Toronto neighbourhoods are devastated by loss of young men to gun violence, leaving the mothers of these victims to suffer grief-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, which in turn makes it difficult to care for themselves and their families. The effect of gun-violent loss compounded with existing precarious situations for women in marginalized communities creates complex traumatic needs extending across mental health care, rehabilitation and support services. Peer support has been identified as an effective low-cost therapeutic strategy for gun-violence survivors, by promoting individual well-being, resource access and wider community healing. This research team plans to develop and implement a community-based peer mutual support group for grieving mothers by 1.engaging grieving mothers in critical dialogue about the development, structure and process of a peer mutual support group designed to meet with grief and trauma needs, and 2.establishing a peer mutual support group for grieving mothers that provides coping strategies and peer support to meet their grief and trauma needs.

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  Toronto neighbourhoods are devastated by loss of young men to gun violence, leaving the mothers of these victims to suffer grief-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, which in turn makes it difficult to care for themselves a... https://youtu.be/OnEJEf8p1Uw">

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that in 2014, 93,600 Canadian women will be diagnosed with cancer and 36,000 women will die from the disease. International research is showing that certain races and ethnicities are disproportionately affected, with specific reports of breast and cervical cancer mortality in black women. This research team plans to conduct a pilot peer-education program on cervical and breast cancer screening for black Canadians in the Malvern community within the GTA. The project will consist of a peer education program using an “Afrocentric lens” in collaboration with community and academic partners, with educational sessions made available to the community, including assistance in navigating the healthcare system and accessing services.

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  The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that in 2014, 93,600 Canadian women will be diagnosed with cancer and 36,000 women will die from the disease. International research is showing that certain races and ethnicities are disproportionate... https://youtu.be/Ary-922gERU">

Immigrant women often experience mental health issues, yet there is limited understanding of strategies to foster their mental health and wellbeing (MHW). Previous community-based research (CBR) with racialized immigrant women in the GTA that has explored the link between activism and MHW shows that women's activism can benefit individuals and communities, yet is unlikely to be seen as a strategy to promote their MHW. Engagement with multiple levels of stakeholders points to service providers' (SPs) important role in promoting immigrant MHW. Several activism-based resources have emerged from the research team’s previpis CBR that could potentially support SP practice, but no research has been done that explores SPs' understandings of activism for promoting MHW of racialized immigrant women or their needs for using activism-based resources. The purpose of this exploratory study is to engage SPs in talking about these issues in order to optimize their capacity to promote racialized immigrant women's MHW. The research team will use purposeful convenience sampling to conduct two focus groups (FG) with 14 SPs working in community-based settlement or mental health services in the GTA to identify their needs and use these findings to draft a user-friendly tool to meet their needs for promoting MHW using activism-based resources. The tool will be revised based on feedback from 50 SPs and immigrant women in a community forum to discuss, evaluate the tool and recommend next steps. The final SP tool, project report, a short video, and clear language summary with project findings will be shared with diverse SPs and other stakeholders to build SP capacity in this context.

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  Immigrant women often experience mental health issues, yet there is limited understanding of strategies to foster their mental health and wellbeing (MHW). Previous community-based research (CBR) with racialized immigrant women in the GTA that has ... https://youtu.be/">

There is a significant amount of research on sex workers' experiences of interpersonal, and to a lesser degree structural violence because of their distressing prevalence in women’s work and personal lives. WOTCH Community Mental Health Services aims to better understand the interpersonal and structural violence experienced by women in London’s sex trade. Interpersonal violence refers to physical, sexual, emotional, and gender-based violence. Structural violence refers to the organizational culture of certain institutions that unevenly distribute resources like health care and social services and contribute to people’s marginalization. The first objective is to father women’s experiences with interpersonal and structural violence. The second objective includes interviewing service providers to learn about existing resources and the sorts of programs/approaches to service delivery that would strengthen their ability to service these women who experience violence. Qualitative, community-based methods will be employed in the study to gain insight into the participants’ lived experiences in relation to violence and service provision by conducting interviews with 20 women in the trade. This is a unique study building on existing work and forging new ground in seeking to understand the women’s experiences with violence as well as service provision in relation to the local sex workers scene and other factors that affect how life unfolds for these women.

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  There is a significant amount of research on sex workers' experiences of interpersonal, and to a lesser degree structural violence because of their distressing prevalence in women’s work and personal lives. WOTCH Commun... https://youtu.be/Zwy4yLvqpZk">

Young mothers engage in healthcare two-fold, for themselves and as the gatekeepers of their children’s health. That said, their healthcare engagement has historically been suboptimal. This study aims to better understand how pregnant and parenting youth (PPY) experience healthcare. The research team from Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Youville Centre seek to elicit youth narratives during storytelling workshops and through the production of digital stories. More concretely, this project’s objectives are: 1) To engage PPY and support the articulation of thoughts, feelings and experiences regarding healthcare engagement through digital storytelling; 2) To examine a group of PPY’s digital healthcare narratives; and 3) To explore PPY’s experiences of the digital storytelling process. Pregnant and/or parenting women aged 13-20, accessing community-based services at the Youville Centre in Ottawa, will be invited to participate. The study will engage 16-24 young women as story-makers in two digital storytelling workshops, in which each participant will produce and edit their own digital short. Data will be collected using a blend of interview, story circle, and observation methods before, during and after the workshops. Data will be analyzed thematically. Using a blend of integrated KT (iKT) and end-of-grant KT, the research team intends to foster critical dialogue with potential knowledge users around the province, including those in institutional, clinical, and community Settings. In addition to the traditional dissemination routes, the team will create lay materials for broader audiences. With participant consent, the digital stories themselves will be KT tools that will be showcased at open screenings in Eastern Ontario.

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The YWCA and the North Hamilton Health Centre have identified the need for better coordination of health services information and access to that information for women in Hamilton. The YWCA has provided various health promotion services to targeted groups in the city, including seniors living in social housing, South Asian women living in at-risk neighbourhoods, Mandarin-speaking Chinese women and Arabic-speaking Muslim women. The North Hamilton Community Health Centre has also served an ethnically diverse population including high numbers of single-parent families and individuals with lower median income than the overall city. From these experiences, the YWCA and the North Hamilton Health Centre propose a city-wide initiative to bring together groups that are already working on women’s health issues in the community and to expand capacity to other areas in need. This research team will explore the feasibility of a community-driven Women’s Health Network in Hamilton; a network which will coordinate existing information about available health services in the city and foster partnerships among health service providers, community and social services and academic researchers in women’s health. This collaboration will identify any further gaps in women’s health services in the city of Hamilton and will help design an innovative model for a community-driven Women’s Health Network which would effectively and efficiently improve access to much needed health services in Hamilton.

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  The YWCA and the North Hamilton Health Centre have identified the need for better coordination of health services information and access to that information for women in Hamilton. The YWCA has provided various health promotion services t... https://youtu.be/9DRviusXQ_0">

Intimate Partner Abuse (IPA) continues to be a major health, social, and economic issue within our communities with more than one in four women experiencing some form of IPA over the course of their lifetime. Specifically, strangulation has been identified as one of the most high risk behaviours for physical harm with Canadian research showing that soft tissue injuries including strangulation is one of the most common types of trauma in victims admitted to hospital. WomenatthecentrE in Toronto aims to improve the health and safety of women experiencing strangulation in the context of IPA. The objectives of this participatory qualitative research project includes describing the characteristics of women who have experienced strangulation in the context of IPA; the personal, physical and emotional consequences of strangulation; their help-seeking behaviors and the barriers they have experienced to seeking and receiving help from healthcare providers. Next, to create a guide, based on the evidence collected, that will help healthcare providers understand how to talk to women about strangulation and that will give women in abusive relationships a better understanding of the consequences and potential lethality of strangulation. Lastly to disseminate this guide to healthcare providers, women having experienced IPA, and the broader community using novel knowledge transfer and exchange tools such as a YouTube video and a bookmark. After conducting focus groups a semi-structured interview guide will be created for health professionals’ use.

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  Intimate Partner Abuse (IPA) continues to be a major health, social, and economic issue within our communities with more than one in four women experiencing some form of IPA over the course of their lifetime. Specifically, strangulation ... https://youtu.be/jN_rLiH3L14">

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Therapy (MBT) in reducing the risk for postpartum depressive symptoms in a Northern Ontario community, Thunder Bay. As well, the research team aims to determine if MBT during pregnancy increases the overall wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) of first time mothers during their pregnancy and the postpartum period. In total, 116 participants will be enrolled. Participants will have an equal probability of being assigned to a brief mindfulness group (MG) or a Social Group (SG) through random assignment. The women in the MG will participate in four sessions of MBT during pregnancy, while the women in the SG will participate four theme based session (recipes, painting, scrapbooking, candle-making). Primary outcome measures pertaining to mental health symptoms, QoL, wellbeing, and mindfulness will be assessed pre- and post-intervention as well as at 2, 4 and 6 weeks postpartum. It is expected that depression scores will be lower and QoL and wellbeing will be higher for women in the MG compared to the SG at the post-intervention assessment visit. In addition, it is expected that these trends will continue into the postpartum period. Knowledge translation of the intervention and study results will be done via workshops, meetings, telecommunication, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

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  The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Therapy (MBT) in reducing the risk for postpartum depressive symptoms in a Northern Ontario community, Thunder Bay. As well, the research team aims ... https://youtu.be/">

The Association of Midwives (AOM) is currently developing a new clinical practice guideline (CPG) in postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). CPGs are research-based documents that guide midwives’ and clients’ decision-making for a specific clinical topic. The AOM strives to consider and incorporate client values and preferences in the development of CPGs. Working with consumer volunteers to develop online, client-targeted resources that will complement the clinical content of the CPG. The research question asked is: what are the informational and support needs of women who have experienced a postpartum hemorrhage? Through consultation with stakeholders such as midwives, mental health professionals, lactation consultants and other professionals working with new mothers, and drawing on the experiences and voices of midwifery clients who have had PPH, hey will develop and evaluate multimedia resources for women who have had PPH.

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  The Association of Midwives (AOM) is currently developing a new clinical practice guideline (CPG) in postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). CPGs are research-based documents that guide midwives’ and clients’ decision-making for a specific clin... https://youtu.be/4IAwY83XqUI">

Women who experience domestic violence are more likely to use or become dependent on substances; however, their health and safety is at greater risk when Violence Against Women (VAW) shelters have policies prohibiting admission of abused women if noticeably impaired. These policies were replaced with a harm reduction approach at Huronia Transition Homes’ (HTH) La Maison Rosewood Shelter. Harm reduction does not require abstinence but rather uses non-judgmental strategies to help reduce harms caused by substance use. Such strategies have been found to improve health. Minimal research was found about the impact of integrating harm reduction in VAW shelters. The intent of this project is to examine the implementation of a harm reduction service delivery model within the context of a VAW shelter and to identify the benefits and challenges of harm reduction as experienced by the women served. The research team will qualitatively explore abused women’s experiences with harm reduction strategies. Interviews will be conducted with 20-25 women who attended the HTH shelter after the 2008 integration. The interviews will be transcribed and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. The project’s knowledge translation target audience will include academic communities, VAW and harm reduction advocacy groups and associations, VAW organizations, and women who access service. The findings and recommendations will be shared in document and video format on the HTH website, at relevant conferences and meetings, and in academic and other publications.

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  Women who experience domestic violence are more likely to use or become dependent on substances; however, their health and safety is at greater risk when Violence Against Women (VAW) shelters have policies prohibiting admission of abused... https://youtu.be/nHtSL-O7h5c">

There is a growing body of Canadian and international evidence on systemic barriers, discriminations and persecution/violence faced by LGBTQ+ groups and the impacts on socio-economic wellbeing and health. However, there is limited understanding of how sexual orientation and gender intersect with newcomer status to produce unique and differential outcomes for recently arrived LBTQ+ women in Canada.

This community-based research project will bring LBTQ+ newcomer women to the centre of focus and give voice to their experiences and needs. Through community-based research, LGBTA+ newcomer women will be actively engaged as leaders, the advisory group will include an interdisciplinary team of four LBTQ+ newcomer women, academics, service providers, and policy makers. These LBTQ+ newcomer women will provide high level input on project design and direction, and also act peer researchers on the project for data collection and analysis.

An Immigrant Insight Scholar position will be created as a paid and mentored fellowship program. This initiative has been developed internationally educated researchers to utilize and strengthen their skills, and develop the local experience of professional network needed to transition to a successful career as researchers in Canada. The project team will synthesis evidence to a produce a plain language best practice guidebook and video geared at promoting positive spaces and services for LBTQ+ newcomer women. Findings will also be used to create an evidence-informed Resource Guide to LBTQ+ newcomer women, to be shared with decision makers and frontline service providers from various sectors.

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Housing First is a proven model to enhance health and social outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Although gender is an important consideration within the homeless serving sector, Housing First has not been implemented with a focus on the unique needs of women, and participation in existing Housing First programs for women has been low. The Homes 4 Women program is a community service collaboration that aims to provide Housing First for 50 chronically homeless women in London, Ontario. Grounded in critical feminist theory, the purpose of this study is to conduct an evaluation of the Homes 4 Women program utilizing both community and individual level assessment. Research questions include community level: How has the community implemented Housing First for women? What are the benefits and challenges of service collaborations? How has implementation impacted the homeless serving system in London as it relates to women? Research questions also include individual level: What are the impacts on: housing stability, housing status, income and income source, health, access to healthcare, access to other supports, and community integration. This evaluation involves a trauma-informed participatory mixed methods design, and replicates a successful evaluative design used with a Housing First evaluation. Community level research questions will be addressed with qualitative methods including key informant interviews and focus groups with community stakeholders. Individual level outcomes will be assessed using both qualitative (i.e. interviews) and quantitative methods (i.e. questionnaires). A participatory approach will include women with lived experience throughout the study.

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Statistics show that the overwhelming majority of victims of sexual assaults and other sexual offences are female, and young women and teenaged girls have the highest rates of victimization (Statistics Canada, 2003); girls in Ontario high schools frequently experience sexual harassment in the form of jokes, comments and unwanted touch, and this type of victimization is associated with higher risk of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, eating disorders, dating violence, substance abuse, and feeling unsafe at school. Girls who have experienced and are coping with the effects of sexual violence, dating violence, stalking/ harassment, and online bullying routinely receive assistance through Victim Services of Leeds and Grenville. Methods for evaluation of the Youth Program will include surveys and interviews. This team aims to evaluate a Youth Program which includes three components: a volunteer program, classroom instruction, and an in –school supportive information and referral process. Specifically, the evaluation will assess whether or not the Youth Program is impacting attitudes and behaviours that have been associated with risk of perpetrating or experiencing sexual violence, dating violence, stalking/harassment, and online bullying. The project evaluation will also examine the impact of the program on attitudes and behaviours that encourage seeking or giving help.

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  Statistics show that the overwhelming majority of victims of sexual assaults and other sexual offences are female, and young women and teenaged girls have the highest rates of victimization (Statistics Canada, 2003); girls in Ontario h... https://youtu.be/UqVSrH1JWZg">

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Women across Ontario are leading change in women’s health – at local, provincial and national levels, in grassroots and professional roles and within and outside of the health care system. Among them are women who participated in women’s health leadership programming carried out by the Ontario Women’s Health Network (OWHN) between 2010 and 2013. These leaders are instrumental in advancing women’s health and health care in communities across the province. With Women’s Xchange funding, OWHN will survey and interview program alumni to assess the long-term impacts of their leadership activities, the facilitators and barriers to their roles as leaders and what they believe to be the key components of effective leadership development. The alumni include almost 200 women from across Ontario of diverse backgrounds and interests who are engaged with women’s health in grassroots, volunteer, professional and academic capacities. This project builds on OWHN’s leadership programming, including the Women’s Health Leadership Program (2010-2012) and Women’s Health Leadership Regional Forums (2013). This programming was designed to advance and strengthen the capacity of women in Ontario to take action on women’s health-related issues and to address systemic health inequities. Program objectives included building understanding of the ways sex, gender and other determinants impact health and health care and offering the leadership tools and skills to work towards improving the quality of women’s health and health care. The project will deliver a report and video that highlight women’s voices with the goal of supporting the continued development of cross-sectorial women’s health leadership in Ontario.

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  Women across Ontario are leading change in women’s health – at local, provincial and national levels, in grassroots and professional roles and within and outside of the health care system. Among them are women who participated in wom... https://youtu.be/nhsBACHUUQY">

There are higher rates of diabetes, respiratory and circulatory problems, hypertension, cancer, HIV/AIDS, mortality due to violence, and suicide among aboriginal women compared to non-Aboriginal women. It is believed that traditional, social, cultural changes are leading to the deterioration of health conditions for aboriginal women in their communities. This research team would like to find out if women and girls from aboriginal communities will benefit from the 13 Moon Model Journey. This model uses indigenous view, philosophy, practice, learning methods and pedagogy to assist women in learning, healing, coping and moving toward a balanced state of health, well-being and empowerment. This project will also improve understanding of elements that influence Aboriginal female health, and knowledge will translate to manuals, curricula and pamphlets for organizations and groups that provide women’s health services.

