UBC study identifies social and behavioural factors most closely associated with dying

UBC study identifies social and behavioural factors most closely associated with dying

Smoking, divorce and alcohol abuse have the closest connection to death out of 57 social and behavioural factors analyzed in research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study analyzed survey data collected from 13,611 adults in the U.S. between 1992 and 2008, and identified which factors applied to those who died between 2008 and 2014.

“It shows that a lifespan approach is needed to really understand health and mortality,” said Eli Puterman, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia’s school of kinesiology and lead author of the study.

“For example, instead of just asking whether people are unemployed, we looked at their history of unemployment over 16 years. If they were unemployed at any time, was that a predictor of mortality? It’s more than just a one-time snapshot in people’s lives, where something might be missed because it did not occur. Our approach provides a look at potential long-term impacts through a lifespan lens.”

Life expectancy in the U.S. has stagnated for three decades relative to other industrialized countries, raising questions about which factors might be contributing. Biological factors and medical conditions are always at the top of the list, so this study intentionally excluded those in favour of social, psychological, economic, and behavioural factors.

Click Here to read more.

Read the paper here.

June 26th – Exercising during stressful experiences: Impacts on physical and psychological wellbeing

The Schools of Kinesiology (UBC Vancouver) and Health and Exercise Sciences (UBCO) are co-hosting a weekly webinar series featuring current faculty research topics. The series runs May through June. All are invited to attend these free academic presentations on Friday afternoons from 3:00pm-4:30pm PST.

Dr. Eli Puterman PhD
Assistant Professor
Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Health,
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar
School of Kinesiology

Title: Exercising during stressful experiences: Impacts on physical and psychological wellbeing

Description:
Even though populations are ageing, older adults are not necessarily increasing their healthspan (i.e., years of maintained good health). Population aging has given rise to an increase in the incidence of non-communicable diseases, which account for the majority of deaths among older adults across the globe. Aging cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of non-communicable diseases.

Telomere shortening in cells plays a part of this aging process and is recognized as a biomarker of disease. Telomeres are DNA-protein caps at the ends of chromosomes that protect genetic material from degradation and their lengths indicate cellular aging. Although aging, genetic variants, and lifetime exposures (i.e. smoking or chronic psychological stress) contribute to telomere shortening across the lifespan, research indicates that certain health behaviours, like exercise, can protect against changes in telomere length.

In the current presentation, research highlighting the critical – and opposing – roles that life stress and exercise have on telomere length will be examined. Evidence from observational and prospective studies will demonstrate the role that stress has on health in general, and telomere length specifically.

Importantly, evidence from exercise-based intervention trials will be presented that emphasizes the influence of a physically active lifestyle to telomere length maintenance, especially when faced with chronic stress. Psychological and biological mechanisms of the benefits of physical activity and exercise on telomere maintenance will be explored.

Details:
Friday, June 26, 2020
3:00pm – 4:30pm
All Welcome – Free admission
Zoom link

Birgbrager, Alyssa

Growing up in Ontario, Alyssa had never been to Vancouver, but she saw a picture of the UBC campus and was immediately drawn. Enticed by the ski hills and prospect of the Winter Olympics, Alyssa packed her bags and headed across the country. She found that UBC Kinesiology was truly the perfect fit for her. The faculty quickly became her small family within a broad community. She became involved in many facets of the school; some of her most defining moments came from involvement in Kin Games, UBC REC, Kin Frosh and Orientation, and Go Global exchange. These experiences presented unique challenges that forced her to adapt, engage in shared dynamic learning opportunities and fostered her desire for continuous growth. Alyssa learned the value of being comfortable being uncomfortable, which has been a major asset in her career today.

Alyssa graduated in 2013, unsure of her long term career aspirations.  She had developed a keen interest in anatomy, physiology and injury prevention, but was unsure how she could piece that together to fit her passions without getting stuck in a monotonous construct.  After two years of working a job she did not enjoy, while taking courses and volunteering, Alyssa decided to take a one year, advanced certificate in Athletic Therapy at Mount Royal University to see if this would be a viable career.  She had many doubts throughout the course of the program, but upon graduation sought out some opportunities for more hands-on learning, which sparked a passion for the profession.

Alyssa currently works as an Athletic Therapist at Bishops University in Quebec.  She is always excited to go to work; every day presents new challenges, fresh opportunities, and she is kept on her toes.  As a certified Athletic Therapist, Alyssa provides preventative prophylactic care and emergency response in the field setting and injury assessment and rehabilitation in the clinic setting.  She loves working at an academic institution, being able to collaborate with an integrated health team that focuses on holistic health, working as a sports scientist on research projects, and mentoring and supervising students doing athletic therapy placements.  For Alyssa, athletic therapy is a rewarding and impactful field of work.  She enjoys helping athletes that have gone through any form of injury, get back to competing at elite levels, doing what they love.  Her advice for current students is to take advantage of the vast opportunities presented to you; seek out new experiences, learn from your mistakes, ask questions and enjoy the process!

