Update: Dr. Ian Pike receives 2017 UBC President’s Award
Congratulations to Dr. Ian Pike, who has received the 2017 UBC President’s Award for Public Education Through Media.
UBC President Dr. Santa Ono formally recognized Dr. Pike and other Faculty Research Award recipients at a ceremony held at the Chan Centre on April 17, 2018.
According to UBC’s Research and Innovation Office, the award is given to a faculty member “who has demonstrated outstanding service to the University and the community by actively and creatively sharing research expertise via the news media." Dr. Pike was recognized for his work as director of the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) and founding member and spokesperson for The Community Against Preventable Injuries (Preventable).
A well-known expert on injury prevention topics with the media, Dr. Pike is a tireless advocate for public safety. Since the launch of Preventable in 2009, he has completed over 100 media interviews on topics surrounding drowning prevention, safe boating and water safety, proper ladder use, work-related injury, and changing behaviours and attitudes to prevent injuries.
Dr. Pike was the only recipient asked to speak at the event, highlighting the impact that injuries have on our society. “It may surprise many of you that injury is the leading cause of death for all British Columbians aged 1 to 44," he said. “Some 1,800 lives are lost, over 30,000 are hospitalized, and over 300,000 visit emergency rooms each year because of injury, and this costs our province an estimated 6 billion dollars each year.
“I am very encouraged by the University’s formal recognition of the important role that media plays in educating the public by amplifying evidence-informed messages about preventing injury. My congratulations to the other award recipients and my sincere thanks for this honour."
Past recipients of the award include Joel Bakan (Peter A. Allard School of Law, 2016), Steve Morgan (School of Population and Public Health, 2015), and Jennifer Gardy (School of Population and Public Health, 2014).
Congrats, Ian!
Photo by Geoff Lister
- distress when a child was in pain and when a family was grieving; and
- sadness in the event they were not able to save a child in their care.
- concern for the injured child and the child’s family;
Particularly traumatic events, such as those involving vivid sights and sounds (e.g., families holding each other and having extreme reactions), stuck with the practitioners, having long-lasting impressions on them and causing them to re-live these events in the years following their exposure.
Even after their shift was over, practitioners said that they changed how they approached parenting and how they perceived safety during play as a result of witnessing these traumatic events. They reported having more knowledge of the causes and consequences of severe injuries, such as those that require hospitalization or emergency care. For example, practitioners were more likely to enforce boundaries around where their children could play, such as by forbidding their child to play near busy streets. They also were more likely to tell their child about safe play environments and equipment, and put this equipment on their child before play, such as explaining the benefits of using helmets while riding bikes.
Practitioners were more likely to enforce boundaries around where their children could play, and use safety equipment, such as bike helmets.
Practitioners also described being concerned about their children’s play near open windows, around large bodies of water unsupervised, and in environments where firearms were present. They also expressed worry about their children’s play on trampolines and on motorized vehicles, such as ATVs. Findings related to trampoline play safety concerns were published in the journal Injury Prevention.
Observing family grief due to child injury or death affected the mental well-being of health care practitioners, drawing attention to the need for mental health supports for those involved in caring for severely injured and dying patients.
"Raise more resilient children through play...watch and see how your child handles challenging tasks without intervening right away." —Dr. Michelle Bauer
Building resilience through play
How can parents help their children build resilience? By letting them play!
The experiences that practitioners witnessed encouraged them to support their children in building resilience through play; specifically, by supporting children in learning to cope with failure, overcome fear, build self-confidence, develop distress tolerance, and regulate negative emotions. Findings related to building resilience through play were published in the journal Child: Care, Health, and Development.
Parents fostered resilience in their kids by:
- helping their kids get back on bikes after they fell off and wanted to try again;
- sitting on their hands so they did not instinctively reach for their children when their children fell down; and
- encouraging participation in challenging and thrilling activities in forests and water while safety equipment was used.
"There are a few ways that parents can raise more resilient children through play that are supported by literature and our study findings," said Dr. Bauer. "One: watch and see how your child handles challenging tasks without intervening right away."
"Two: Ask your child how they want you to help—let them tell you what makes them feel safe and happy during play. Let them lead. And three: make play both safe and exciting by encouraging risk-taking, teaching them how to avoid hazards, and using safety equipment.”
This research was supported through Drs. Bauer’s and Gilley’s receipt of a clinical and translational research seed grant from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Dr. Bauer’s BCCHR postdoctoral fellowship award, and additional training provided to Dr. Bauer through her participation in the Programs and Institutions Looking to Launch Academic Researchers (PILLAR) program through ENRICH, a national organization training perinatal and child health researchers.
Learn more about the study through two infographic posters:
Graphics and posters by Milica Radosavljevic