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  There are higher rates of diabetes, respiratory and circulatory problems, hypertension, cancer, HIV/AIDS, mortality due to violence, and suicide among aboriginal women compared to non-Aboriginal women. It is believed that traditional, so... https://youtu.be/BJM3QWDD78E">

Every year thousands of Canadian women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) potentially causing permanent traumatic brain injuries (TBI), a connection left largely unexplored. This pilot project surveys existing TBI specific knowledge and services in the Toronto IPV survivor support community and begins to bridge the divide between research and practice by developing a knowledge-to-practice network specific to this vulnerable population. This study’s research question seeks to better understand the current knowledge of TBI in the IPV support community and identify ways to improve the health and wellbeing of women survivors. The research team’s objectives will be accomplished through an online survey (phase 1) and a networking/education workshop (phase 2). Organizations supporting women survivors of IPV will be asked about their understanding of TBI in their client population and their ability to offer TBI sensitive services. Next, a network building workshop will be held gathering key stakeholders together to disseminate findings, generate recommendations for ‘next steps’ in research and practice, and offer relevant TBI/IPV education. This team of TBI and IPV researchers and service providers is uniquely positioned to address this gap through expansion of current networks and agendas. The team also has existing avenues for continued knowledge translation in TBI and IPV clinical and community health and support agencies, the TBI research community, and in policy arenas. The project is feasible, cost effective, and critical to improving our understanding of TBI and IPV and is the foundation for an extensive program of research intended to significantly improve TBI/IPV survivors’ health and wellbeing.

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  Every year thousands of Canadian women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) potentially causing permanent traumatic brain injuries (TBI), a connection left largely unexplored. This pilot project surveys existing TBI specific knowle... https://youtu.be/">

The Nanny Angel Network and Dr. Jay’s Children’s Grief Centre exist to support families through some of the most difficult experiences of their lives. When a mother has cancer, anytime from diagnosis through to bereavement, the Nanny Angel Network provides care for children aged 12 and under, to support the whole family's needs to care for themselves and one another. When a parent or child is dying or has died, the Dr. Jay Children's Grief Centre provides counselling and support to help family members communicate, grieve and care for themselves and one another. The research team from these two agencies hear from many of their clients that these services have helped them and for that they are grateful. However, as relatively young organizations, members of the research team have not yet conducted strategic, comprehensive reviews of their clients' needs, priorities, wishes, and examined how these fit within each agencies program goals, strengths and outcomes. By developing an understanding of how these services are helping clients across the trajectories of illness and grief, as well as recognizing their unmet needs, this project can help these organizations make informed, strategic decisions as they each develop and improve their various programs and services.

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  The Nanny Angel Network and Dr. Jay’s Children’s Grief Centre exist to support families through some of the most difficult experiences of their lives. When a mother has cancer, anytime from diagnosis through to bereavement, the Nanny... https://youtu.be/wmxYGYPsyHU">

This project aims to improve the health and well-being of women following breast cancer treatment. The main research question is: “What is the value of providing evidence-based post-treatment follow-up and recovery guidelines to breast cancer survivors”? This project involves collaboration between two academic researchers and five breast cancer survivors from Breast Cancer Action Kingston (BCAK) who will review existing guidelines for primary care providers and select and edit recommendations deemed important for breast cancer survivors. A sample of 60 women who have completed breast cancer treatment will be recruited to participate in a mixed methods evaluation. The project is an integrated knowledge translation project in which knowledge users from a breast cancer support group will be involved at each step of the research design and evaluation. Findings will be shared with breast cancer survivors, clinicians, and academic researchers at public and scientific meetings, and through press releases, social media and academic publications.

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Can we improve the health of Indigenous women and children, and restore Birth Justice, by building an Ontario Indigenous Full-spectrum Doula Network? First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM) women experience disproportionately high rates of poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Recent research has demonstrated that offering appropriate ‘cultural care’ and “continuous support for women during childbirth” can significantly improve neonatal outcomes and maternal health for Indigenous women. Therefore, this research team from York University and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network want to establish an Indigenous full-spectrum doula network in Ontario by developing, piloting and evaluating a free training program for doulas. This would be the first implementation in Ontario. This project is unique because the research team is adopting an Indigenous framework to health promotion, supporting all reproductive outcomes (not just childbirth) and seek to work with other professionals and agencies to decolonize reproduction for Indigenous families. Bi-monthly on-going booster network activities will be held. The team will follow up with doula trainees nine months after the initial training and invite them to participate in a qualitative evaluation of our efforts. Final results will be shared (including a video and brief report/feasibility plan for expansion) with Ontario’s two Birth Centres that follow an Indigenous framework, the Association of Ontario Midwives and Association of Ontario Health Centers, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Health Canada’s First Nations & Inuit Health Branch, as well as via social media.

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  Can we improve the health of Indigenous women and children, and restore Birth Justice, by building an Ontario Indigenous Full-spectrum Doula Network? First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM) women experience disproportionately high rates of... https://youtu.be/bh01bVhxvq4">

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The Regent Park area has been undergoing rapid change since 2005 as part of a 15 year plan to transform a social housing development into a mixed-income and mixed-use neighbourhood. The Food Forward Advocacy Alliance’s vision for Regent Park residents is to have healthy and actives lives towards reaching their full potential. For this project the goal includes reducing barriers negatively impacting the immediate and long-term health of racialized immigrant women and the specific goal of improving mental health and well-being that is associated with better employment and entrepreneurship outcomes for newcomer women from Kenya. The Kenyan women’s group is enthusiastic about moving ahead their idea to generate income from a community catering company. The project objectives include increasing self-confidence and self-efficacy among the target population, building positive social ties to reduce social isolation and the risk of depression, and to increase participation in professional networks to expand options for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Providing workshops to train Kenyan women in food industry to being the catering service allows knowledge to be translated to the community.

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  The Regent Park area has been undergoing rapid change since 2005 as part of a 15 year plan to transform a social housing development into a mixed-income and mixed-use neighbourhood. The Food Forward Advocacy Alliance’s vision for Regen... https://youtu.be/">

African-Canadian women have the highest rates of hypertension in Ontario in comparison to all other ethnic groups. This project aims to improve the health and well-being of African-Canadian women by implementing a gender-sensitive, culturally-responsive hypertension management intervention in faith-based settings. This project will investigate the following: 1) What are participant experiences within the intervention? 2) What are barriers and facilitators to successful implementation within church/faith-based settings? 3) Do participants demonstrate improved hypertension management behaviours (physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption and medication management)? 4) Do participants show increased protective factors (social support, motivation, knowledge, and time for self-management behaviours) upon completion of the intervention? An 8 week intervention for hypertensive African-Canadian women will take place at an African- Canadian church in Brampton, Ontario. The sessions will focus on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption and medication adherence. Outcomes will be evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively at baseline and 6 months post intervention. Research results will be shared with African-Canadian women, faith-based organizations, practitioners, funders, and members of the research community through presentations, summary reports, print and social media, websites and journals.

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Statistics Canada data indicate that nearly half of the GTA’s population is born abroad. Immigrants face cultural differences and language barriers. This can be a contributing factor to slow societal integration and minimal knowledge of Canadian standards, in particular Canada’s guidelines for healthy eating. Colorectal cancer has been identified by the Canadian Cancer Society as the 3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada and the 3rd leading cause of death from cancer in women in Canada. A need has been identified to overcome barriers that would prevent lack of prevention strategies and food literacy and physical activity. This research team plans to develop a culturally appropriate educational program around risk prevention for Chinese immigrant women. The goals will be to educate new immigrant women about screening services and prevention strategies, and in turn understand the health service concerns and prevention needs of the new immigrant women, so the women and their families can live a healthy lifestyle.

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  Statistics Canada data indicate that nearly half of the GTA’s population is born abroad. Immigrants face cultural differences and language barriers. This can be a contributing factor to slow societal integration and minimal knowledge o... https://youtu.be/pe2MXSiCdIc">

The Community Academic Reciprocal Engagement (CARE) program of the African Canadian Association and Wilfrid Laurier University seeks to inspire Black middle-school girls through the transformative power of arts. Exploring gender and race issues that impact health and identity will enhance visibility and honour their lived realities. CARE counteracts deficit views of Blacks by involving African elders in cultural training, thus valuing the resources and cultural capital the youth already have in their lives. Integrating social justice and employing community-based participatory model, the Black girls working with social work students will tell their stories and represent their narratives in art forms as social action with the aim of: 1) enhancing their agency to generate solutions to self-identified issues; 2) empowering and promoting healthy identity; and, 3) contributing to immediate and long-term positive health and well-being. The project employs social and ethical imagination to nurture emergent ideas, and community partnerships and social innovation framed by a critical thinking lens that centers African people and their realities. Knowledge generated from surveys, arts and story-telling will be shared through presentations, exhibitions, performances, and social media to enhance visibility of an ignored population because of public focus on Black masculinity and criminality. Creative enterprise (marketing of artwork) will promote sustainability and tangible validation of the girls’ value-added contributions. Evaluation of both process and outcomes has potential to facilitate skill building, inform expansion of the pilot program and development of culturally relevant curriculum to equip practitioners to better promote health and wellbeing of Black girls.

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  The Community Academic Reciprocal Engagement (CARE) program of the African Canadian Association and Wilfrid Laurier University seeks to inspire Black middle-school girls through the transformative power of arts. Exploring gender and race... https://youtu.be/nybREeBfXC4">

The Community Academic Reciprocal Engagement (CARE) program of the African Canadian Association and Wilfrid Laurier University in its initial phase sought to inspire Black middle-school girls through the transformation power of arts. In the first phase, the CARE program supported participants in exploring gender and race issues that impact health and in doing so enhanced visibility and honored their lived realities. In this second phase, this social action research aims to: 1) build on partnerships fostered during the pilot; 2) advocate for the girls as they transition to high school to promote belonging, health and well-being; 3) enhance educational aspirations of Black youth, and 4) integrate the youth into the African community as facilitators of arts based activities in the after Ubuntu Kids Club (an after-school homework support program), thus moving from victimhood to change catalysts by using what they learned from CARE. The project nurtures emergent ideas on the girl child, innovative youth engagement, indigenous decolonizing epistemology, and art as methodology and pedagogy. Knowledge from surveys, art and reflections will be disseminated through academic presentations, community-friendly “myth or fact” posters, exhibitions, and social media. Evaluation of both phases will inspire Black youth and inform policy and practical directions in interdisciplinary youth serving organizations.

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Approximately 160, 5000 Canadian adults live with an intellectual/developmental disability (ID/DD), associated with higher risks of violent victimization. Family Service Toronto provides counselling for this population with some evidence on perceived benefits. Adding peer support may augment counselling benefits of resiliency, health and well-being for women with ID/DD affected by sexual violence. The study objective is to investigate the feasibility and benefits of combined individual counselling and peer support. A longitudinal, mixed method study, exploring the feasibility and benefit of a combined counselling and peer support approach, provided on alternative weeks (10 sessions each) over 20 weeks. A sample of convenience of 10 women will be invited to participate. Peer mentors will be recruited and trained to provide peer support. Quality of Life Questionnaire (QoL-Q), individual interviews, a focus group, social-networking mapping and an attendee log will be used as assessment tools. Peer mentors with ID/DD will participate in both the testing and a secondary review of research tools. The QoL-Q will assess factors associated with resiliency at T1 (pre-intervention), T2 (termination of intervention) and T3 (three months post intervention). Individual interviews occur at T2 and T3, and a focus group with peer mentors at T2. Program document review will further inform feasibility. Findings will inform a larger study and contribute to developing good practices for delivery of support services for women with IDD/DD who have been sexually abused.

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Research indicates that bisexual women, on average, report poorer mental health in comparison to heterosexual and lesbian women. While a body of literature has established this health disparity, little work has been done to understand the causal factors driving it. One causal factor may be microaggressions (everyday experiences of prejudice faced by members of marginalized groups), which exploratory research has associated with an increase in stress and anxiety. Also important are microaffirmations (everyday experiences of support and encouragement), which are associated with a decrease in stress and anxiety. However, a reliable measure of these factors has not yet been developed for use with bisexual women. The Re:searching for LGBTQ Health team proposes to develop and validate such measures. This is in line with their mandate to understand how lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people experience physical and mental health, and access health services. The community-based mixed methods study will conduct focus groups with bisexual women to identify frequent experiences of microaggressions and microaffirmations, and will validate the measure statistically. Finally, the research team plan to test the relationship between microaggression, microaffirmation, and mental health for bisexual women, using a daily diary study.

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  Research indicates that bisexual women, on average, report poorer mental health in comparison to heterosexual and lesbian women. While a body of literature has established this health disparity, little work has been done to understand th... https://youtu.be/g1YD2Fw3wbc">

Breast cancer is a common illness, affecting over 25,000 women across Canada last year. Surgical decision-making can be a difficult, complex and personal process. Patients who are well informed about their treatment options are more likely to actively participate in the decision-making process. Current patient educational resources consist of text-based brochures and discussions in the clinic setting. There is a need for state-of-the-art online educational content to assist in explaining the indications, risks and benefits, preoperative preparation, and post-operative outcomes for surgery. The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate the use of an online educational video for breast surgery decision-making. This short video will incorporate illustrations and animations based on 3D models of the breast and axilla and depict different surgical options including nipple sparing and skin sparing mastectomy with reconstruction. The video will be freely available on the Internet, and patients can view the video at home or in conjunction with their surgical consultation. The research team anticipates that exposure to the video will improve patients’ understanding of their treatment options, allowing them to be better prepared to engage in the decision-making process, as well as improve their satisfaction after making their treatment decision.

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Trans youth experience a high level of unmet needs with regard to sexual health, and lack access to appropriate and inclusive sexual health education and services. This team believes that trans youth deserve to be included in the sexual health information, resources and services across the board. This project will involve and benefit trans youth broadly, including trans women, trans men, and people with non-binary gender identities, as these individuals all face exclusion and stressors stemming from gender-based marginalization. The project's goal is to develop solutions to increase the inclusion of trans youth in sexual health education by developing guidelines and language around sexual health that includes all genders and bodies. This will be achieved through interviews with eight service providers and focus groups with 24 trans youth, the results of which will be used to inform the development of recommendations and a guideline manual to support service providers and educators in talking about sexual health and providing services in trans-inclusive ways. The draft manual will be taken to the community for review and validation through a town hall feedback session, a focus group with eight trans youth, and a focus group of service providers. After incorporating the feedback from these activities, the team will publish the manual (in print and online) and promote it widely to service providers and educators in efforts to better inform future practice.

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  Trans youth experience a high level of unmet needs with regard to sexual health, and lack access to appropriate and inclusive sexual health education and services. This team believes that trans youth deserve to be included in the sexual ... https://youtu.be/x1GzNO9NmWQ">

Every 40 seconds, a women dies of unrecognized symptoms of heart disease. Women fail to recognize the unique warning signs (Prodromal Symptoms, PS) that are quite different compared to men. This lack of knowledge results in delay in seeking medical attention for PS. Knowledge and increased awareness of PS may prevent increasing morbidity and mortality associated with missed recognition of prodromal symptoms. Through a user-centred design, in partnership with community, academic and scientific and affected citizen knowledge user groups, this project will develop and provide critical education to women and clinicians of cardiac prodromal symptoms and provided access to evidence-based information/research on cardiac prodromal symptoms in the form of education materials, (e-resources) for future educational use and reference, targeting women with heart disease, the general public and clinicians within the Niagara Region.

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Population-based studies indicate that an estimated 4-7% of Canadian older adults experience some serious form of elder abuse or maltreatment. Common scenarios of elder abuse are (1) acts of isolation and neglect by an adult child or caregiver, (2) physical or sexual assault by an intimate partner, adult child or caregiver, and (3) financial or material exploitation by a stranger, family member or professional. Abuse or neglect by a partner with advancing dementia, and/or systematic neglect by a long-term health care provider are also forms of elder abuse. In 2004 in Canada, the rate of family-related elder abuse against older women was 22% higher than the rate for older men, illustrating that elder abuse is a gendered problem. Furthermore, elder abuse has been shown to be associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Thus interventions designed to address this issue must be comprehensive and coordinated. This research team plans to advance a multi-phase multi-method program of research to develop, implement and evaluate an evidence-informed Nurse Examiner led hospital-based Elder Abuse Intervention. The program will be designed to recognize the needs of older women and other populations disproportionately affected by elder abuse, such as ethnic and racial minorities, and those with cognitive impairment, mental health issues and living in different settings including long-term care. The research team’s objectives will be to determine the importance of the recommendations for responding to elder abuse for implementation, and based on those findings to develop, pilot and evaluate an elder abuse curriculum associated training manual and protocol, i.e. forms and guidelines used in the delivery of clinical care.

