pregnancy: take a multivitamin with folic acid, decrease use of plastics, avoid eating fish high in toxins, use only non-toxic cleaners, decrease dust in the home, eat organic or pesticide-free foods, and get a flu-shot. Lastly, 84.6% had never heard of a reproductive life plan. In the university students, age and year level only accounted for minimal variability in knowledge.

Conclusion: Deficits in PCH knowledge have the potential to have adverse health effects on future offspring. The findings from this study will be useful for planning local knowledge translation strategies, in addition to contributing to understanding of PCH knowledge deficits.

Taslim Alani

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University talani@lakeheadu.ca

Fazila Aloweni

School of Nursing, McMaster University zaloweni@gmail.com

S. Kathleen Bailey

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University skbailey@lakeheadu.ca

Michel Bédard

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University mbedard@lakeheadu.ca

Marla Berg-Weger

Geriatric Education Center, Saint Louis University bergwm@slu.edu

Lisa Bishop

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University lisa.bishop@sympatico.ca

Amy Boucher

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre bouchera@tbh.net

Alexandra Boyle

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University aboyle@lakeheadu.ca

Peter Braunberger

Sister Margaret Smith Centre, St. Joseph’s Care Group pbraunberger@nosm.ca

Kevin Brazil

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University of Belfast k.brazil@qub.ac.uk

Charlene Burford

School of Social Work, Lakehead University cjburfor@lakeheadu.ca

Kristin Burnett

Department of Indigenous Learning, Lakehead University kburnett@lakeheadu.ca

Erin Cameron

Faculty of Education, Lakehead University emcarte1@lakeheadu.ca

Sharon Carella

Interprofessional Education, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre carellas@tbh.net

Chiachen Cheng Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group chengch@tbh.net

Suzanne Chomycz

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University schomycz@lakeheadu.ca

Paulina Chow St. Joseph’s Care Group

Donna Ciliska

School of Nursing, McMaster University ciliska@mcmaster.ca

Carolyn S. Dewa

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health carolyn_dewa@camh.net

Maureen Dobbins

School of Nursing, McMaster University dobbinsm@mcmaster.ca

Andrea Docherty

Outpatient Nursing and Clinic Operations, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre docherta@tbh.net

Martha Dowsley

Department of Geography and Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University mdowsley@lakeheadu.ca

Author List

Sacha Dubois

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group duboiss@tbh.net

Katelyn Duchene

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University kmgomes@lakeheadu.ca

Joey Farrell

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University joey.farrell@lakeheadu.ca

Jane Fogolin St. Joseph’s Care Group fogolinj@tbh.net

Rebecca Ganann

School of Nursing, McMaster University ganannr@gmail.com

Jenna Garlick

School of Social Work, Lakehead University jdgarlic@lakeheadu.ca

Graham Gaylord

Northern Ontario School of Medicine graham.mg@gmail.com

Carrie Gibbons

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group gibbonsc@tbh.net

Daphne Haggarty

Northern Ontario School of Medicine; Centre for Education and Research in Aging and Health, Lakehead University dghaggar@lakeheadu.ca

John Haggarty

Mental Health

Outpatients Programs, St. Joseph’s Care Group haggartyj@tbh.net

Andrea Hantjis

Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute; Lakehead University aehantji@lakeheadu.ca

Author List

Maelyn Hurley

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University mhurley1@lakeheadu.ca

Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio School of Nursing, Lakehead University Kristen.Jones@lakeheadu.ca

Jane Lawrence-Dewar

Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute dewarja@tbh.net

Sharon Kaasalainen

School of Nursing, McMaster University kaasal@mcmaster.ca

Liane Kandler

Supportive & Palliative Care, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre lkandler@lakeheadu.ca

Mae Katt

Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University maekatt@shaw.ca

Mary Lou Kelley

School of Social Work, Lakehead University mlkelley@lakeheadu.ca

Ray Koopman

Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University koopman@sfu.ca

Kathy Kortes-Miller

Faculty of Education, Lakehead University kkortesm@lakeheadu.ca

Vicki Kristman

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University vkristman@lakeheadu.ca

Justin Lang

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University jjlang@lakeheadu.ca

Tracey Larocque

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University, tmlarocq@lakeheadu.ca

Eija Leinonen

Healthy Babies Healthy Children, Thunder Bay District Health Unit Eija.Leinonen@tbdhu.com

Nathalie Lopez

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University nlopez@lakeheadu.ca

Jill Marcella

Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health, Lakehead University jmarcell@lakeheadu.ca