In Memoriam – Henrik Moberg Parker


The UBC School of Kinesiology has established an In Memoriam Fund in honour of Henrik Moberg Parker who sadly passed away much too young in February 2020. Henrik was an excellent student and world-class athlete who joined the UBC Varsity sailing team and planned to pursue a career in physiotherapy. Henrik exemplified the values of the School and demonstrated the characteristics of the kind of leader the School always hopes will emerge from its program. He was a clever, kind, and inclusive young man. He was a dedicated friend and an accomplished coach to others.

We invite you to add your memories and to make a donation in the name of Henrik Moberg Parker. Funds donated in memoriam enrich the university experience for current and future generations of Kinesiology students. Your gift will go towards supporting students studying Kinesiology, with final decisions on award descriptions and student eligibility being made in consultation with the Moberg Parker family.

Please click here to give in memory of Henrik Moberg Parker and help keep his passion alive through UBC.

 

June 19th Webinar – Nutritional Ketosis in Health and Performance

The Schools of Kinesiology (UBC Vancouver) and Health and Exercise Sciences (UBCO) are co-hosting a weekly webinar series featuring current faculty research topics. The series runs May through June. All are invited to attend these free academic presentations on Friday afternoons from 3:00pm-4:30pm PST.

Jonathan Little, UBC Okanagan
Associate Professor
School of Health and Exercise Sciences

Title: Nutritional Ketosis in Health and Performance

Description: Have you heard of the keto diet? Ketone supplements? Is there any scientific evidence that they really work?
In this seminar Dr. Little will highlight the latest evidence in the science of nutritional ketosis. Specifically, he will attempt to answer the following four questions:
1) Should everyone follow a ketogenic diet?
2) Should people with type 2 diabetes follow a ketogenic diet?
3) Do exogenous ketone supplements improve endurance performance? and
4) Can exogenous ketones improve cardiometabolic health?

Details:
Friday, June 19, 2020
3:00pm – 4:30pm
All Welcome – Free admission
Zoom link

Lai, Henry

Welcome graduating student, Henry P. H. Lai, MSc 2020 to the Kin Alumni community. Henry is a UBC Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award winner who worked under the supervision of Dr. Darren Warburton in the Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation lab. During his time as a graduate student, Henry worked on a UBC TLEF project to co-create and deliver a blended-learning course specializing in Indigenous Health and Wellness.

Building on these learning experiences, Henry worked with the Health and Fitness Society of BC to co-create knowledge translation resources that promote culturally safe messaging in physical activity participation. These resources were shared with the broader community and included organizing local walk/run events, facilitating community-based experiential learning placements for undergrads, and hosting the 6​th​ and 7​th​ annual National Indigenous Physical Activity and Wellness Conference with the lab. Henry’s passion for working with Indigenous communities to promote holistic health and wellness inspired him to take on a research project at the lab as part of his graduate thesis.

Henry’s thesis project had a broad impact. It involved the co-creation of a community-based and Indigenous-led healthy lifestyle intervention, a joint initiative with Lytton First Nation, UBC Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology, and Indigenous Physical Activity and Cultural Circle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a community-based and Indigenous-led approach to improve health-related physical fitness measures in Indigenous adults living in a rural and remote community. Unique to this study, participants used individualized exercise prescriptions in family-oriented walking activities and talked about healthy lifestyle behaviours in knowledge-sharing circles. Strengths-based research methodologies were used to ensure that all aspects of the project reflect the innate strengths, capabilities, and aspirations of the community. The findings show that a strengths-based approach is a meaningful and beneficial method to improve health-related physical fitness and lifestyle behaviours. These culturally safe and relevant research methodologies support traditional ways to be physically active and empower community leaders to be the key advocates of positive change within their own community.

Henry’s academic interests include clinical exercise rehabilitation, preventive medicine, and holistic health and wellness. Henry has a strong passion for teaching as well. One of his most memorable and rewarding moments as a Teaching Assistant was the opportunity to create and teach a new unit in a kinesiology course. Away from school, Henry enjoys a lot of his downtime sipping black coffee, trying different bannock recipes, kayaking in the quiet waters of Deep Cove, and tending to his makeshift gardens.

Publication:
Lai HPH, Miles RM, Bredin SSD, Kaufman KL, Chua CZY, Hare J, Norman ME, Rhodes RE, Oh P, Warburton DER. (2019). “With every step, we grow stronger”: The cardiometabolic benefits of an Indigenous-led and community-based healthy lifestyle intervention. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(4):422

Distinctions:
UBC Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award (2020)
National Collaborating Centres for Public Health Knowledge Translation Award (2020)
Canadian Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Abstract Award(2019)
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Indigenous Gender and Wellness Idea Fair and Learning Circle Travel Award (2019)
UBC Donald and Ellen Poulter Scholarship (2019)
UBC Faculty of Education Graduate Award (2017)
UBC Captain C. Y. Wu Kinesiology Scholarship (2016)
UBC William B. McNulty Kinesiology Scholarship (2016)
UBC Kinesiology Head of Class Award (2016)
UBC Trek Excellence Scholarship (2016)

MacLean, Heather

Heather MacLean, BKIN’15 demonstrates the outstanding and resilient characteristics of a Kin leader and alum. Heather is a former Olympic swimmer who now works in Toronto on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as a nurse.