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  Population-based studies indicate that an estimated 4-7% of Canadian older adults experience some serious form of elder abuse or maltreatment. Common scenarios of elder abuse are (1) acts of isolation and neglect by an adult child or car... https://youtu.be/3cQBO8y1s_8">

Disordered eating affects a significant number of people, most of them women. Eating disorders have serious physical and psychological consequences, and the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. However, treatment is challenging and prevention is key to reducing the number of women affected by eating disorders. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) provides community outreach and education to high school students around eating disorders. An issue of practical importance to NEDIC is whether their presenters (often women themselves) should disclose when they have personally recovered from an eating disorder. Despite a growing academic literature on other aspects of prevention, there is no research informing best practices around disclosure about lived experience with an eating disorder. The information gained from the present study can then be used to improve the current prevention program that NEDIC presents to adolescents, while additionally adding to the broader literature on eating disorder prevention. Working alongside NEDIC's team, the collaborators will exchange ideas and use this study in a way that will benefit both the non-profit organization and the population that this organization aims to help. It is important that this type of research is continued and supported in an effort to reduce adolescents’ (specifically females) risk of developing this group of life-threatening mental illnesses.

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Positive body image is of central importance to healthy psychological development of youth. Studies have shown that negative body image and body dissatisfaction are associated with feelings of depression, low self-esteem, and dieting behaviours. Pregnancy is associated with changes in body shape that influence body image satisfaction. This is of particular concern for pregnant youth, as they are already at increased risk for medical complications. Dissatisfaction with body image during pregnancy is a determinant of depressive symptoms in pregnancy and postpartum, which can ultimately be detrimental for mother and child. This research team plans to understand the needs of pregnant and parenting youth with regard to body image. They will strive to understand the needs of community organizations that specialize in services for the pregnant and parenting youth to be able to support them with body image issues. They will also learn how health care providers and policy makers can better address the needs of the pregnant and parenting youth.

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  Positive body image is of central importance to healthy psychological development of youth. Studies have shown that negative body image and body dissatisfaction are associated with feelings of depression, low self-esteem, and dieting beh... https://youtu.be/7JQ_nL9YnSI">

This project aims to encourage women using inpatient psychiatric services to identify their intimacy and sexual expression needs and plans to implement and evaluate a strategy to increase women's opportunity for healthy sexual expression. Adults living with mental illness have higher rates of STD, unprotected sex, and multiple short-term sex partners. Women face higher risks of sexual assault if they are living with mental illness, making sexual health promotion among women living with mental illness a priority. When women enter inpatient psychiatric services, some hospital policies endorse patients’ sexual intimacy but also limit patients’ rights or deem them in need of protection, despite a limited evidence-base for assessing need for “protection.” This research team from Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care will evaluate a sexual health strategy on one inpatient unit that aims to provide a safe and dignified process for addressing intimacy needs and sexual expression, including a privacy suite and a tool to help clinicians assess competence to consent to sexual activity. The team will use a before-after and control-group design, using semi-structured interviews to address the research questions, “Do women express unmet needs for intimacy and sexual expression?” and “Do they perceive they have the right to healthy sexual expression?” For a third research question, "What is the reliability and validity of a sexual competency assessment tool?", the researchers will examine inter-rater reliability between a clinician and research interviewer, concurrent validity between the tool and related interview questions, and change in use of the tool before vs. after implementation and on the implementation vs. comparison unit.

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  This project aims to encourage women using inpatient psychiatric services to identify their intimacy and sexual expression needs and plans to implement and evaluate a strategy to increase women's opportunity for healthy sexual expression... https://youtu.be/_7e1oMJMF2w">

Marginalized sex workers often experience isolation, homelessness, poverty, violence, mental health issues and addictions. These realities create a critical need for health services. However, multiple structural and individual barriers impede marginalized sex workers access to these vital services, resulting in negative health outcomes. The team at Street Health will assess if community driven approaches can increase health care worker’s understanding of factors that influence the health of marginalized women involved in sex work. This proposed project will provide the findings and information on how to implement recommendations taken from the needs assessment. The goal of the training is to inform practitioners about best practices that will enhance their capacity to effectively address health concerns relevant to marginalized sex workers. This proposed project will provide the findings and information on how to implement recommendations taken from the needs assessment. 10 health care organizations and a minimum of 50 health care workers will receive training facilitated by sex workers.

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  Marginalized sex workers often experience isolation, homelessness, poverty, violence, mental health issues and addictions. These realities create a critical need for health services. However, multiple structural and individual barriers i... https://youtu.be/e15M6sYkkvo">

Dementia is a condition that disproportionately affects women. It is estimated 72% of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Women with dementia who live alone in the community face extraordinary challenges to their health, safety and well-being, including an increased risk for falls, depression and living at low income. It is critical to increase the understanding of the experiences and unique psychosocial challenges faced by women with dementia living alone to inform the development of updated and more inclusive resources. The Alzheimer Society of Ontario together with the Centre for Education on Research & Aging at Lakehead University are partnering on this project to (1) enhance understanding of the experiences and needs of women with dementia who live alone in the community and (2) to promote further research targeting this population. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with women living in different regions of Ontario. The knowledge acquired through this study can be readily infused into the work of the partner organizations to make their educational resources and services more inclusive and sensitive to the particular needs of women with dementia, in addition to promoting awareness.

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  Dementia is a condition that disproportionately affects women. It is estimated 72% of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Women with dementia who live alone in the community face extraordinary challenges to their healt... https://youtu.be/xdiD-Cd37QI">

The primary goal of this study is to ensure that trans sexual assault survivors, who historically have had limited or no access to culturally sensitive services that address the violence perpetrated against them, are receiving informed and appropriate care from Ontario's violence treatment centres. As a first step towards reaching this aim, Women’s College Research Institute will be working in collaboration with members of the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Centres (SA/DVTCs), which represents the collective efforts of 35 hospital-based treatment programs to engage in public awareness, community outreach, education, and research activities. The specific objectives of this study are to lay the groundwork for potential enhancement of hospital-based violence services and training to better meet the diverse needs of trans survivors of sexual assault and in particular trans identified women, who have been shown to experience heightened rates of sexual assault, discrimination, and abuse.

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Violence against women is a global health concern which can take on many different forms. One of the most commonly examined types is IPV: a pattern of physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence by an intimate partner within the context of coercive control. Studies have shown that abuse usually occurs in combination with other types and it has become essential to understand the damaging impacts of abuse on women’s health. This further identifies the need for trauma informed primary health care for women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and other forms of violence and trauma. A number of agencies in Middlesex County offer unique solutions to women in needs of trauma informed health and social services. The Health Zone Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic (NPLC), together with the University of Toronto, the Women’s Rural Resource Centre (WRRC), Women’s Community House (WCH) and My Sisters’ Place (MSP), will conduct a multiple case study analysis to evaluate three “models” of trauma informed services in Middlesex County. Their goals are to examine the feasibility, acceptability and perceived impacts of the three current models of trauma informed social and primary care services (i.e. shelter-integrated, day programs-integrated, and shelter-referral, respectively). They will also identify gaps and recommendations for improving the quality of services offered to marginalized women in Middlesex (and beyond).

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  Violence against women is a global health concern which can take on many different forms. One of the most commonly examined types is IPV: a pattern of physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence by an intimate partner within the context ... https://youtu.be/q4gnvwJgsg0">

There is unequivocal evidence to show that participation in sport is lower among adolescent girls when compared to age-matched boys, and that among girls, ethnic minorities are particularly underrepresented in sport. Although constraints to sport participation among adolescent girls have been identified, little is known about the interaction of these constraints in diverse milieus where a wide range of factors interplay. Durham Region has recently experienced population growth largely as a result of the influx of newcomers, many of which are representative of ethnic minorities. The successful design of sport participation promotion programs for ethnic-minority girls that reside in the Durham region is dependent on research that examines interactions of sport constraints at the local level, and seeks to address them. In order to gain in-depth knowledge of this research area, this project aims to i) compile a list of previously identified constraints for sport participation among adolescent girls, ii) develop and administer a data collection tool on a sample of ethnic-minority adolescent girls (n=100) from Durham region, iii) incorporate Geographical Information Systems (GIS) analyses in order to objectively measure geographical and environmental features for each participant’s neighborhood, iv) conduct focus groups to gather in-depth understanding of potential programs or needs that have the capacity to increase sport participation, and v) disseminate this knowledge to end-users and policy makers. Knowledge translation will be used to increase sport participation among female adolescents who are of groups with additional constraints, for example, ethnic minority girls with low motivation and low self-efficacy.

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  There is unequivocal evidence to show that participation in sport is lower among adolescent girls when compared to age-matched boys, and that among girls, ethnic minorities are particularly underrepresented in sport. Although constraints... https://youtu.be/GzKGWfXeyZ8">

This novel research has the potential to inform both providers of perinatal care and mental health services to improve care for childbearing women who are survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the pervasiveness of IPV and the deleterious sequela related to posttraumatic disorder symptomatology, there remains a considerable dearth of literature evaluating interventions to prevent and/or treat IPV-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among at-risk childbearing women. As such, there are two main overarching goals for this one-year project: 1) to explore the effectiveness of providing trauma-informed cognitive behavioural therapy to pregnant women experiencing PTSD (or PTSD symptomatology) as a result of IPV on intrapartum and postpartum mental health outcomes; and 2) to test the feasibility of methods and procedures needed for the successful implementation and validity of a full-scale randomized controlled trial. Using a mixed methods approach and employing a feminist, intersectional framework, this study will include structured interviews to ground the research findings in the lived experiences of participants as well as a retrospective chart review.

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More than 90,000 women in Canada have an induced abortion each year with approximately 33% taking place in Ontario. Despite the prevalence of this procedure, the stigma surrounding abortion in the Canadian political and social climate often silences women’s voices, leaving them with few opportunities to share and discuss abortion experiences. While a body of research indicates that the majority of women do not experience negative emotional or adverse psychological outcomes after an abortion, it has also been shown that women experience a complex range of emotions following a termination and may require a space to process them. This project from the University of Ottawa aims to expand access to non-judgmental, non-directive post-abortion support to women in Ontario. Backline is a bi-national organization that operates a confidential toll free Talk line dedicated to providing counseling and support to women and their loved ones seeking information about pregnancy, parenting, abortion, and adoption. Developing a training module, training 30 Backline volunteers, and creating tailored and targeted information about Backline’s services comprises the program. Additionally, distributing information through print and video will increase knowledge and awareness about abortion support services in Ontario.

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  More than 90,000 women in Canada have an induced abortion each year with approximately 33% taking place in Ontario. Despite the prevalence of this procedure, the stigma surrounding abortion in the Canadian political and social climate of... https://youtu.be/">

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Women with epilepsy (WWE) face many gender-specific challenges with both epilepsy and the antiepileptic drugs used to treat seizures. However, multiple studies indicate a lack of knowledge and a desire for more information about epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs among WWE. Community pharmacists are easily accessible sources of information and are capable of filling the gap demonstrated among WWE. However, there is no published research that investigates the information needs that WWE have of their community pharmacist with regards to epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs. Therefore, this study will use a qualitative focus group methodology to understand the expectations and needs that WWE have of their community pharmacist with regard to the safety and effective use of antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epilepsy. A qualitative focus group methodology will encourage a range of responses to the research questions to gain a better understanding of expectations, needs and experiences of WWE. The research team uses constant comparison analysis to analyze the transcribed notes of the audio-recorded focus group sessions. The results of the study will be provided to WWE through Epilepsy Waterloo Wellington; additionally, regional community pharmacists will be engaged at several regional meetings to review and discuss the findings. The results of the study will also be presented nationally at the annual Canadian Pharmacists Association in May 2016. Finally, findings from the study will be used to inform the development of patient information and engagement tools that could be utilized by community pharmacists to inform WWE in a future research project.

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  Women with epilepsy (WWE) face many gender-specific challenges with both epilepsy and the antiepileptic drugs used to treat seizures. However, multiple studies indicate a lack of knowledge and a desire for more information about epilepsy... https://youtu.be/fZHwr-e0uWA">

Findings from numerous studies reveal that Aboriginal women continue to experience significantly higher rates of all types of violence when compared to non-Aboriginal women. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is particularly prevalent. The cycle of IPV is intergenerational and impacts on rates of depression, addictions, cervical and breast cancer screening rates, STDs, sexual abuse and violence, as well as child apprehensions and increased high school drop-out rates. Despite these enormous inequities, little research has focused on IPV in Aboriginal communities. This study proposes using community-based participatory methods based on partnership between five First Nations communities in Northern Ontario, a First Nations health agency, and three academic researchers at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) to identify community and cultural strengths related to the prevention of IPV. With their depth and breadth of experiences, the research team is ideally suited for this project which will use photovoice, a methodology that invites research participants to use photographs as a way to share their narratives. This methodology stimulates social action, promotes group discussion on cultural facilitators and teachings, and identifies community strengths for healthy intimate relationships. Photovoice is a participatory research process, which fits with the research teams overall research approach and also opens up a dialogue on IPV prevention. The team will also collaborate with a local advisory group. The long term goal of this project is to foster local empowerment to address IPV from a community perspective, reduce the serious issue of IPV in Aboriginal communities and to share these findings across Ontario.

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  Findings from numerous studies reveal that Aboriginal women continue to experience significantly higher rates of all types of violence when compared to non-Aboriginal women. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is particularly prevalent. The ... https://youtu.be/cQNOZVMfrqA">

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The Women's Mental Health and Addiction Network (WMHAN) collaborated with Women’s College Hospital to gather preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility and effectiveness of the “Trauma One Group Intervention”. To address the lack of trauma-informed group programming available to, and appropriate for, homeless/precariously housed women in Toronto. The WMHAN designed a 10-week-trauma-informed, women centered and community-based group intervention for homeless/precariously housed women. The objectives of the group include increasing awareness of the effects of trauma, including histories of mental health and substance use; teaching healing skills, including self-care; increasing positive beliefs such as self-acceptance, hope, personal power and compassion; and decreasing shame and isolation. The study objectives include: Demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting and retaining homeless/precariously housed women for the “Trauma One Group Intervention” Gather preliminary evidence of the effectiveness or benefit of the intervention for homeless/precariously housed women with experience of trauma, and, Determine the acceptability of the intervention and whether and how it should be modified to better meet homeless/precariously housed women. Research on the effectiveness of trauma-informed programs for homeless/precariously housed women with trauma histories, substance use and/or mental health problems is nascent. This research team will use an integrated knowledge translation methodology. Research experts, practitioners, decision-makers and end-users are working collaboratively to ensure the study findings have a pathway for integration into policy and practice. They will engage women with lived experience in all phases of the research study to ensure the process and findings are relevant to homeless/precariously housed women.

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  The Women's Mental Health and Addiction Network (WMHAN) collaborated with Women’s College Hospital to gather preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility and effectiveness of the “Trauma One Group Intervention”. To address the la... https://youtu.be/Z_2KSy_FZq4">

South Asian women, from country origins in including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka living in Ontario have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease compared to the general population. Researchers at the Women’s College Hospital are collaborating with the Flemingdon Health Centre and Madinah Masjid Mosque to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a mosque-based intervention to promote physical activity that is culturally and gender sensitive to South Asian Muslim women. The provision of culturally and gender sensitive facilities, such as women-only exercise sessions at mosques could serve as a solution for Ontario South Asian Muslim women to be more active. Studies indicate health promotion programs in religious institutions have demonstrated clinical and psychosocial benefits to women in various ethnic groups. The intervention includes a group exercise program of 10 weeks offered in an hour class for South Asian women. During each session, groups will be led though activities designed to meet Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.

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The experiences of violence which precede women accessing VAW shelters are highly correlated with mental health issues for survivors. At the same time, services to address gender-based violence, mental health, and addictions lack integration. The proposed study will be the first collaboration between the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and all six VAW shelters in Ottawa, Ontario.

Our proposed study will be bilingual and culturally inclusive, engaging residents in Anglophone, Francophone, and Indigenous VAW shelters in Ottawa. We will use the existing service structure of the shelters to access the target population. We aim to recruit 30 women. Weekly group sessions will provide a forum for focus group discussions on residents’ experiences with mental health services. Additionally, we will invite participants to complete standardized measures of mental wellness. We will hold separate focus group discussions for shelter staff to explore their perceptions of residents’ mental health needs and their capacity to address those needs. We will identify and interview key informants across targeted sectors in order to obtain a range of perspective on existing and needed services. Additionally, we intend to form two advisory groups: one comprising women who have lived experiences of shelter use and mental health/addiction issues, and one comprising front-line shelter staff. Both will provide guidance to this project.

We will use findings to produce a ‘report card’ of the mental health needs of women residing in VAW shelters and their experiences accessing care, and to advocate for equitable access to mental health services for VAW shelter users.