Shawn Marshall

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute smarshall@ottawahospital.on.ca

Michael Massei

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University mmassei@lakeheadu.ca

Hillary Maxwell

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University hmaxwell@lakeheadu.ca

Carrie McAiney

Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, McMaster University mcaineyc@mcmaster.ca

Jessica McAnulty

Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health, Lakehead University

Marg McKee

School of Social Work, Lakehead University mmkee@lakeheadu.ca

Lynda McKeown

Oral Care Programs, Confederation College lmckeown@tbaytel.net

Ann McKibbon

Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University mckib@mcmaster.ca

Mandy McMahan

Adult Mental Health, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre mcmahanm@tbh.net

Thomas Meuser

School of Social Work, University of Missouri-St. Louis meusert@umsl.edu

J. Bruce Minore

Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University bminore@lakeheadu.ca

Helle Møller

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University hmoeller@lakeheadu.ca

Nadia Mullen

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University nmullen@lakeheadu.ca

Aislin Mushquash

Mental Health Outpatient Programs, St. Joseph’s Care Group mushquaa@tbh.net

Shevaun Nadin

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group nadins@tbh.net

Ian Newhouse

Centre for Education and Research in Aging and Health, Lakehead University inewhous@lakeheadu.ca

Kristine Newman

School of Nursing, Ryerson University kristine.newman@ryerson.ca

Kirsten Oinonen

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University koinonen@lakeheadu.ca

Lana Ozen

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University OzenL@tbh.net

Shayna Parker

Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute smparker@lakeheadu.ca

Glen Paterson

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University glen.paterson@lakeheadu.ca

Loretta Patterson

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University lblanche@lakeheadu.ca

Eryk Przysucha

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University eprzysuc@lakeheadu.ca

Alana Rawana

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University ajrawana@lakeheadu.ca

Paula Reguly

Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University pmreguly@lakeheadu.ca

Paolo Sanzo

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University psanzo@lakeheadu.ca

Erica Sawula

Research Department, St. Joseph’s Care Group sawulae@tbh.net

Fred Schmidt

Children’s Centre Thunder Bay; Department of Psychology, Lakehead University fschmidt@childrenscentre.ca

Rosemary Scofich

Thunder Bay District Health Unit rosemary.scofich@tbdhu.com

Jenny Scoging

Infection Control, Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre scogingj@tbh.net

Pat Sevean

School of Nursing, Lakehead University psevean@lakeheadu.ca

William Shaw

Center for Disability Research, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety william.shaw@libertymutual.com

Janice Sheehy

Department of Social and Community Services, Municipality of Halton Janice.Sheehy@halton.ca

Lee E. Sieswerda

Thunder Bay District Health Unit Lee.Sieswerda@tbdhu.com

Joanie Sims-Gould

School of Social Work, University of British Columbia joanie.sims-gould@hiphealth.ca

Nathan Smith

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University nasmith@lakeheadu.ca

Josephine Tan

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University jtan@lakeheadu.ca

David Thompson

School of Nursing, Lakehead University dsthomp1@lakeheadu.ca

April Thorvaldson

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University akhadley@lakeheadu.ca

Kirsti Toivonen

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University kitoivon@lakeheadu.ca

Author List

Holly Tuokko

Centre on Aging, University of Victoria htuokko@uvic.ca

Jo-Ann Vis

School of Social Work, Lakehead University jvis@lakeheadu.ca

Pam Wakewich

Women’s Studies and Department of Sociology, Lakehead University Pwakewich@lakeheadu.ca

Bruce Weaver

Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University bweaver@lakeheadu.ca

Heather Woodbeck

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) hwoodbeck@gmail.com

Jennifer Yost

School of Nursing, McMaster University jyost@mcmaster.ca

Carlos Zerpa

School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University czerpa@lakeheadu.ca

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the following individuals for their work on the 2014 Showcase!

Annette Klement Secretary, Organizational and People Development St. Joseph’s Care Group

Sacha Dubois Research Statistician St. Joseph’s Care Group

Carrie Gibbons Research Coordinator St. Joseph’s Care Group

Michel Bédard Scientific Director St. Joseph’s Care Group

Remo d’Angelo Learning/Telehealth Facilitator St. Joseph’s Care Group

Duncan Koza Website and Graphics Developer St. Joseph’s Care Group

Erica Sawula Research Intern St. Joseph’s Care Group

Robert Srigley Senior Information Technologist St. Joseph’s Care Group and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre