Welcome
The British Columbia Research Institute
for Children's & Women's Health
Centre for Community Child Health Research
Our Mission Statement
To improve the health and well-being of children by understanding the social and be-havioural determinants of child health and applying this knowledge to community-based prevention and health promotion strategies.
Our Goals
- To foster and maintain an environment of interdisciplinary expertise.
- To provide leadership through innovative and effective individual and population-based research which will make a major contribution to increasing scientific knowledge about the range of influences on children's physical, emotional, and behavioural development.
- To promote the dissemination of research findings that will influence child and youth health policy and practice.
- To facilitate community-based child health research throughout B.C. by developing a province-wide network of collaborative links with other academic centres, health institutions, and community researchers.
- To be a resource for education and training in community child research.
Areas of Focus
Today, the major threat to the health of children in North America is not disease but social, environmental and behavioural factors which compromise children's health and emotional and physical development.
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, with links throughout the Province, the Centre for Community Child Health Research focuses on identifying factors that influence and support the healthy development of children and youth. The Centre brings together interdisciplinary expertise in child development, health promotion, epidemiology and clinical research.
Health Promotion
Develops and implements effective risk-prevention strategies, community-based initiatives and public policy to improve lives and health of children and youth, This includes strategies for changing individual and organizational behaviours that compromise health and well-being in areas such as tobacco use, sun exposure, injury prevention, physical activity and nutrition.
Bio-Behaviour Interface
Explores the links between biologic and behavioural influences on child development, including the influence of prolonged pain and exposure to drugs during the fetal or newborn period on subsequent growth and development, behavioural interactions (infant-maternal, peers) and factors that promote resiliency.
Family & Community Systems
Children grow and develop within the framework of families and communities. Understanding how families and communities operate, how they change and may be influenced is critically important for implementing effective community-based strategies to sustain healthy development. Research involves evaluation of support programs for families in need, suicide and identity formation in youth, and the family and community issues associated with the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Disability
Children with disabilities face special challenges. Research is focused on better understanding the process of development in children with disabilities and developing and evaluating approaches to facilitate healthy development. Initiatives include research exploring social development in children with disabilities and understanding the natural course of growth in children with specific disabilities.
Population Health
Focuses on understanding the population-based determinants of health among children and youth to help develop and implement interventions that promote child health and improve future life prospects. Current research involves understanding determinants of prematurity and birth outcomes, patterns of ritalin use in treatment of hyperactivity-attention deficit, and injury prevention.
Services
Consultation
- Research designs related to behavioural measurement, health promotion methodologies, population identification, monitoring & intervention, and social & cultural research issues.
- Design and implementation of behavioural intervention clinical trials, including pharmacologic interventions.
- Biobehavioural assessment of infants and children including physiological recording, behavioural coding, and cognitive testing.
Education
- Graduate student and post-doctoral training opportunities. *
- Summer student projects.
- Ideas and work-in progress seminars.
- Methodology workshops relating to biobehavioural measurement, health promotion, and population health.
*For information on Post-Doctoral Fellowships and Studentships please contact the Research Institute for Children's & Women's Health.
Injury Prevention Unit
The BC Injury Research & Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) was established in August 1997 as part of a province-wide partnership between the Centre for Community Child Health Research, BC Ministry of Health, and B.C.'s Children's Hospital. The Unit's goals include the reduction of unintentional injuries among children and youth in BC through the support and evaluation of effective prevention measures, and the establishment of ongoing injury surveillance across the province. With unique links to government, institutions, experts in the field, and community leaders, the unit plays a key role in coordinating intervention efforts throughout the province.
General Inquiries: (604) 875-3776
Director, Dr. Parminder Raina
Tel: 875-3572
E-mail: (see faculty list)
Research Coordinator, Dr. Andria Scanlan
TeL: 875-3425
E-mail: ascanlan@sunnyhill.bc.ca
Aubrey J. Tingle
MD, Ph.D., FRCPC
Executive Director,
B.C. Research Institute for Children's & Women's Health
B.C. Research Institute for Children's & Women's Health
The B.C. Research Institute for Children's & Women's Health was established in 1995 to advance the health of children, women and their families through research excellence. Located in Vancouver on the grounds of Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia (C&W), the Research Institute operates as a partnership of C&W, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the community.
For more information on the Institute, visit their web site:
Our Partners
Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia (C&W)
Incorporated in July 1987, Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia provides the administrative and governance structure for three academic health centres specializing in the health needs of children and women.
British Columbia's Children's Hospital
B.C.'s major treatment, teaching and research facility for child health.
British Columbia's Women's Hospital and Health Centre
Canada's largest maternity centre and the only B.C. facility focussed solely on the health needs of newborns and women.
Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
A provincial resource which offers specialized inpatient, outpatient and outreach health services for children with disabilities.
University of British Columbia (UBC)
UBC is one of Canada's top research universities and is British Columbia's only medical school. UBC is associated with four major teaching hospitals: B.C. Cancer Agency, Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital and Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. The main UBC campus is located at Point Grey in Vancouver.
Provincial Coordinator:
Cindy Carson
Phone: (604) 875-3629
First Call: Child & Youth Advocacy Movement
First Call is a movement for children and youth. A coalition of 40 provincial organizations and hundreds of community groups and individuals around B.C., First Call advocates working together to ensure that the needs of children and youth are a top priority.
First Call is cross-sectoral and non-partisan. Grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, First Call is committed to advocacy, economic justice, quality services, community-based decision making, freedom from violence, cultural integrity, and child and youth friendly communities.
Our coalition encourages British Columbians to help ensure that all children and youth have the opportunities and resources required to achieve their full potential, and to participate in the challenges of creating a better society.
First Call is coordinating a Spotlight on Children and Youth Campaign to advocate for four Keys to Success that will impact child and youth health and well-being. The Centre for Community Child Health Research is a First Call partner and supports First Call activities by providing space and infrastructure and collaborating on joint projects.
Room L-408
4480 Oak Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6H 3V4
CANADA
Tel: (604) 875-357
Fax: (604) 875-3569
Last updated: November 3, 1998
©1996-1998 Centre for Community Child Health Research
Address comments about this page to: Jacqueline Smit Alex
This page has been accessed times since November 3, 1998.