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This project represents the first effort to explore the use of mifepristone among women in Ontario. This team will engage with abortion providers in Ontario to operationalize ways to act on women's suggestions regarding service delivery improvements. The research team will also actively engage decision-makers to support regulatory and systems reform that align with the global evidence. This qualitative study aims to understand how these regulatory, systems, and financial dynamics impact the accessibility of medication abortion in Ontario. The research team will document women's experiences accessing and using mifepristone in Ontario, evaluate women's opinions about Health Canada restrictions on the drug, and identify women's perceptions as to how access to mifepristone could be improved at both the systems and service delivery levels.

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SKETCH Working Arts is a community-based organization that engages young people who are street-involved and on the margins, ages 15-29, creating equitable opportunities for diverse young people to experience the transformative power of the arts; to develop their leadership and self-sufficiency; and to cultivate social and environmental change through the arts. As SKETCH grows in influence, it is important to better understand how creative arts engagement promotes social inclusion, and ultimately health, for street-involved youth. This research aims to understand how creative engagement, skill building and creative enterprise opportunities, in a community arts setting, can positively impact the realization of the determinants of health for street-involved or otherwise marginalized female-identifying individuals. Small groups of 5-8 participants will engage in each of four arts-based interventions over a period of 10 weeks. This study will use qualitative (individual interviews and focus groups) and quantitative (demographic and survey data) methodologies, which will be integrated within arts-based programming. Findings of this research have the potential to increase and deepen the impact of SKETCH’s community programs for female-identifying (women and trans) community members, generate new program designs, and demonstrate the facilitative elements that can be replicated in other communities.

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  SKETCH Working Arts is a community-based organization that engages young people who are street-involved and on the margins, ages 15-29, creating equitable opportunities for diverse young people to experience the transformative power of t... https://youtu.be/PFjfcBGY0W4">

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In addition to coping with symptoms, postpartum mood disorders (PPMD) have a significant impact on women such as increasing loneliness and isolation, lowering self-esteem and affecting overall quality of life. Access to timely and effective services is important to improve women’s mental health; however, difficulties with transportation, childcare and self-stigma are barriers to receiving services. The goal of this project is to pilot a group treatment for women experiencing PPMD, a service that is currently lacking in this community. The research team seeks to determine if group treatment can improve mental health functioning, quality of life and reduce stigma. This project will also determine whether reductions in self-stigma can explain some of the positive outcomes associated with group treatment. Group participants will complete measures of mental health symptoms, quality of life, and self-stigma at the beginning of treatment, and monthly thereafter. The findings of this project will be of benefit to mental health organizations, care providers, and persons with lived experience, and can be used to enhance postpartum services for women.

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  In addition to coping with symptoms, postpartum mood disorders (PPMD) have a significant impact on women such as increasing loneliness and isolation, lowering self-esteem and affecting overall quality of life. Access to timely and effect... https://youtu.be/BxfHzKNjD0M">

This project builds on earlier grassroots participatory research in the Oromo-Canadian Community Association of Metropolitan Toronto. The previous project developed and implemented the Heal and Connect (HAC) programs in response to the escalating youth violence in the community. In the current proposed research, the research team placed women and girls at the centre by asking the overarching research question: How can the principles of HAC work to enhance the health and wellbeing of Oromo-Canadian women and girls? The goal of this study was to identify the social determinants of health that are unique to Oromo women and girls and to strengthen the initiatives they take to tap into the Oromo indigenous knowledge and enhance their capacity. This was a two-phased Participatory Action Research where women and girls participate in both phases of knowledge production and knowledge translation. It employed a qualitative research methods. From previous studies in this community, the research team had identified the cultural methodology of ‘maree’ (circle talks), storytelling, one-to-one intimate talks and talks around the kitchen table as effective data-generation strategies. The team employed all of these in their proposed research and use thematic analysis of the narratives to organize the findings into thematic categories. Previous research in this community also identified performance-based evocative and creative ways of presenting findings as powerful and effective. For the purpose of knowledge translation, therefore, the research team used performance ethnography, videos, spoken word, skits, music-making, and other forms of creative expression in conjunction with academic publications, conference presentations, workshops, blogs, website postings, and social media engagements. The team also conducted process evaluation throughout and outcome evaluation at the end of the project.

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  This project builds on earlier grassroots participatory research in the Oromo-Canadian Community Association of Metropolitan Toronto. The previous project developed and implemented the Heal and Connect (HAC) programs in response to the e... https://youtu.be/rm-9z3aOvo4">

Mothers are often assuming the primary care giving role for children with disabilities. Additionally, there are unique stressors that mothers encounter when caring for children with disabilities. Common health promotion messages such as “exercise regularly” and “take time for yourself” may not always be feasible these mothers, and even less so for immigrant mothers of children with disabilities. This research team will work to identify what immigrant mother of children with developmental disabilities (DDs) consider relevant health promotion practices by determining what types of health promotion strategies immigrant mothers of children with DDs will participate in, and identifying the types of unmet health promotion needs. They will also uncover the perceptions of helpfulness of available health promotion supports and the challenges and enabling factors mothers experience in accessing health promotion supports and services. The study’s findings will be used to influence policies and programs that are culturally sensitive and gender specific in providing health promotion support for immigrant mothers of children with DDs.

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  Mothers are often assuming the primary care giving role for children with disabilities. Additionally, there are unique stressors that mothers encounter when caring for children with disabilities. Common health promotion messages such as ... https://youtu.be/C5J351QXzJg">

The Healthy Birth Weights (HBW) Coalition is a community-wide coalition made up of more than 50 members from 30 different organizations, representing: health care providers, community organizations, and researchers. This research aims to examine if inter-organizational collaboration can improve the system of care for young pregnant and parenting women. This project will enhance and complete the Young Parents Care Pathway that has been in development through an existing community partnership between the Young Parent Network, McMaster University, and Community Information Hamilton. Up to 150 young parents and up to 150 care and service providers will be engaged throughout various phases of this collaborative research project to: Increase understanding of the needs, challenges, strengths, and experiences of young women in Hamilton that impact personal, infant, and community health. Work with young pregnant and parenting women and their care providers to map existing pathways of services and programs available to young women. Determine strengths and address unmet needs in system of supports for young pregnant and parenting women. Complete a Care Pathway tool that resonates with experiences and needs of young women who report seeing their experiences reflected in its design and utility. Implement and test Young Parent Care Pathway, as a system navigation tool, used to educate both youth and service providers in order to strengthen the community of supports available to young parents, by improving system navigation and coordination.

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  The Healthy Birth Weights (HBW) Coalition is a community-wide coalition made up of more than 50 members from 30 different organizations, representing: health care providers, community organizations, and researchers. This research aims t... https://youtu.be/BQR7yeuJT1Q">

Nail salon workers in Toronto are typically immigrants from either China or Vietnam and work in a profession where throughout the workday they are regularly exposed to chemicals known to cause cancer, respiratory illnesses, and reproductive problems. Looking at the environmental health of nail salon workers is critical as it is an area that has not been highly investigated nor well regulated. The research question the Central Toronto Community Health Centre’s Team asks is: how do the social determinants of health, particularly education and employment, impact Toronto nail salon workers’ ability to protect themselves from environmental health risks in the workplace? This information will enable the team to educate nail salon workers around identified areas of interest and concern. Peer facilitators will recruit participants, conduct focus groups, plan the program and deliver the program. The factors that influence nail salon workers’ health and safety will be shared with social service and health care providers to improve the quality of services and care provided to women. Lastly, the project will share this information with decision makers and health experts who can influence policy, resources and further research in this area.

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Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death of women across all ages. Women have a four times higher incidence of inflammatory arthritis compared to men before the age of 50 and women with inflammatory arthritis have up to a 70% increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) compared to the general population. Inflammatory arthritis can present as chest and shoulder pain and is difficult to differentiate from cardiac pain. The objective of this study is to partner with The Arthritis Society and the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA) to understand how women with inflammatory arthritis experience and manage cardiac pain using a grassroots approach. This project will assist the research team to answer the following question: What can we learn about cardiac pain from women who have inflammatory arthritis and how can this contribute to better ways of recognizing and managing their CVD risk? This project will include four key components: 1) comprehensive review of the evidence on cardiac pain in women with inflammatory arthritis, 2) needs assessment using focus groups, 3) data integration and analysis, and 4) knowledge translation. Project results will be disseminated through: 1) publication, presentation, videos, and website dissemination (The Arthritis Society, CAPA, Canadian Pain Coalition and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada [HSFC]), 2) one virtual interactive case (VIC), and 3) informed development of an integrated Smartphone and Web-Based intervention for women with cardiac pain (HEARTPA♀N), including cardiac pain descriptors and self-management strategies developed to meet the unique needs of women with inflammatory arthritis.

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Eva's provides shelter and support for 123 homeless youth every night. Research and Eva's experience with service delivery reveals that a significant portion of homeless youth face mental health challenges. What supports/interventions can help women-identified homeless youth aged 16-24 who have mental health concerns maintain stable housing in the community after leaving shelter/transitional housing environments? Homeless women-identified youth are an under-researched population. It is difficult to find literature that focuses on their unique mental health concerns and interventions that will set them on a path to stable housing. This missing research is critical to Eva's and to the homeless youth sector across Canada to ensure the most vulnerable of an already highly vulnerable population are provided effective supports. Through purposeful sampling/qualitative data, this project will identify supports/interventions that help women-identified homeless youth with mental health concerns maintain housing after leaving shelter/transitional housing environments. This is an important area of study given the reality that homeless women-identified youth are under-researched and mental health is a significant factor in housing breakdown.

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Midwifery emphasizes childbearing as a normal physiological process and empowers women to manage their own individual experiences of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. This focus on women’s autonomy is at the centre of what midwives refer to as informed choice. An informed choice discussion (ICD) is a conversation between the client and midwife in which information about a health topic relevant to pregnancy is presented. The team from University of Toronto Mississauga and Midwifery Care of Peel and Halton Hills aims to support and enhance the existing model of informed choice in midwife-led maternity care. The objectives include creating web and print based resources to help midwives communicate more effectively with their clients about important health topics, especially those involving risk. Next, using qualitative research methods to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of these resources, through interviews and focus group with midwives and their clients. Lastly, using the findings from the qualitative inquiry to refine and improve visual resources in an iterative design process. The outcomes of the project will lead to empowered choice, new knowledge, and a new resource for women’s health.

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  Midwifery emphasizes childbearing as a normal physiological process and empowers women to manage their own individual experiences of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. This focus on women’s autonomy is at the centre of what midwives ref... https://youtu.be/yVzJub8oNZ8">

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Refugee women and their children are among the most vulnerable migrants. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression are common mental health disorders in these women; yet remain unaddressed. They are at increased risk for adverse short- and long-term health outcomes. They are often single mothers, or very young women resettling on their own, or part of a family with several young children. Their risk status is further magnified by the lack of access to health care that they have endured during their migration trajectory, often over a lengthy period and through several countries. A study implementing a mental health screening tool among multiethnic, newly arrived refugee women receiving routine medical care in a dedicated community walk-in clinic for refugees is proposed. The UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM V (UCLA-RI) is a widely used, culturally responsive, efficient, validated screening instrument that detects symptoms of emotional distress and PTSD across diverse populations and languages. An already established interdisciplinary community partnership (St. Michael’s Hospital and the medical clinic of the Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Health Care) can facilitate screening of refugee women in a manner that is sensitive to both culture and gender/sex needs. Given the large influx of refugee women to the Toronto area, and their unique physical, mental, economic and social concerns related to health, it is imperative that their individual health needs be fully understood in order to support delivery of optimal health care now as they begin to attempt a healthy resettlement in Canada.

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Recent research shows that the rate of past-year cannabis use for bisexual women in Ontario (33.6%) is over four times the provincial average. While U.S. and Australian Studies have also noticed spiking rates of cannabis use by bisexual women, no print or media campaigns have addressed this issue yet. The Researching for LGBTQ Health team proposes to create such a campaign, rooted in the lived experience of bisexual women. This is in line with the mandate to understand how lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people experience physical and mental health, and access health services. Why are a third of bisexual women using cannabis? The team’s research suggests that the answer lies in a lack of community support. Bisexual women report using cannabis to deal with anxiety, and they connect this anxiety with a lack of bisexual community, a lack of identity support, and with biphobia in their LGBTQ communities. Women also report that their LGBTQ peers treat cannabis use as a joke and that their attempts to reduce their use or to access treatment were met with ridicule. The goal for this community-based awareness campaign is to increase the peer support available to bisexual women who use cannabis. The team believes that additional peer support can 1) reduce the anxiety promoting cannabis use; and 2) assist bisexual women who wish to change or reduce their use of cannabis. This campaign will also strive to increase bisexual visibility, and improve LGBTQ community awareness of cannabis use among bisexual women.

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  Recent research shows that the rate of past-year cannabis use for bisexual women in Ontario (33.6%) is over four times the provincial average. While U.S. and Australian Studies have also noticed spiking rates of cannabis use by bisexual ... https://youtu.be/LhLQDRBcWw0">

Sex workers in Waterloo Region lack services suited to their specific needs. The Sex Workers Action Network (SWAN) aims to create services to increase the safety and overall well-being of sex workers while working from a harm reduction modality. The project goal is to develop a program that addresses the self-identified needs of street level sex workers. Increasing the understanding of safety and wellbeing concerns of street level workers in the community to identify gaps are listed objectives. Additionally, identifying the range of human trafficking within the community alongside making recommendations for programming. The design and implementation of this project follows an anti-oppressive/feminist framework with a critical and constructivist lens. There is a focus of using mixed methods for quantitative approaches to gather data such as a needs assessment. This will result in an increase of sex worker voices being heard, increase in knowledge about sex workers and an increased level of positive solidarity within this community.

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  Sex workers in Waterloo Region lack services suited to their specific needs. The Sex Workers Action Network (SWAN) aims to create services to increase the safety and overall well-being of sex workers while working from a harm reduction m... https://youtu.be/v8v3IPelj_4">

This research aims to investigate health concerns of African women in Toronto with lived experiences of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and how their health can be improved through education. Uzima aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health outcomes for this group of women through exploring the needs of the women using focus groups and key informant interviews as well as testimonials to understand the factors affecting this population of women. By generating new knowledge, service providers, Educators and the wider community will have an increased understanding of ways to more effectively support this group of women. Objectives include learning about the experiences and health concerns of these women and creating awareness about the health risks among cultural communities and through various media to the wider Canadian society. Exploring perceptions and disparities affecting women living with FGM experience will help to address the health needs of these women more appropriately. It is anticipated that recommendations emerging from the research will include education, programming, and access to better health services. Understanding the sexual and reproductive needs of this population will lead to reduced stigma through sensitized culturally appropriate information sharing. The research team will work with a Community Health Centre offering services to African women in the community to ensure a continuum of services to these women through the CHC's Health promotion program. As well, this study may provide a foundation for future projects and policy implementations to reduce risks that women in FGM practicing communities may be subjected to.

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Black communities are some of the fastest growing in Canada and face intensified systemic barriers to accessing health services and education among other institutions. The Centre for Policy Alternatives has issued reports that demonstrate that Black communities are more likely to live in poverty because of differences in pay that are informed by workplace discrimination as opposed to merit. The goal of the Artist Shaman Collective is to develop a holistic arts informed health intervention for Black Womyn that fulfills certain objectives. These objectives include promoting and providing Black womyn with the tools to achieve optimal holistic health, to critically explore innovative approaches in health education and advocacy, and to increase community awareness of and bridge health services providers and resources for Black womyn participants. Through recruiting 20 womyn and providing workshops over the duration of 6 months, developing and compiling a handbook titled “A Black Womyn’s Holistic Health Survival Handbook” will be produced. To provide holistic health care, aims to move past the biomedical, mono cultural model is also the aim.

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  Black communities are some of the fastest growing in Canada and face intensified systemic barriers to accessing health services and education among other institutions. The Centre for Policy Alternatives has issued reports that demonstrat... https://youtu.be/ff3hhKV5yqw">

Child welfare policies and practices have had a profoundly devastating impact on the lives of Indigenous families and communities in Canada (Allan & Smylie, 2015). Following on the heels of residential schools, child welfare became yet another instrument of the state used to separate Indigenous children from their families. Mass apprehensions of Indigenous children, beginning in the late fifties (and now known as the Sixties Scoop), resulted in nearly 1 in 3 Indigenous children being apprehended into foster care and transracial adoption by the 1970s (Fournier & Crey, 1997, as cited in Sinclair, 2007). While Indigenous children currently represent less than 5% of the child population in Canada, they account for nearly half (48%) of all children in the care of child welfare agencies nationally (Statistics Canada, 2013). The fear of child apprehension has been identified as a barrier to accessing healthcare for Indigenous women, including prenatal care (Denison, Varcoe & Browne, 2014; Kurtz et al., 2008). In fact, the most recent practice guidelines for working with Indigenous women issued by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), note that practitioners ought to be aware that some Indigenous women may choose to terminate their pregnancy rather than carry to term for fear of apprehension of their baby by child welfare authorities (Wilson et al., 2013). The proposed project aims to develop applied research through the creation and application of knowledge in the service of pregnant Indigenous women who are intersecting or at risk of intersecting with child welfare.

