Physical Literacy video wins award from CIHR
BCIRPU’s video on physical literacy has received national recognition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Human Development, and Youth Health (IHDCYH) for the 2019 IHDCYH Talks Video Competition!
The video was developed using an integrated knowledge translation approach with key stakeholders and end users including injury prevention researchers, practitioners, a physical literacy expert, and an athletic therapist. It is one of four videos created for the Active & Safe Central (A&S) resource.
The video includes practical examples of skill-based activities and connects these activities to overall health and development. Structured and unstructured activities promote fundamental movement skills among children and youth, and encourage mobility, balance, strength, and independence among adults.
“We’re excited that CIHR has chosen to highlight our video on physical literacy for the 2019 Health Talks competition,” said Dr. Shelina Babul, Associate Director and Sports Injury Specialist for the BCIRPU. “We hope that this recognition helps to promote safe physical activity for people of all ages.”
A&S is an online resource providing evidence-based injury prevention information for over 50 sports and recreational activities. The website details injury incidence, risk factors, and prevention tips customized to an individual’s role: participant/parent; coach/teacher; official/administrator; or health professional. A&S is supported by BC’s Physical Activity Strategy, which is co-led through a partnership between the BC Government and the BC Alliance for Healthy Living. Drs. Babul and Ian Pike were the Co-Principal Investigators. The website, activesafe.ca, launched in May 2018.
“This award really goes to all of our collaborators and advisors on the entire Active & Safe Central project,” said Dr. Ian Pike, Director of the BCIRPU. “Your knowledge and expertise played a critical role in the creation of this excellent resource. Thank you.”
We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the BC Children’s Hospital Digital Lab, who provided their creative expertise to the project. We would also like to recognize the contributions of the Active & Safe Central project team: Dr. Sarah Richmond, Dr. Amanda Black, the BCIRPU team, project advisors and collaborators, and the Canadian Injury Prevention Trainee Network.
Thank you to all of those who voted for our video during the knowledge translation component of the competition. We would also like to congratulate all of the winners of this year’s competition.
Watch the video on YouTube.
- 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
