Introducing the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU)

1. Introducing the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) Bonnie Jeffery, PhD Director, SPHERU Professor, Faculty of Social Work November 4, 2009

2. Who are we? • An interdisciplinary research unit committed to critical population health research • Established in 1999 • First bi-university research unit of its kind in Saskatchewan • Funded by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) • additional project specific funding by other provincial and national health research funding agencies

3. Who are we?Our People Researchers Sylvia Abonyi Paul Hackett Diane Martz Nazeem Muhajarine Pammla Petrucka Nazmi Sari Hongxia Shan( Post Doctoral Fellow) Staff Janice Michael Bonnie Zink Juanita Bacsu Researchers Bonnie Jeffery Mary Hampton Shanthi Johnson Tom McIntosh James Daschuk (Research Associate) Gloria DeSantis (Post Doctoral Fellow) Staff Meaghan Matcyk Colleen Hamilton

4. What do we do? Vision Working with communities and policy makers to improve the health of Saskatchewan people. Mission The promotion of health equity by understanding and addressing population health disparities through policy-relevant research.

5. What do we do?Our Research: • SPHERU’s team is involved in four inter-related research areas aimed at: • the creation of new knowledge; • independent policy analysis; • collaborative research with policy-makers around shared research questions and evaluation of policies and programs; and • collaboration with communities on sources of and strategies to reduce health inequities.

7. Tools II – Community health and wellness indicators reflecting daily life in Saskatchewan’s isolated far north: Implications for program planning and evaluation (Sylvia Abonyi and Bonnie Jeffery), Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded. • Builds on earlier CIHR funded work that developed a new framework for community health and wellness and created the Community Health Indicators Toolkit. • A comparative analysis of the emergence of Type II Diabetes Mellitus among the First Nations of Manitoba and Saskatchewan: 1945-1970 (Paul Hackett and Sylvia Abonyi), Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (new investigator establishment grant) funded. • This study aims to provide greater understanding about the past changes in First Nations health and will cast light on the present pattern of Type II Diabetes Mellitus, as well as contribute to the implementation of more culturally sensitive intervention programs among First Nations. Studies the role that culture plays as a health determinant. Our projects explore the role of culture in population health by looking at culture as a determinant of health, by considering culturally relevant definitions of health, and through refining cultural identity as an indicator of heath.

8. Early Years Knowledge to Action Network: Linking community, university, and government for child health and well-being (kidSKAN) (NazeemMuhajarine), Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded. • As part of our work conducting and sharing research that “makes a difference” for children and their families and communities, we have launched KidSKan, Saskatchewan’s Knowledge-to-Action Network for early childhood development. • Understanding the Early Years (UEY) (Research and community mapping for Moose Jaw, Northeast, and Southeast Saskatchewan) (NazeemMuhajarine), Human Resource and Social Development Canada funded. • UEY is a national initiative that helps communities understand the needs of their children. Working with community members, the Healthy Children research team provides expertise in conducting community-based research, neighbourhood mapping, and knowledge transfer and exchange . Considers how context shape children’s health and development outcomes. Through our research in this area, and by working closely with decision-makers, community groups, policy-makers, etc., we hope to contribute to achieving better health and development for all children in Saskatchewan.

9. Living with Hope: Developing a Psychosocial Supportive Program for Male Spouses of Women with Breast Cancer (Mary Hampton), Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Prairies / NWT Region funded. • The research team has developed and evaluated a Living with Hope Program for family caregivers of persons with advanced cancer, which shows promise in increasing hope and quality of life. • Osteoporosis care gap among the elderly: From screening to evidence-based management (Shanthi Johnson), Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (new investigator grant) funded. • This research looks at preventative actions and management strategies following the assessment of an individual’s bone status and expected to lead to improvements in osteoporosis diagnosis, management ,and prevention. Rurality is a powerful determinant of women’s and men’s health. Rural people’s poorer health is a result of significant inequities in health-determining conditions. Rural health research projects conducted by SPHERU provide a better understanding of the impact of economic and cultural determinants on the health of rural women, men, and youth.

10. Early childhood intervention in the community…Makes sense but does it really work? (KidsFirst) (Nazeem Muhajarine), Canadian Institute for Health Information funded. • A team of researchers and decision-makers are evaluating an existing population health promotion program in Saskatchewan, KidsFirst, to determine whether it has been effective in improving selected health and development outcomes. • Northern Health Strategy Progress Evaluation (Bonnie Jeffery), Northern Health Strategy Working Group (NHSWG) funded. • SPHERU is conducting an evaluation of the NHSWG’s current project s. The goal is to work cooperatively and collaboratively across multiple jurisdictions that have responsibility for service delivery in the North and ultimately achieve better integrated and adapted services. • This progress evaluation follows an earlier evaluation completed by SPHERU of the NHSWG’s “Shared Paths for Northern Health Project.” SPHERU also engages in research evaluation projects and promotes health equity by addressing health disparities through policy relevant research. 

11. Knowledge Transfer and Exchange • SPHERU has developed and tested promising practices for effective knowledge translation, including: • developing collaborative research projects with many stakeholders; • publishing research findings in more accessible, plain language documents (Annual Review, newsletter, fact sheets, etc.); • producing videos to share findings; • developing toolkits of findings for communities to use as resource guides; • developing research networks for knowledge exchange; • hosting conferences and forums; • delivering presentations; and • participating in expert dialogues.

12. How do we do it?

13. Where are we? SPHERU Saskatoon University of Saskatchewan 501 – 121 Research Drive Saskatoon, SK S7N 1K2 Phone: (306) 966-2250 Fax: (306) 966-6487 Email: spheru@usask.ca www.spheru.ca

14. Where are we? SPHERU Regina CK 115, Centre for Kinesiology Health & Sport University of Regina Regina, SK S4S 0A2 Phone: (306) 585-5674 Fax: (306) 585-5694 Email: spheru@uregina.ca www.spheru.ca

15. Where are we? SPHERU Prince Albert University of Regina Room 154, Woodland Academic Centre 1500 – 10th Avenue East Prince Albert, SK S6V 6G1 Phone: (306) 953-5535 Fax: (306) 953-5305 Email: spherupa@uregina.ca

16. For more information … Please visit our website for details on all SPHERU projects www.spheru.ca