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  Child welfare policies and practices have had a profoundly devastating impact on the lives of Indigenous families and communities in Canada (Allan & Smylie, 2015). Following on the heels of residential schools, child welfare became yet a... https://youtu.be/">

There are many negative health outcomes linked to social isolation specifically for women, compared to men. In addition, there are numerous positive aspects of eating with other people. Humans are naturally social beings, and the team from the Centre Wellington Food Bank aims to decrease social isolation within the community to contribute to improving health. This project asks the question if a weekly lunch get-together of women at a new café located at the Centre Wellington Food Bank can reduce social isolation and contribute to improved health. By engaging the women in decision making processes to co –design the program, and evaluate the project, this reflects the community-based participatory goals of the project. Ultimately, a local café will be created with design and functionality suitable for the Ladies Who Lunch and other customers to enjoy the cuisine and atmosphere.

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This project will explore the impact of education and interpersonal interaction on community members’ perceptions of the sex trade and women doing sex work in their community. STREET (Sex Trade Resource Empowerment Education Team) will engage community volunteers to pilot a drop-in, safe space program for sex workers and street involved women in the small city of Brantford. This pilot project is based on an identified need that emerged in STREET’s Trillium-funded needs assessment. Community volunteers will be provided with specialized “Sex Trade 101” training to sensitize them to the needs and issues faced by women doing sex work. Qualitative research will be conducted to assess the impact of the training on volunteers’ perceptions of women working in the sex industry and on their understanding of the diversity of the sex industry in our community. The project aims to meet the needs of sex workers for safe space and access to health information, but also to foster inclusive community and break down the stigma that often poses a barrier to women seeking needed services. Focus groups will be used to evaluate the impact of the program on the women’s sense of well-being, community, and access to services, as well as the fit of the program to their needs. Research will be used to refine the program and to seek sustainable funding for continued service to this marginalized group of women in our community.

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  This project will explore the impact of education and interpersonal interaction on community members’ perceptions of the sex trade and women doing sex work in their community. STREET (Sex Trade Resource Empowerment Education Team) will... https://youtu.be/O1Tan4FiDD4">

Indigenous women experience substantially higher rates of mortality from disease, intimate partner violence, suicide and homicide, relative to other Canadian women. Many of these harsh realities are linked to racism, sexism, poverty, marginalization and historical trauma- the dark and enduring legacies of colonization and oppressive assimilation policies. As obvious as these inequities are to Indigenous women, many of their health problems are poorly understood by non-Aboriginals, including healthcare providers. As a result, women's health needs are not being met, often times with tragic consequences. At Walpole Island First Nation, a number of conceptual and operational challenges hinder the collection, consolidation, and analysis of health statistics, resulting in knowledge gaps that prevent a clear picture of women’s health. To address this problem, this research project asks the question: “Can a grassroots, community-based model for data collection be developed that can improve the quality of information collected on the health of women residing on First Nations reserves?” This research team will use Body Mapping, in conjunction with other qualitative and quantitative methods to collect baseline health data from a segment of the community’s adult female population. The objectives of this study are threefold: 1) to identify major health risks and health problems affecting the reserve’s female residents; 2) to develop an electronic health database that can serve as a resource for community health workers and researchers; and 3) to use the findings to develop a strategic community health plan and appropriate interventions that will be directed toward improving women’s health.

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  Indigenous women experience substantially higher rates of mortality from disease, intimate partner violence, suicide and homicide, relative to other Canadian women. Many of these harsh realities are linked to racism, sexism, poverty, mar... https://youtu.be/">

Young women, who experience physical or sexual abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, and exposure to inter-parental violence, are at higher risk for continued involvement in abusive intimate relationships. The research team at York University aims to increase the understanding of intimate partner relationships formed by girls and young women in Child Protective Services and mobilize this information to increase knowledge and prevention strategies. The objectives include describing romantic relationship patters, elucidate risks for unhealthy relationships, identify protective factors for safe relationships, and increase knowledge among youths and service workers of how to avoid unsafe relationships and to communicate these findings. A mixed method approach will be used for data collection including questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and brief surveys. The themes to be assessed include romantic relationship features, violence and abuse, knowledge and attitudes, sexuality and health, self-esteem, and emotional strengths and difficulties.

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  Young women, who experience physical or sexual abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, and exposure to inter-parental violence, are at higher risk for continued involvement in abusive intimate relationships. The research team at York Un... https://youtu.be/zjtoZ_lQoJw">

Miscarriage is the early, spontaneous loss of a pregnancy, generally before 20 weeks of gestation and is the most common complication of pregnancy. Registered nurses (RNs) working in emergency departments (EDs) are aware of the emotional effects that occur with miscarriage, but many lack sufficient knowledge and confidence to effectively support these women. This is a significant unmet need that has been identified within the women's health community. Therefore, the proposed pilot study seeks to test the effects of compassionate care education on ED RNs’ attitudes and beliefs about miscarriage, their confidence, and the extent to which they provide information and mobilize support to assist women and families following miscarriage. The study will compare three hospital sites where ED RNs either participate in a compassionate care education session, a miscarriage information-only session, or receive no intervention at baseline. Data regarding RNs' beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours will be collected via questionnaires pre-intervention, early post-intervention, and at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Qualitative interviews will be used to explore the experiences of ED RNs with integrating compassionate miscarriage care into practice. Additionally, a screening tool will be designed to identify women at risk for negative psychosocial outcomes after miscarriage. This will be included in a miscarriage support kit, which will be developed to provide ready access to resources that nurses can use to provide care sensitive to the needs of families. The new resources will be validated using focus groups.

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This research aims to generate data focusing on women’s unique histories of homelessness in the Hamilton community (length of homelessness and housing trajectory) and women’s perspectives on service delivery, with specific focus on what women need to feel supported at home to influence service delivery from housing first practice paradigms. The overarching objective of this project is to contribute to the conversation and understanding of chronically homeless ‘single adults’ in Hamilton by bringing gender to the forefront of analytical attention. The voices of marginalized women become further silenced when primarily androcentric methods of data collection (street surveying, data systems, conducting point in time counts) are used as the lens to understand and interpret the experiences of women. As the findings from these studies often go on to shape models of service delivery, it is important that the experiences of women are captured, shared and reflected in subsequent plans for ending homelessness. By developing a community-based research project using a feminist research ethic, the research team is hoping to work with women experiencing long-term homelessness to contribute to this growing body of knowledge in a more gender nuanced way.

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Adolescent mothers are at four times greater risk of developing post-partum depression (PPD) compared to adult mothers. Studies have consistently identified a lack of social support as a major risk factor of PPD among adolescent mothers; however, no interventions exist which specifically aim to increase social support in the postpartum period to prevent the onset of PPD in this population. Pervious research on telephone based peer support among adult mothers demonstrated a 50% reduction in PPD; however, it is not known if this is a feasible or acceptable approach for adolescent mothers. Therefore, researchers at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with their community partner, Young Parents No Fixed Address, aim to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an innovative mobile phone based peer to peer support for adolescent mothers with the intention of preventing PPD among this high vulnerable and complex maternal population. In this study, peer mentors (young mothers between 15-23 years) will be trained to provide support via mobile phone to a new adolescent mother during the last trimester of pregnancy and first 3 months postpartum. Mobile phones are the preferred mode of communication for adolescents and allow for increased accessibility and flexibility in communication. Results from this study will reveal if mobile phone based support for adolescent mothers is feasible and which components of peer support (informational, emotional appraisal support) and which aspects of mobile phone technology (voice-calling, text messaging or a combination of both) are most acceptable for adolescent mothers.

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  Adolescent mothers are at four times greater risk of developing post-partum depression (PPD) compared to adult mothers. Studies have consistently identified a lack of social support as a major risk factor of PPD among adolescent mothers;... https://youtu.be/">

This research team plans to employ a mixed-methods design to assess the impact of a mother-led Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group intervention on the health and wellbeing of mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically they will: 1) compare participating mothers' levels of psychological acceptance, psychological distress, social isolation and perceived health before, after, and 3 months post-workshop; and 2) analyze focus group data to qualitatively study how the group impacted their health and ways to improve future groups. In addition, they will assess the feasibility of mothers as facilitators by interviewing co-facilitators and through feedback obtained from participants on the benefits of mothers as facilitators. Thirty mothers of children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD living in the GTA enroll in one of two ACT workshops led by two mothers and supported by a psychiatrist trained in the delivery of ACT interventions. Recruitment will occur with the support of 4 community partners. The ACT intervention is spread over 3 sessions: 1 evening followed by a full day, and a second 'refresher' evening 4 weeks later. The results of this study will aim to better inform future interventions for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.

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  This research team plans to employ a mixed-methods design to assess the impact of a mother-led Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group intervention on the health and wellbeing of mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder... https://youtu.be/kfzAOhYK334">

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Mothers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are increasingly common in the maternity population. In Ontario, there were 430 live births to women with IDD in 2009. Many mothers with IDD face significant mental health challenges; in fact, more than 50% of pregnant women with IDD have pre-existing mental health issues. Mental health issues have significant implications for maternal well-being and parenting abilities. Yet, there has been little previous research on factors that affect the mental health of pregnant and mothering women with IDD and on the unique services required to meet these women’s mental health needs. This project’s objectives are to: (1) identify key barriers and resilience factors that affect mental health among pregnant and mothering women with IDD; (2) describe how these factors change at different stages of parenthood; and (3) assess the types of mental health services mothers with IDD and their families, support workers, and clinicians feel are most helpful and in what format. The research team from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Women’s College Research Institute and Surrey Place Centre will conduct focus groups with pregnant and mothering women with IDD and their families as well as support workers and clinicians. This research will enable health service and community providers to better understand the needs of pregnant and mothering women with IDD and the services and supports that may be most helpful in optimizing their mental health. Findings will lead to an improved ability to recognize emerging mental health issues in pregnant and mothering women with IDD and to proactively respond to these issues. This work will also improve ongoing mental health treatment for these women.

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  Mothers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are increasingly common in the maternity population. In Ontario, there were 430 live births to women with IDD in 2009. Many mothers with IDD face significant mental health ch... https://youtu.be/mgSGw_VYmKA">

Each of the antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that are used in combination to treat HIV infection causes a range of side effects. Women living with HIV (WLWH) metabolize and react to these medications differently than men and experience side effects that are unique to their bodies. These side effects carry a strong social, psychological, emotional, and physical burden that can negatively impact treatment adherence, treatment outcomes, health outcomes, quality of life, and the overall well-being of WLWH. The main goal of this project is to shed light on women’s experiences of HIV treatment side effects using a grassroots, arts-based approach (i.e., body mapping). Through this project, the research team will address the following question: What can we learn from the stories of women (as told through body mapping) and how can this contribute to new ways of understanding, talking about, and dealing with HIV treatment side effects. The project will include 4 key components: 1) Literature Review and Synthesis, 2) Body Mapping Workshop, 3) Data Integration and Analysis, and 4) Knowledge Translation (KT) Plan. The KT plan will be developed in light of the data emerging from the workshops, the outcomes of the work session, the feedback of participants, and the literature review. Target audiences will include WLWH, service providers and health care providers, and researchers. KT strategies and products will include: a side effect survival kit developed in partnership with the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), an exhibit, a video, a webinar, a conference presentation, and a publication.

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  Each of the antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that are used in combination to treat HIV infection causes a range of side effects. Women living with HIV (WLWH) metabolize and react to these medications differently than men and experience side ef... https://youtu.be/QlgkgDi0LLo">

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) has developed, in collaboration with Boston Medical Centre, a patient-driven electronic preconception health (PCH) risk assessment tool called “My Health eSnapshot” using OceanWave software for primary care settings. The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not a patient-driven electronic PCH risk assessment tool for use during health care visits will increase PCH knowledge and behavior change among women of reproductive age (15-49 years). Participants will complete a 10-min PCH risk assessment prior to their healthcare provider (HCP) appointment using tablet technology. Participant responses are uploaded into their electronic medical record (EMR). The HCP will review the results reported in their EMR, and facilitate a discussion about their results and health recommendations. The HCP will print a patient handout from the EMR workstation for the patient to take home. This will include customized information and recommendations based on the participants’ response to the risk assessment tool questions. HCPs may also recommend a follow-up appointment to continue the conversation. Two follow-up surveys will be emailed to participants to evaluate the risk assessment tool, patient handout, and changes in participants’ knowledge and behavior for PCH risk factors identified in the risk assessment tool. Key informant interviews will also be conducted with each primary care site staff to identify the benefits, challenges and sustainability of implementing the tool. Results of the study will be shared with key stakeholders in public health, primary care and the Ministry through a variety of knowledge exchange activities. The research team will also explore implementation of this model across the province in primary care and public health settings.

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Forms of digital sexual violence such as online sexual harassment and the distribution of digital material such as personal pictures and “sexts” without the authors’ consent continue to affect the lives of youth and adult women in growing numbers. According to the Youth Internet Safety Survey, one in eleven internet users aged 10 to 17 had been the recipient of threats or offensive behaviour over the past year. This project by the Women’s Support Network of York Region will explore and text effective solutions to the growing problem of digital sexual violence impacting women and young women. The project will investigate victim-identified and victim-supporting solutions, informing ways in which community-based and justice professionals can pro-actively address the crime implicit in online sexual violence and its impacts on victims. A needs assessment of women who have experienced digital (i.e. internet-based, text-based) sexual violence and service providers in sectors supporting women and young women in York region will inform the project research and outcomes. A needs assessment consisting of interviews, focus groups, and surveys of women who have experienced digital sexual violence and service providers in sectors supporting women and young women in York region will inform the project research and outcomes. This project will create opportunities for women who have experienced digital sexual violence to share their stories, consider helpful and less-helpful responses from professionals supporting women and identify concrete strategies for change.

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  Forms of digital sexual violence such as online sexual harassment and the distribution of digital material such as personal pictures and “sexts” without the authors’ consent continue to affect the lives of youth an... https://youtu.be/8CduEdNDPEo">

Approximately 25,000 Syrian refugees will be granted refugee status in Canada; over 10,000 will settle in Ontario. The majority will be women and children, many of whom have been exposed to various forms of gender-based violence. In the context of limited or disrupted access to timely and appropriate supports and health services, such violence can result in long-term physical, mental, and reproductive health problems. The proposed project will address this concern by developing and evaluating a web-based portal to provide health-specific information and social support to this population across Ontario. The guiding research question is: What is the acceptability, accessibility, and usefulness of a web-based informational and social support portal by/for Syrian refugee women in Ontario? The portal, presented in Arabic, will comprise: information and links to resources; articles on women’s health topics; a community blog moderated by peers; and a health forum moderated by a nurse practitioner. Guided by principles underlying feminist research, this mixed methods study will incorporate community stakeholder involvement across all phases: Phase 1 includes focus group discussions with Syrian refugee women to identify their health and social support needs; Phase 2 focuses on developing, testing, and launching the portal; and Phase 3 evaluates the preliminary effects of the portal using a pre-and post-test design. This project will allow for improved access to informational and social support to Syrian refugee women in Ontario. The research team will also work with stakeholders to disseminate results widely within the Syrian community in Ontario and the health, social, and settlement sectors in the province.

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St. Mary's Home (SMH) in Ottawa, Ontario is a social service agency supporting pregnant and parenting youth (aged 13-25 years) with children under 6 years of age. SMH has both a residence for homeless youth as well as an outreach centre that provides comprehensive social and medical services in one location. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health of these young mothers as well as their babies, the staff at SMH desire to provide additional support to breastfeeding youth. The goal of the grant is to create an intervention that can help to shift attitudes about breastfeeding towards a more positive and supportive state for young mothers. Can a youth-informed breastfeeding video featuring young moms reduce stigma and increase acceptability of breastfeeding in public?

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Social inclusion has been identified as an essential aspect of recovery for people experiencing issues with mental health and addictions. Social inclusion connects people to essential services and economic, educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities. Recommendations for increased social inclusion recognize the importance of leadership opportunities, the effectiveness of peer programming, and opportunities for supportive employment. There is significant evidence that the arts serve to increase social inclusion by facilitating social engagement, increasing self-esteem and social skills, and by building social networks. This project explores the impact of peer-led arts programming on the social inclusion of women who have experiences with issues of mental health and addiction. The research will focus on 3 specific indicators of social inclusion: social connectedness; improved self-esteem; access to social and economic resources. The research will engage and train 6 peers to lead arts-based programming with other women who use drop-in services. The arts-based programming will be once a week for 6 weeks and each peer facilitator will co-facilitate 2 art workshops. Impacts will be examined from the perspectives of peer facilitators and workshop participants. A set of materials will be developed to further knowledge distribution between peers, including a training manual, sample arts curriculum, best practices for facilitation of peer-led arts programming, and an exhibit held in the drop-in. Learnings from this research will be shared via web and video platforms with other peer-led groups and organizations serving women and transgendered people experiencing mental health and addictions issues.

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Mental health disorders affect as many as 1 in 5 women during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Center (OBWC) is seeking to expand programming to address gaps in perinatal mental health services in Ottawa and ensure that any such programming compliments existing services. The goals of this project are to identify the unmet needs of women with perinatal mental health concerns who live in Ottawa, and to identify what programming could be offered at the OBWC to address these needs. The project involves conducting focus groups and interviews with women and care providers to identify perceived service needs, conducting an environmental scan of existing perinatal mental health services in Ottawa, conducting a literature scan on interventions and service delivery models for perinatal mental health services, and engaging stakeholders in a participatory process to collaboratively develop a proposal to address identified gaps in service. The research team will use an integrated approach to knowledge translation. The results of the environmental scan will be made publicly available to women and care providers in the form of an electronic resource. The final findings will be summarized in a document that describes potential programs or services that could be offered through the OBWC to address gaps in perinatal mental health services, and presented in interactive meetings with the OBWC board of directors and the Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program Network. The results will seek to inform future health care service delivery to women with perinatal mental health concerns.

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  Mental health disorders affect as many as 1 in 5 women during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Center (OBWC) is seeking to expand programming to address gaps in perinatal mental health services in Ot... https://youtu.be/gJ8cdh1kyiw">

Despite medical advances, poor maternal and neonatal outcomes persist in Canada. Growing evidence suggests that preconception health impacts perinatal outcomes. A major barrier to implementing effective preconception health promotion is the difficulty in engaging reproductive-aged individuals in health promotion activities. An important subsection of preconception health is the interconception period, spanning the end of a woman's pregnancy to the start of a subsequent pregnancy or the first 24 months postpartum. Because most women are already connected with public health programs, the interconception period represents a key opportunity to change lifestyle behaviours, optimize nutrition, stabilize chronic disease, and prevent unintended or mistimed pregnancies. The goal of this project is to advance a systematic approach to interconception health promotion across Ontario to improve reproductive and perinatal outcomes. A partnership with the Ontario Public Health Association Reproductive Health Workgroup has been formed to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of an interconception intervention, delivered by public health nurses in three public health units across Ontario that includes risk identification, tailored health education, and clinical follow-up. The primary objective is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and adherence to the trial protocol. The research team will also evaluate its effect on reproductive health knowledge, number of reproductive health risk factors, and uptake of referrals for follow-up. Findings will be shared, with the help of the project’s Advisory Committee, through public webinars and presentations, a written report, and peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations. The partnership with the Ontario Public Health Association will ensure intervention relevance and scalability.

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HIV-positive African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) women are vulnerable to HIV re-infection and co-infection with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They are also more vulnerable to acquiring STIs than their HIV-negative counterparts. This vulnerability is due to biological and social challenges impacting their ability to prevent HIV/STI transmission and acquisition. To address these issues, researchers from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and Women’s Health in Women’s Hands have identified WILLOW, an evidence-based, small-group intervention based on social cognitive theory of gender and power. WILLOW facilitates acquisition of knowledge and skills through social interactions, sharing experiences and media. This project will assess WILLOW’s effectiveness when administered to Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre’s (WHIWH) clients. The team will conduct a focus group to advise them in adapting WILLOW for WHIWH clients which will then be followed by a pre-program survey before administering WILLOW and three post-program surveys after. Survey responses from WILLOW participants and comparators will be compared over time to ascertain if WILLOW was associated with improved outcomes. Additionally, a post-implementation focus group will provide additional information to guide WILLOW’s implementation. The findings from this study will be used within WHIWH and disseminated widely. If WILLOW is effective, the management team at WHIWH will implement it as a standard program for their clients. Findings from this project will be: presented at local, national, and international conferences and meetings; and summarized in a community fact sheet and two peer-reviewed academic journals. This study will also inform a larger one to test WILLOW provincially.

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  HIV-positive African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) women are vulnerable to HIV re-infection and co-infection with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They are also more vulnerable to acquiring STIs than their HIV-negative counterparts.... https://youtu.be/">

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This project is grounded in a philosophy of equity in access to quality care and building on the better practice report about prenatal education in Ontario, and WHO’s Quality of Care framework for maternal and newborn health. The goal of the project is to understand, from women’s perspectives, the experiences, knowledge, needs, preferences, desires and challenges pregnant women in Northwestern Ontario face in relation to pre-conception, pre-, peri- and post-natal knowledge and education. This project seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of all women of reproductive age in Northwestern Ontario. The project will help provide equitable access to prenatal knowledge, education, and services for women across Northwestern Ontario and will help to optimize their birthing experiencing.

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The Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program is an integrated regional program in the Champlain and South East Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), comprised of hospitals and community organizations providing perinatal care. The goal of this project is to develop, pilot and evaluate an innovative tool designed for expectant parents - the Postnatal Plan - that can be used during pregnancy to better plan and be ready for their first few days home with their newborn. Canadian hospitals are under increasing pressure to decrease the length of stay for new mothers and newborns. This presents unique challenges related to limited time available for postnatal teaching and the mothers' inability to process and retain an overwhelming amount of information when exhausted following birth. Expectant parents' knowledge of what to expect when going home with their baby, with a clear follow-up plan, can contribute to ensuring there are no gaps in the care mothers and newborns receive after being discharged from the hospital. This project aims to create an innovative tool, a Postnatal Plan, to ensure parents are prepared prenatally for their new parenting role. Experience-based co-design will be the framework used for developing the intervention, allowing parents and perinatal providers to work together to design a solution for this health care problem. Focus groups will be arranged to validate the proposed intervention, develop the tool and confirm its acceptability, comprehensiveness, and usefulness. The pilot results will guide broadened dissemination and implementation of the Postnatal Plan regionally and provincially.

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Colonial forces, including the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) system, have changed the fabric of Aboriginal communities, through the erosion of relational, cultural and spiritual practices which allowed Aboriginal peoples to live healthful lives in the past. The violence perpetuated by colonial systems has had a significant impact on familial relationships in Aboriginal communities, leading to high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Aboriginal women are four times more likely to experience IPV than non-Aboriginal women. For women living on reserve, geographic and cultural isolation magnify barriers to access supportive services dramatically. Often, the only system that can provide support is an alien one, AWAY FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IPV affects many facets of life of Aboriginal women and impacts on depression, addictions, low cervical and breast cancer screening rates, STDs, sexual abuse and violence, as well as child apprehensions and elevated high school drop-out rates. This project’s research question focuses on improving the research team’s understanding of IPV based on the lived experience of young Aboriginal people. In addition the study seeks to explore the impact of IPV on the health of Aboriginal women, their children, and their partners. The proposed research project involves community-based participatory research with Aboriginal women on Manitoulin Island. The researchers will use ethnographic and interview research methods to explore IPV in local context and begin a regional community dialogue. Knowledge translation involves a partnership with an Aboriginal theatre troupe. Using Improve theatre the team will help to erode the stigma surrounding IPV and its current status as a taboo topic.

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Evidence demonstrates that preventative cancer care is a priority healthcare concern for newcomer and immigrant women in Toronto (Global City, 2011; Krzyzanowska, M.K., et al, 2009). The Somali population is a target community for Rexdale CHC. Data at Access Alliance shows that Somali-speaking female clients remain under-screened for cervical cancer. Research has demonstrated that compared to other immigrant women, Somali women remain particularly vulnerable and under screened due to a number of complex factors, from language barriers, re-settlement challenges, to fear and stigma associated with illness and reproductive health, the complications of “female circumcision,” and lack of access to female healthcare providers (Abdullahi et. Al, 2009; Carrol et al, 2007; Paisley et al, 2002; Samuel et al, 2009; Raymond et al, 2014). Through a series of research activities, this project will generate evidence to understand cancer screening barriers experienced by Somali immigrant and newcomer women. Synthesizing this knowledge, the research team will pilot a series of evidence-driven, peer-driven and group health promotion activities that will seek to reduce barriers to cancer screening uptake amongst Somali female clients at Access Alliance and Rexdale CHC. In addition, they will assess the extent to which the elements of these activities (peer outreach, language-specific, group education & group pap) are effective in reducing barriers to cervical cancer screening in Somali immigrant women over 21 years old and under 65 years old, while using a community-based approach and capacity building techniques.

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  Evidence demonstrates that preventative cancer care is a priority healthcare concern for newcomer and immigrant women in Toronto (Global City, 2011; Krzyzanowska, M.K., et al, 2009). The Somali population is a target community for Rexdal... https://youtu.be/HeXI-XPJ-K0">

A recent survey distributed by ACNBA to overwhelmingly poor female clients with limited literacy and education who have accessed needle exchange services revealed that 52% of women did not have access to a primary care provider, with 48% having primary care providers located outside of the Nipissing area, making emergency departments more convenient. The AIDS committee of North Bay and Area states the priority goal to provide primary care through a Nurse Practitioner clinic to marginalized women in order to improve access, provide a voice in self-guided care, and a mechanism of empowerment. The objectives of this project include establishing a three hour clinic held weekly providing primary care within the Nipissing district. Next, to establish individualized health care plans designed with clients reflecting clients’ health concerns and identified health and wellness goals. Clients will be referred to agencies based on their individual needs. The clinic will run on a harm reduction model providing non-judgmental services such as needle exchange sites and counseling.

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  A recent survey distributed by ACNBA to overwhelmingly poor female clients with limited literacy and education who have accessed needle exchange services revealed that 52% of women did not have access to a primary care provider, with 48%... https://youtu.be/ZA7ToYpgZVM">

Repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBI) as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV) can have long term consequences for women as they age. While there is preliminary support in the TBI literature for compromised neural functioning as a function of aging, this connection is left largely unexplored in the IPV literature. This pilot project builds on the findings from a recent project “Battered and Brain Injured” as well as aligns with the strategic priorities outlined by multiple stakeholders at a recent workshop disseminating results of this previous study. The research team hopes this pilot project will provide the preliminary evidence to further their understanding of the neurobiology of secondary changes post rmTBI and help elucidate the relationships between IPV resultant rmTBI and early onset dementia and AD in women. Through the research questions, this project intends to correlate cognitive and imaging data by providing evidence relating to functional connectivity, structural integrity and gray matter volumetrics within the context of rmTBI and IPV. The multidisciplinary research team of TBI and IPV researchers and service providers are uniquely positioned to address this gap through expansion of current networks and agendas. The research team also has existing avenues for continued knowledge translation in TBI and IPV clinical and community health and support agencies, the TBI research community, and in policy arenas.

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The health of nail salon workers (NSW) is at a critical juncture, with the number of salons in Toronto expanding rapidly. Their workplaces are under-regulated and the health risks are significant. Many NSW in Toronto are female immigrants from either China or Vietnam. They are regularly exposed to chemicals known to cause cancer, respiratory and reproductive problems. Issues such as gender, language, income, and immigration status increase vulnerabilities. NSW are exposed to volatile solvents like toluene and phthalates but regulatory standards are lacking. The proposed project builds on the work of Queen West - Central Toronto Community Health Centre's (Queen West) previous WCH-funded project, peer-led workshops in salons, and the literature review of chemical exposures by the National Network on Environments and Women's Health (NNEWH). Reproductive health was identified as an issue of concern by Toronto NSW in the research team’s previous research; little research has been done about chemically influenced reproductive effects or harm mitigation. The research team has already demonstrated that peer-led workshops can be an effective way of providing health and safety training to NSW. Research from California also supports the effectiveness of owner and worker trainings in salons. Therefore, this project will explore reproductive health issues facing NSW, and develop a training module to be delivered through peer-led workshops. Consultations and pilot testing will further improve the resources. This projects resources will be shared through partner agencies in communities across Ontario.

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The Rural Women’s Heath Support Initiative (RWHSI) will develop, pilot and evaluate new resources for rural women volunteer leaders who in turn will support other rural women struggling with the burdens of caregiving and the high risk of burn out related health consequences. The project aims to promote family well-being by increasing coping strategies for caregivers at the core of family health who are often looking after their children, spouses, aging parents and/or other family members/friends. It will assist socially isolated community members to better navigate the complicated health and support services system. Education modules designed for community members/volunteer leaders will introduce the principles of health coaching, peer advocacy and health system navigation. Four one-day interactive skill development workshops will be facilitated in four communities across Grey-Bruce who have demonstrated interest in the project and have helped recruit the volunteer team for their area. Gateway and FWIO will work with their membership and other partner organizations to develop referral strategies to connect struggling caregivers with RWHSI volunteers. Social media, such as Facebook, will be used to engage volunteers in continuing education as well as to provide a virtual support group and resources for caregivers. The initiative is a `neighbours helping neighbours' approach to caregiving. Rural women caregivers will have a trained community `coach' to help them explore how to better look after themselves and the loved ones they care for. RWHSI evaluation research will provide valuable outcome feedback and help inform future programs promoting the health of rural women and their families.

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  The Rural Women’s Heath Support Initiative (RWHSI) will develop, pilot and evaluate new resources for rural women volunteer leaders who in turn will support other rural women struggling with the burdens of caregiving and the high risk ... https://youtu.be/BBDWShKl4DI">

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a major public health problem, with serious consequences. Women experience high rates of morbidity and mortality related to IPV; including revictimization by the abusive partner. Women use a range of strategies to avoid revictimization, such as shelter stays, but IPV poses complex challenges and risks for women who want to remain in, or return to the home where they resided prior to the abusive partner leaving. It is important to identify and evaluate strategies for enhancing women's safety within their home environment. This research team will complete the first ever, acceptability and feasibility study of the Safe Doors, Same Homes intervention in Canada. This intervention was initially developed in the United Kingdom (UK) to support female survivors of IPV to remain in their home with structural safety measures to reduce the recurrence of IPV victimization. Following the principles of exploratory case study methodology, the study will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Safe Doors, Safe Homes intervention from the perspective of female survivors of IPV, health and social service providers delivering IPV services, and police officers specializing in IPV response. Given that important differences exist between the UK and Canada in relation to social, legal, and public health responses to IPV, results from this study will provide the prerequisite information about potential barriers and facilitators of implementing the Safe Doors, Safe Homes intervention in the Canadian context, to inform future research regarding adaptations for successful and safe intervention delivery.

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Young adult sex workers (aged 18-29) experience a high level of unmet need with regard to sexual health, and lack access to appropriate and inclusive sexual health programs and services. The research team from Planned Parenthood Toronto, the University of Toronto and Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project believe that young adult sex workers deserve to have access to the information and services they need to have their sexual and reproductive health needs met in a non-judgmental manner. This community-based research project will involve and benefit young adult sex workers in Toronto, a population that is predominantly women. The project's goal is to improve the sexual and reproductive health outcomes for young adult sex workers through exploring the research question: “What are the sexual and reproductive health needs of young adult sex workers in Toronto?” The project will engage an Advisory Committee of eight young adult sex workers to guide the development, implementation, analysis and dissemination of the research. Research activities will include a survey and three focus groups, and we aim to recruit 74 research participants in total. The project’s knowledge translation plan will target community members, service providers, policy makers and researchers through a community event, fact sheets, conference presentations, academic articles, and social media. The research team also intend to use the research findings to inform programs and services offered at Planned Parenthood Toronto in order to better meet the sexual and reproductive needs of young adult sex workers.

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Sexual assault is an important public health concern affecting approximately 50% of women. The Ottawa Hospital Sexual Assault Partner Abuse Care Program (SAPACP) aims to explore the incidence of sexual assault during public events, also known as mass gatherings. Mass gatherings are defined as an organized event occurring within a defined space attended by a large number of people. Anecdotally, the number of sexual assault victims seen after these gatherings increases but no studies have quantified this or examined the associated risk factors. This topic has not previously been reported on, and the goal is to specifically assess the sexual assault risk to women participating in mass gatherings. A health records review from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 will be performed. This time frame will capture all mass gatherings occurring in Ottawa without duplication. Collecting data to produce knowledge surrounding themes of patient population characteristics, mass gathering attendance, disclosure of alcohol/drug consumption, timing of presentation to the SAPACP, and nature of sexual assault will be conducted by the team. By quantifying and characterizing these assaults, better event planning and prevention strategies can be deployed to enhance the health of women.

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Research has suggested that women with psychiatric disabilities may experience specific sexual health vulnerabilities, including an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies related to lower rates of contraceptive-use, and higher rates of gender-based violence (i.e. sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape in adulthood, and intimate partner violence). Studies within this population are largely based on the experiences, opinions and insights of the mental health service providers (MHSPs) rather than the women with psychiatric disabilities. The Empowerment Council will work with York University and the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction to understand sexual health services access for women with psychiatric disabilities, and develop evidence-based recommendations for enhancing access to equitable, quality sexual health services for this population of women.

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  Research has suggested that women with psychiatric disabilities may experience specific sexual health vulnerabilities, including an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies related to lower ra... https://youtu.be/AYZntwSHz-g">

Patient care is increasingly moving from hospital to home, as most people prefer to receive care at home. While the healthcare system is benefitting from shorter hospital stays and long term care admissions, home care demands intensify on family caregivers and personal support workers. In Canada 54-77% of family caregivers and 92% of personal support workers are female, and are at high risk of negative health consequences due to the challenges associated with providing home care. This research team plans to understand the physical and emotional challenges female caregivers experience while providing home care, identify facilitators and barriers to implementing new solutions for home care giving that would decrease the risk of physical injuries to women providing care in the community and raise awareness of female caregiver challenges.

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  Patient care is increasingly moving from hospital to home, as most people prefer to receive care at home. While the healthcare system is benefitting from shorter hospital stays and long term care admissions, home care demands intensify o... https://youtu.be/rVEHEvRkAic">

The goal of this study is to develop and pilot an educational intervention for Indian immigrant women and their families in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that addresses son preference and supports culturally sensitive but equitable reproductive decision-making. Recent Canadian research finds some Indian immigrant women give birth to almost half the expected number of daughters compared to sons and that this deficit is likely facilitated by sex selective abortion. Indian community organizations cite differing sociocultural expectations for sons and daughters which manifest in greater importance placed on sons. Qualitative research has suggested that Indian immigrant women without sons are coerced by husbands and mother-in-laws into terminating females until a son is produced. Interventions are likely needed in this community. Three focus groups will be recruited and an educational brochure will be developed. One group will be recruited for each of: young wives with at least one daughter, young husbands with at least one daughter, and older mothers with grown up sons with daughters of their own. Groups will receive information on the Canadian research, explore the meaning of the results and discuss how to balance culturally appropriate reproductive decision-making while respecting young mothers. Groups will also discuss suitable content for a brochure targeting families addressing the subject. The brochure, translated into Punjabi, will be distributed to families through South Asian community and health care organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. The impact of the brochure will be assessed through a user survey. In addition, a thematic analysis of focus group transcripts will be conducted that highlight ways the community may wish to make progress on the issue. The analysis will be published and used to guide development of future interventions.

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Toronto’s HIV surveillance reports offer strong evidence for women centered sexual health programming. Female incidence rates for HIV have increased from 4.5% in 2010 to 7.7% in 2012 with primary risk factors reported as ‘sex with the opposite sex’ and ‘no condom used.’ ASAAP is committed to developing HIV and sexual health interventions for women that are informed by evidence and recognize women’s resiliency. Our target population comprises of self-identifying South Asian cis and trans women (20-40yrs) in Toronto with ancestry from countries in Southern Asia such as Bangladesh, Pakistan or India. The Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention aims to explore what role can stories developed by South Asian women living with HIV/AIDS have in informing the knowledge and perceptions of sexual health and HIV stigma among women who may be at risk. They propose to pilot a “Story-Sharing” model that builds capacity among six South Asian women to share stories through 24 community dialogue sessions held in Toronto. Peers will be trained to facilitate and champion sexual health in their communities. They plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot and add to existing literature to inform future programming for women’s health. Increasing the community capacity, awareness, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and producing a sexual health intervention model for South Asian women are projected outcomes.

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  Toronto’s HIV surveillance reports offer strong evidence for women centered sexual health programming. Female incidence rates for HIV have increased from 4.5% in 2010 to 7.7% in 2012 with primary risk factors reported as ‘sex with th... https://youtu.be/t3MJYU5VpBk">

The SOS project aims to connect with young women between the ages of 14 to 20 years of age who are of racialized backgrounds living in low income neighborhoods. The young women in the Youth Services at St. Stephen’s Community House (SSCH) face numerous and concurrent barriers and marginalization. This project seeks to answer the question: What are the particular and unique service and support needs of racialized young women who have grown up in low income social neighborhoods and have experienced/witnessed sexual trauma and exploitation on a wide scale? They seek to better understand the particular needs of this group of young women and their low rates of accessing women’s assault services and therapeutic interventions and what is needed in order to adapt services to better meet their needs. Through a participatory research team of young women, the goal is to safely and responsibly survey young women in regards to their understanding and perceptions of trauma, knowledge of supports available to them and their experiences in accessing these and recommendations on how to best address the issue at hand. The findings will contribute to identifying the link between sexual trauma, lack of support and healing and increased ‘high risk’ sexual behavior. The research team will then make recommendations in terms of gaps in service provision, delivery and therapeutic interventions available. The objective of this initiative is to ensure that we adapt and modify our services to best meet the health needs of the most marginalized young women who have experience sexual trauma and exploitation and ensure a model of service that is informed by young women, based in an active anti oppressive framework and is unique in reaching isolated youth.

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  The SOS project aims to connect with young women between the ages of 14 to 20 years of age who are of racialized backgrounds living in low income neighborhoods. The young women in the Youth Services at St. Stephen’s Community House (SS... https://youtu.be/dblQvLBxTOU">

This project seeks to explore the unmet needs of women who have experienced domestic or sexual violence in York Region. The research team from the Women’s Support Network, Belinda’s Place and the Social Services Network will conduct an assessment of needs to greater comprehend of survivors’ perspectives of gaps in service, discover the barriers encountered, explore survivor-identified solutions. With this knowledge, a community action plan will be made for York Region’s Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee (YRVAWCC) to initiate strategies to better support survivors of gender-based violence. The target population for this project includes 1) girls and women who have experienced sexual or domestic violence in York Region and 2) service providers in sectors that support girls and women in York Region. There will be extra efforts to include women from marginalized communities – such as, Aboriginal reserves, LGBTQ groups and women with disabilities. Key activities will include a review of literature, both academic and community-based, qualitative interviews and focus groups with survivors, and a survey for survivors and service providers. Evaluation will monitor and assess inclusion of 120 self-identified survivors, 30 service provides, a gender-based analysis of data, identified themes of positive and negative aspects of current service delivery, and a developed community action plan that details recommendations for improvement. Knowledge gained from this research will be translated through the following means: a final report, a 3-minute video, a well-developed social media strategy, a media release, service provider training, and findings will be shared through our networks (including the Building a Bigger Wave Network and Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres. Examining the needs of survivors, from their own perspective, is increasingly imperative in York Region. Now more than ever, we need to engage in quality, community-based research that explore these regularly unheard voices and establish a remedy to move forward with.

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  This project seeks to explore the unmet needs of women who have experienced domestic or sexual violence in York Region. The research team from the Women’s Support Network, Belinda’s Place and the Social Services Network will conduct ... https://youtu.be/">

The incidence of nutrition related non-communicable diseases are particularly high in the South Asian population such as diabetes. Specifically, the Sri Lankan communities have a strong genetic predisposition to developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Despite the high prevalence of diabetes amongst this vulnerable population, the majority of cases continue to be poorly controlled. The Tamil Health Association (THA) aims to improve the health of Tamil women by increasing their access and utilization of healthy eating and food preparation resources. The THA plans to achieve this by expanding their knowledge and by providing them with the necessary tools to facilitate changes in their lifestyle. THA would like to determine whether the delivery of culturally appropriate resources for healthy eating and food preparation influences the eating habits of Tamil women. Distributing questionnaires and conducting interviews will streamline the development of culturally sensitive education materials and piloting a healthy food program.

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  The incidence of nutrition related non-communicable diseases are particularly high in the South Asian population such as diabetes. Specifically, the Sri Lankan communities have a strong genetic predisposition to developing Type 2 Diabete... https://youtu.be/7QbCC-NqRGA">

This project will engage 15 Inuit women between the ages of 16-30 in interactive and arts-informed workshops to 1) unpack the impact of violence on their health and well-being, 2) support positive mental health and self-esteem and 3) sharing of personal and professional development skills. Over the course of the year, 10 workshops will be developed to cover a variety of topics that are specific to the needs of Inuit women experiencing violence. The workshop discussions will be a launching pad for the women in the project to share navigational tools for how to best deal with situations relative to the health and well-being of Inuit women. Some of these topics include: stress, self-care, violence, food insecurity, employment, and education. As a means of disturbing cycles of violence the proposed project aims to create a safe space for Inuit women to participate in culturally appropriate healing practices and professional and personal skill development workshops that will increase their self-esteem and promote positive relationship building. Utilizing the arts-based methodology of PhotoVoice the participants in the project will take part in creating a community resource manual that will situate their images and stories around violence and resiliency to support interventions and safety planning that are based in harm reduction, healing and Inuit cultural practices.

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The 24 hour drop-in at Sistering began as a pilot project funded by the City of Toronto responding to a need for low-barrier, harm-reduction, trauma-informed overnight services for women who do not access shelters. The report that led to the pilot project noted that the current shelter model regarding curfew, sleeping hours, and intake does not meet the needs of women, leaving them without safe overnight space. The term ‘women’ in this project refers to all women including transgender women, The research question this study will address is: “How do participant women and staff at Sistering experience the 24 hour drop in?” To answer this, the research team from the University of Waterloo and Sistering will collect primary research data from participants and staff at Sistering using a methodology of participant narrative. This study will use the qualitative research method of oral interviews.

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The causal relationship between alcohol and breast cancer risk is important yet not widely known by women. When known, the intention to modify drinking for the purpose of reducing risk of breast cancer is not as acceptable as modifying other risk behaviours such as diet and exercise. It is important for women at higher risk of heavier drinking, in particular undergraduate post-secondary aged students, to understand this relationship to inform choices around current and future alcohol use. Parent Action on Drugs (PAD) in partnership with the University of Waterloo, Health Services Centre (UWHSC) are proposing a qualitative research study to answer the following questions: 1) What kind of messaging about alcohol and breast cancer risk effectively increases awareness and influences attitudes around risk reduction among undergraduate women ages 17-22 years? 2) What is the best way to communicate messages to this target population in today's environment? Women ages 17-22 years attending three post-secondary institutions in the Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W) area will be recruited (n=60) to participate in focus group research to a) assess the impact of multiple messages developed by Student Health Leaders on awareness and attitudes and b) to determine how this demographic prefers to receive messages. At least one effective message and preferred channel will be identified. Project results will provide a foundation from which to develop future communications that influence young women's knowledge and attitudes about alcohol and breast cancer risk to potentially affect risk reduction behaviour over one's lifetime. Findings will be shared via social media posts, website, intra- and inter agency meetings and conference presentation opportunities will be investigated.

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Postpartum mental health difficulties (PPMHDs) have a significant impact on women, intimate partners, children, and the family as a unit. While there is a growing literature regarding mental health in the postpartum period, there is a relative lack of research that examines associations between women’s mental health and their intimate relationships, and how women’s interpersonal functioning can be strengthened. The goal of the proposed project is to gain an in-depth understanding of how women’s intimate relationships are related to PPMHDs and functioning and to use this information to inform the mental health treatment of postpartum women in the community. Sixteen to 20 women experiencing PPMHDs and their intimate partners will be interviewed. A phenomenological approach will be used to analyze the data and describe effects of, effects on, and support for women’s intimate relationships. Knowledge translation activities will target participants, stakeholders, knowledge users (e.g., mental health practitioners), as well as academic audiences and will consist of technical reports, plain language summaries, videos and webinars, conference presentations, and journal articles. The findings of this study will be of benefit to mental health organizations and practitioners who work with postpartum women and their families, and can be used to enhance preventative and treatment services for women.

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Many women who are homeless also experience mental illness. They face multiple barriers to accessing needed mental health and social services. Co-locating mental health staff with housing support can help women connect with appropriate services. This study will evaluate the impact of locating a Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) worker in YWCA emergency shelters for women in the Niagara Region. Two shelters, in Niagara Falls and St. Catharine’s, serve 720 women and 130 children every year. The research questions are: (1) What proportion of YWCA emergency shelter clients who self-identify as having a mental illness or mental health problem are successfully referred to a mental health service? And (2) What are the experiences of YWCA emergency shelter clients with the partnership service model? Descriptive research methods include review of case records over 4 months and qualitative interviews with twelve women. Participants will be interviewed near the time of discharge from the shelter and shortly after discharge. They will be asked to describe their experiences with the partnership model, how these experiences compare to past experiences, and the extent to which their goals were met. The project’s KT strategy includes sharing findings with staff and managers through national YWCA and CMHA networks as well as play building. The research team will also partner with dramatic arts students to create a play dramatizing the women's experiences, designed to start conversations about the issues the participants face in accessing services. The play will be recorded and vignettes will be posted for free access viewing.

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The overarching goal of this proposed study is to explore how cyber shaming as a form of sexual violence against women is understood and defined by emerging young women (19-29) in Ontario, Canada. More specifically it aims to provide definitional clarity on cyber shaming, which is often confused with cyber bullying. In addition, the goal is to explore the mental health implications of cyber shaming on emerging young women and to identify intervention strategies, programs and services that are available to assist and support them. The objectives are: 1) to explore definitions and understandings of cyber shaming among young women; 2) to explore the mental health implications of cyber on young women; 3) to identify interventions, programs, policies and strategies that exist to address cyber shaming and examine whether they meet the needs of young women; 4) to develop interactive education and mental health materials such as infographic, pamphlet and video of cyber shaming; 5) to raise awareness, educate and train young women, families, educators, law enforcement, practitioners and those working with young women; 6) to write and publish academic papers and present on cyber shaming at conferences; and 7) to promote leadership and capacity building through the sharing of knowledge in train-the-trainer workshops and professional development. The aim is to reach a broad audience in order to promote the research findings and enable stakeholders to be more equipped with knowledge of cyber shaming for future research, teaching, and practice.

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The transition to parenthood is fraught with many changes for women and their partners and are often accompanied by stress, potentially leafing to coupleship breakdown. Women and their partners do not typically discuss sexuality in their relationships, often relying on perinatal health care providers (HSPs) to initiate this discussion. However, HCPs do not always have the training or knowledge about perinatal sexuality (PS), nor are they comfortable found so. PS is a newly emerging domain within perinatal health care that focuses on intimacy and sexuality during the transition to parenthood. These are the two dimensions of the relationship that are most affect by this transition. Several studies have conducted on PS in Canada and the PI and her graduate students in the Champlain LHIN. For these latter studies, the findings suggest that perinatal HCPs and clients have little to no knowledge about services and resources that are available on PS in the Champlain LHIN, and that there are even less PS services and resources available in French.

The goals of this study are to map PS services and resources in the Champlain LHIN though an internet related environmental scan and through individual interviews and focus groups, and to identify any gaps in these services and resources. Using a multi-method descriptive exploratory research design, 25 participants will be recruited and data collected through individual interviews and focus groups (according to the participant’s convenience). If a gap in PS services and resources is identified, then solutions will be proposed to close the gap and to better meet the needs for PS services and resources in the Champlain LHIN.

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Migration, either voluntary or involuntary, is a stressful event that affects the aging process and well-being. Factors such as financial dependence, a lack of resources, linguistic barriers, cultural differences, and a lack of information about available services contribute to elderly immigrants’ well-being and affect their settlement. Older adult immigrants who are visible minorities experience poverty twice as often as other ethnic groups. The team at York University aims to explore the roles of gender and ethnicity in the well-being of Iranian and Afghan older adult immigrant women, and the impact of these factors on the women’s integration into mainstream society. The uniqueness of this study is twofold: (a) to explore the role of gender and ethnicity in well-being and (b) to understand the impact of well-being on integration. This study will answer two questions about Iranian and Afghan older adult immigrant women: (a) What are the roles of gender and ethnicity in well-being? (b) What is the relationship between well-being and integration? Narrative inquiry will be used to explain and understand the role of gender and culture in mental health and well-being of Iranian and Afghan older adult immigrant women and its impact on the integration process.

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  Migration, either voluntary or involuntary, is a stressful event that affects the aging process and well-being. Factors such as financial dependence, a lack of resources, linguistic barriers, cultural differences, and a lack of informati... https://youtu.be/ia8ce_lcXFM">

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cause of female cancer deaths worldwide. However although BC death rates have significantly declined globally in the past 20 years, women of African ancestry (WAA) have a disproportionately high BC mortality rate despite a lower overall BC incidence rate than Caucasian women. Intriguingly, one of the most aggressive and often fatal BC subtypes, triple negative BC (TNBC), is most common in young WAA but the reason for this racial disparity in TNBC prevalence is currently unknown and hints at unidentified ancestral genetic risk factors as the cause. The Olive Branch of Hope (TOBOH) Cancer Support Services conducted a survey of WAA living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on their understanding of breast health and BC in a project called "Shine the Light on Breast Health". WAA reported that they often did not practice good breast health because of a lack of information/understanding, and because the currently available resources were not culturally relevant to them as WAA. In this proposal, the research team seeks to develop and conduct a community-based cancer awareness and education campaign for young premenopausal (18-45 years old) WAA using a multi-pronged approach – culturally relevant print and social media, weekend workshops etc. This project’s campaign seeks to influence change in WAA health practices by educating them about the importance of breast health, the signs of BC, the benefits of BC screening, early intervention, and prevention. The team will also partner with physicians, and healthcare centers (hospitals, community clinics etc.) to provide insight regarding the unique cultural perspectives and needs of WAA.

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  Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cause of female cancer deaths worldwide. However although BC death rates have significantly declined globally in the past 20 years, women of African ancestry (WAA) have a disproportionately high BC... https://youtu.be/v25PZdFaqcw">

For the last two decades obesity has been on the forefront of national and international public health platforms as a global epidemic with detrimental health effects. This call to attention has increased health research intended to “cure” obesity, with a large focus on variations from “normal eating”. However, scholars have now identified certain populations as “at risk populations” based on the analysis of cultural and social conditions and lesbians are considered to be one such population. Lesbians are assumed to have higher rates of obesity due to poor diet and exercise behaviours, as a result of their perceived opposition to heterosexual feminist and beauty ideals. This research team will investigate the impact of body standards on queer women and they ways in which they take up and resist those standards. The knowledge obtained will be incorporated into the healthcare provider training programs and products offered by Rainbow Health Ontario. These training materials are intended for project participants, health service providers, academics/professionals, and the public.

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  For the last two decades obesity has been on the forefront of national and international public health platforms as a global epidemic with detrimental health effects. This call to attention has increased health research intended to “cu... https://youtu.be/IxuXWY1o4JQ">

Ontario is committed to strengthening home and community care (HCC) as a hallmark of the province's efforts to transform health care. Growing efforts, however, have not had an in-depth analysis of HCC access from an equity perspective and from the perspective of service users. Recent work by the Wellesley Institute, using the Canadian Community Health Survey data, highlights significant disparities by gender, immigration status, country of origin, racialized identity, and mother tongue in the use of and unmet needs for home care in the GTA. This study aims to understand why there are disparities in HCC and to provide a better understanding of the existing needs and unmet needs for HCC and access barriers to publicly-funded HCC services among older women from diverse ethno-cultural groups. The research findings will inform the development of community-informed policy solutions to improve equitable access to HCC for older women from diverse ethno-cultural groups. The study will use a multi-method qualitative approach, including focus groups with older women from selected ethno-cultural groups and an Ideas Lab where a group of stakeholders, experts and community members are invited to work collaboratively to develop policy strategies to improve equitable access to HCC. Using an integrated KT strategy, knowledge users will participate in various stages of the research process. The research activities and findings will be presented throughout and shortly after the research process in several forms, including reports, information sheets for service providers, a short video, blog posts, social media, media coverage, a community forum, and academic conference presentations.

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The proposed project will bring together disabled women, community leaders, disable artists and activists to explore how intimate well-being is contoured by dis/ableist cultures and systems through Design Fiction. Design Fiction (DF) brings together science fact, fiction and critical design to create near future scenarios that enable critical dialogue and debate. The research team intends to develop, host and disseminate outputs from a co-produced DF workshop. Following on key issues identified through 3 previous collaborative projects, a DF working group will explore the interplay between dis/ableism, and other social relations, with disabled women’s past, present and future intimate lives and well-being. Ultimately, the DF working group will produce a DF film to be housed on digital galleries at Project Creative Users, an artist collective that brings together disabled artists to creative examine social, cultural and individual understandings of accessibility and disability through design practices. The film will also be used by the community lead organization, Strength-based Parenting Initiative (SPIN)/Springtide Resources, to find new ways to engage both disabled women and service providers to explore dis/ableism as a form of interpersonal and structural violence. Through the development of accompanying curricular materials, the DF film will be used as a catalyst to explore and explicate how dis/ableisms thwart and are resisted through our intimate well-being, and how we might imagine vital intimate lives and futures.

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that is marked by social communication difficulties and repetitive, inflexible patterns of behaviour, which start in early childhood. ASD is reported to be four to five times more common in boys than in girls. The methods and criteria for diagnosing ASD are based predominantly on studies with boys, which recent research suggests may overlook girls and women who present differently. Many girls and women with ASD are misunderstood, go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed with other psychiatric conditions (e.g., psychosis, anxiety or personality disorders). In addition, girls and women are often diagnosed with ASD later in life as social roles and responsibilities become more demanding. As a result, they miss opportunities to access early interventions and often receive inappropriate health services and supports. The objectives of this project are to understand: 1) how ASD and the process of diagnosing it are experienced by girls and women; and, 2) how being a girl or woman with ASD affects access to health care. The research team from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will conduct focus groups and in-depth interviews with girls and women with ASD, as well as the caregivers who support them. The research team will adopt an integrated knowledge translation and exchange (iKTE) approach, in which a project advisory group of girls and women with ASD and their caregivers provide feedback about the research process and participate in interpreting the findings. This research can inform the development of health care practices that are tailored to the unique health care needs of girls and women with ASD.

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Identity-based family rejection, which refers to family rejection as a result of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression, is a risk factor unique to queer and transgender (trans) women compared to their heterosexual and cisgender (non-trans) counterparts. These negative reactions range from physical abuse and/or expulsion from the home to more subtle forms of rejection such as keeping the sexual and/or gender identity of the child/family member a secret and/or limiting access to LGBTQ2S affirming information, events, and people.

The immediate and short-term effects of identity-based family rejection on LGBTQ2S people are well established; this type of rejection can cause exacerbated levels of depression and suicidality, increased substance use, lower levels of life satisfaction, increased sexual risk behaviours, legal problems, and is a leading cause of homelessness among LGBTQ2S youth. Despite having knowledge of the short-term effects of identity-based family rejection, few studies have examined the association between identity-based family rejection and health outcomes in adulthood for LGBTQ2S individuals.

This study explored the long-term health effects of identity-based family rejection on queer and trans women. The main research questions included:

1) What are the long-term mental and physical health effects of identity-based family rejection on queer and transgender women?

2) How do experiences of identity-based family rejection shape the life course trajectories of queer and transgender women?

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Research indicates that young bisexual women (whether defined by self-identity or sexual behavior) experience a number of disparities in sexual health status and sexual health risk behaviours compared to their heterosexual and lesbian peers. Planned Parenthood Toronto aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health outcomes for young bisexual women living in Toronto. This goal is to be achieved through exploring needs through focus groups and literature review to understand the factors affecting young bisexual women’s health. By generating new knowledge, service providers and educators will have an increased understanding of ways to more effectively service young bisexual women. Objectives include delving into perceptions and disparities effecting this population to aid the process of developing targeted recommendations for education, programming, and health services. Understanding the sexual and reproductive needs of young bisexual women in Toronto can garner better quality of services and applicable education methods to increase knowledge.

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Eating disorders affect approximately 10% of women. Other forms of disordered eating, including chronic dieting, excessive exercise, and occasional bingeing or purging symptoms, affect a considerable portion of young women, with many estimates around 50%. Researchers at York University are partnering with the National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) to explore better understanding women’s reactions to eating disorder prevention messages and how that knowledge can be used to enhance prevention campaigns at the local level. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is a non-profit organization that provides education, information, resources and referrals to the public on eating disorders and food and weight preoccupation. This project will aim to identify ways in which the prevention efforts of community agencies can be improved by examining, from a phenomenological perspective, how the audience thinks and feels about prevention messages aimed at reducing women’s risk for disordered eating. This research will examine how young women respond to eating disorder prevention messages, which ones they find more or less effective or persuasive, and whether the personal characteristics of the audience influence their reactions to the prevention messages.

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Chinese women with breast cancer report high levels of psychosocial distress and unmet psychosocial support needs. Yet they often cope with serious illnesses without seeking social support from their family or discussing concerns with their health care providers. This may be attributed to the Chinese cultural emphasis on self-reliance, self-sacrifice and saving face. Language barriers further inhibit uptake of health information and psychosocial services. Thus, very few Chinese immigrant women utilize mainstream psychosocial services because they do not match their cultural and linguistic needs. To address this service gap, this project will translate qualitative research findings into a culturally tailored online self-help program using an internet-based e-Counselling platform. The program will consist of two 5-minute docudrama videos and self-care educational materials delivering three key messages: 1) I realize I am not alone; 2) What I can do to help myself; and 3) It is possible to return to life post-treatment. The platform will provide interactive features to reinforce these messages facilitating recovery post-treatment. Usability testing of this program will be assessed in terms of navigation, presentation, content and satisfaction, using semi-structured, audio-taped interviews and observation by a trained staff with iterative cycles to refine the prototype. Purposeful sample of 10 Chinese-speaking women post-treatment will be recruited and asked to "think aloud" as they work through the program. Content analysis will be performed after each iterative cycle with categories and themes identified. The results will inform the expansion of the platform to include other interactive features and content areas.

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  Chinese women with breast cancer report high levels of psychosocial distress and unmet psychosocial support needs. Yet they often cope with serious illnesses without seeking social support from their family or discussing concerns with th... https://youtu.be/7NeUfWyJKlg">

Intentional and assault-based injuries continue to pose a serious threat to women’s health and safety in our society. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are an emerging technology in injury research used to map risk areas, however it has predominantly been used for unintentional injuries (e.g. motor vehicle collisions) or fatal intentional injuries (e.g. homicides). The majority of sexual and domestic violence cases are not fatal and often go unreported and untreated because of social stigma and the normalization of violence against women (trans inclusive). To address this public health problem, the Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program (SAPACP) at The Ottawa Hospital in collaboration with the Ottawa Victim Services (OVS) are developing an evidence-based system to use GIS technology to map the sexual and domestic violence risk environment in Ottawa. This study will be conducted in the municipality of Ottawa using the mixed methods of GIS and community-based participatory research with the triangulation of three data sources: 1) Spatial data from SAPACP patient records aggregated to 6-digit postal codes for privacy protection, 2) Community mapping exercise of services for survivors of sexual and domestic violence, and 3) Key-informant interviews with stakeholders, including service providers and people living in neighborhoods identified as sexual and domestic violence hot-spots, to explore contextual factors contributing to the high prevalence of sexual and domestic violence and investigate interventionable opportunities. The maps and narratives emerging from the research will be used to highlight geographic areas in need of risk reduction and to inform violence prevention programming

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Breastfeeding is the optimal source of infant nutrition with protective health effects for both women and children. Despite the World Health Organization recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, many women discontinue breastfeeding well before. Nipple pain associated with breastfeeding is a primary contributor to the breastfeeding cessation; however there is minimal literature exploring postpartum women’s experiences with breastfeeding pain. As such, the purpose of this project is to explore the experience and meaning of women’s breastfeeding-related pain in a gendered, social and cultural context. In this study, a descriptive qualitative design will be used. Using maximum variation sampling, 20-30 women will be recruited from Well Baby/Breastfeeding clinics at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. The sample will include breastfeeding postpartum women reporting breastfeeding-related pain who are able to read, understand, and speak English. Individual interviews (60-90 minutes) will be conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and these interviews will be audiotaped, transcribed verbatim along with field notes. In the data analysis phase, a feminist, intersectional framework will situate the results. Qualitative descriptive methods will guide data analysis. Multi-level coding, constant comparison techniques and content analysis will identify key data themes using NVivo 10. This novel research is significant as it has the potential to improve knowledge of women’s lived experience of breastfeeding-related pain, increase public awareness, promote social support and inform clinical practice – targeting education and development of preventative and treatment interventions for childbearing women.

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  Breastfeeding is the optimal source of infant nutrition with protective health effects for both women and children. Despite the World Health Organization recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, many women discon... https://youtu.be/pby22MafVHs">

Immigrant women are at greater risk of developing health problems due to social and economic factors. Further, research on the ‘healthy immigrant effect’ highlights the importance of community-based health promotion activities, though few culturally appropriate resources exist. The team at the Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre asks the question: in what ways will the combination of culturally appropriate physical exercises (gardening and walking), Breathlines’ contemplative painting sessions, and capacity building workshops improve the health and wellbeing of marginalized immigrant women, including seniors? The objectives identified include exploring culturally-based knowledge on health and wellbeing. Secondly, developing culturally appropriate interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Thirdly, to assess the impacts and outcomes of project interventions. Fourth, to empower and build skills of Peer Leaders, and lastly, to develop and contribute curricula and teaching tools on implementing culturally appropriate community-based projects that improve marginalized immigrant women’s health and wellbeing. Conducting interviews and focus groups in addition to surveys will allow knowledge to be generated to facilitate capacity building workshops.

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  Immigrant women are at greater risk of developing health problems due to social and economic factors. Further, research on the ‘healthy immigrant effect’ highlights the importance of community-based health promotion activities, thou... https://youtu.be/ItHRaO9NbO0">

Social and cultural research indicate that African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) women are among the most socially, economically and politically marginalized groups in Canada. This has a direct impact on employment prospects, social mobility, lived experiences, and the overall health and wellbeing of these women. Traditionally, communal spaces have been utilized for spiritual healing in response to the sense of isolation. Within the past year, the team from York University, BrAIDS for Aids, St. Michael’s Hospital, McGill University, and Women’s Health in Women’s Hands organized an informal support group as an opportunity for ACB women to share experiences and provide support to one another. This team plans to continue this forum and develop it further with regular bi-weekly meetings and documenting the lived experiences and coping strategies. Artistic mediums, such as digital stories and manuals will be created for raising awareness about these issues to a broader audience, engaging communities and relevant stakeholders about the work and health of women of colour.

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  Social and cultural research indicate that African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) women are among the most socially, economically and politically marginalized groups in Canada. This has a direct impact on employment prospects, social mobilit... https://youtu.be/qAI86kTmKEI">

Currently, there are few abortion providers in North Simcoe Muskoka, and no service in Barrie, a large urban area, often necessitating travel to Toronto. Demand for services exceeds surgical providers. Limited rural abortion services can lead to delayed care and abortions at later gestations (Norman et al, 2016). About 30% of Canadian women have at least one abortion in their lifetime (Norman, 2012). From 2003-2013, the teen pregnancy rate has been decreasing in Simcoe County; the highest rates of teen pregnancy occur in Orillia and Midland, communities with the highest rates of poverty; 50% of pregnancies are unplanned (SMDHU HealthStats 2013). Medical abortion in Canada has been uncommon, at 3.9% of all abortions, using methotrexate with misoprostol; geographic disparities exist in the availability of services (Guilbert et al, 2016). Methotrexate is a more cumbersome and second-best method: the regimen is as effective as mifepristone and misoprostol for up to 7 weeks' gestation, but completion is less predictable, as some abortions are delayed several weeks after administration of methotrexate (Dunn & Cook, 2014). Methotrexate is teratogenic, thus not recommended by the WHO as associated with serious infant deformities if the abortion fails (Dunn and Cook, 2014). Methotrexate abortions are also labour-intensive for practitioners as necessitates following women over weeks to ensure the abortion is complete; thus, this method is not widely used in Canada (Dunn & Cook, 2014). In 2015, Health Canada approved Mifegymiso (mifepristone and misoprostol). A RCT reported that women find mifepristone to be more acceptable than methotrexate, reporting reduced pain and wait time for abortion completion (Wiebe et al, 2002). Strategies to support access include the development of regional care groups to provide medical abortions, professional training support, and improving practitioner and client access to information on pregnancy choices and services (ECHO: Recommendations to Improve Abortion Services in Ontario, 2011). Access is not expected to increase Canadian abortion rates, but may significantly improve access, women's health and wellbeing.

This project’s methods include reaching out to Primary Care Providers in North Simcoe Muskoka and conducting an estimated twenty key informant interviews with MDs, NPs, OBS/GYNs, Public Health, and local women with access experience. The interviews will assess provider interest in offering Mifegymiso, perceptions regarding barriers, and identify resources required to maintain a successful medical abortion service in general practice. Expected outcomes include interview analysis to develop a network of local providers with access to back-up surgical abortion services. Educational sessions will be offered increase provider knowledge about mifegymiso, local abortion services and availability, and to develop a provider support network. Service details will be promoted to regional health and social service providers. Media will be utilized to increase public awareness about local services. A report will be produced, summarizing our interview results, experience, and sustainability considerations to better inform the practices of Primary Care Providers in other regions in Ontario and beyond. Presentations at conferences will be pursued.

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How youth use technology to access sexual health information and how that technology impacts the youths’ sexual health has yet to be extensively researched. Sexual orientation is a key factor in the extent to which youth seek sexual health information on-line. Young queer women have distinct sexual health needs and they may not have reliable access to sexual health information through various channels, including the internet. This research team from Planned Parenthood Toronto (PPT), York University and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health plans to determine why, how and how well young queer women are using the internet, mobile and other digital technologies to access sexual health information. The data collected will increase the understanding of gaps in sexual health information for young queer women that is available on line and through mobile and other digital means. This will make it possible to develop recommendations for resources and interventions to support young queer women’s sexual health information needs through these means.

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  How youth use technology to access sexual health information and how that technology impacts the youths’ sexual health has yet to be extensively researched. Sexual orientation is a key factor in the extent to which youth seek sexual he... https://youtu.be/wta6-d48NUs">