We caught up with Heather who told us, “Growing up, sports played a large role in my home as my parents enrolled me into everything from dancing, gymnastics, soccer, hockey to swimming.” But at the age of 8, Heather started swimming competitively for the Etobicoke Swim club, and as she says “the rest is history!”

When asked what made Heather want to study Kinesiology, she says “I had always loved the human body and was an athlete, so KIN combined both of these two passions. My favourite classes, hands down were any anatomy and physiology. I also loved that many other varsity athletes were in KIN; it really built a community within the varsity program that created so much T-BIRD pride! I also did not know exactly what I wanted to do after my undergrad, but KIN was a great starting point to all the options I had in mind. Whether it was teaching, medicine, nursing, physio… I knew KIN would give me the foundations I needed.”

Outside of academics at UBC, Heather was a member of the UBC Thunderbird Swim Team and trained with the High Performance National Swim Center. Swimming has played a large part in her life and some of the many highlights she mentions are winning the U Sport Team Championship in 2012, and making the 2012 Olympic Team at Trials. “I had failed to qualify [for the Olympic team] a few days earlier in what would have been considered my better event. After that, there were truly a lot of emotions when it finally all came together as I punched myself a ticket for the Games.”

However, Heather’s swimming journey was never easy. “My swimming career involved many ups and downs. I struggled a lot with my mental health at times and lost my passion for the sport in 2010. I think my proudest moment was overcoming that hard time in my career and working my way back to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. It was more than just fulfilling a lifetime goal, but rather, it showed how far I had come and the hurdles I had to jump to get there.” says Heather.

When speaking about her nursing career Heather says “I truly feel so lucky to be a nurse, and I can confidently say I love my job. Nursing gives you the opportunity to positively affect someone’s life when they are going through an anxiety-provoking experience. I love that I can be the person they rely on, trust and be their advocate.”

 

Best Career Advice Heather has Received: “Always be open to learning new things. Take any opportunities you can get. Then use these opportunities as a chance to develop yourself.”

Tips for Success: “Be true to yourself, work hard, but most importantly have fun. Through swimming and nursing I have learned you really can never succeed unless you’re having fun and love what you are doing!”

Congratulations Mahabhir Kandola!

Jun. 10, 2020 – Congratulations to Pop-PA Lab member Mahabhir Kandola for completing his proposal defence!

June 12th Webinar – Disability sport research as advocacy work

The Schools of Kinesiology (UBC Vancouver) and Health and Exercise Sciences (UBCO) are co-hosting a weekly webinar series featuring current faculty research topics. The series runs May through June. All are invited to attend these free academic presentations on Friday afternoons from 3:00pm-4:30pm PST.

Andrea Bundon, UBC Vancouver
Assistant Professor
School of Kinesiology

Title: Disability sport research as advocacy work

Description: There is an abundance of compelling scientific evidence that sport and physical activity can lead to a wealth of health and social benefits for people with disabilities. Being physically active can reduce the risk of secondary impairments and complications by enhancing cardiovascular function, musculoskeletal function, mobility, emotional well-being and quality of life and by lessening the impacts of depression, pain and fatigue. Yet despite decades of research, countless policies on inclusion, and millions of dollars spent on ‘creating opportunities’, few people with disabilities regularly participate in sport. I contend that the current situation is the result of a sport culture that is generally unprepared to engage with the politics of disability.

In this talk, I will present findings from three research projects – one on the role of wheelchair basketball in developing para-sport internationally, one on how ‘inclusion’ has been delivered within the British Columbia sport sector, and one exploring the precarious position of women in the Paralympic Games. I will use this research to illustrate how initiatives intended to promote sport opportunities for people with disabilities can still end up reproducing inequity and I will discuss examples of ‘promising practices’ that have the potential to lead to real change. My intent in sharing this work is to demonstrate that researchers need not be unbiased. Rather by working from a Critical Disabilities Studies paradigm, my research becomes my way of advocating for more equitable and inclusive sport.

Details:
Friday, June 12, 2020
3:00pm – 4:30pm
All Welcome – Free admission
Zoom link

Nothing About Us Without Us: Indigenous Engagement, Wellbeing and Campus Recreation


Neither a global pandemic nor final exams could stop a group of ambitious Kinesiology undergraduate students from sharing an important message!

On April 22nd, students from KIN 489C Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology gave a Zoom presentation entitled “Nothing About Us Without Us”: Indigenous Engagement, Wellbeing and Campus Recreation. The presentation was the outcome of a class research project from the fall 2019. For this project, students completed an environmental scan of policies and programs related to Indigenous recreation and wellbeing at UBC, and interviewed Indigenous staff and faculty for their perspectives on fostering Indigenous campus engagement.

The presentation was intended as a knowledge mobilization initiative, with thirty-eight students, staff, faculty and leaders from UBC-V and UBC-O Recreation, Wellness, NITEP and the Faculty of Education in attendance.

Click here to view the webinar.
 

Zoom Picture of Participants:
Top left to right: Marne McArdle, Moss Norman, Lauren Quigley
Middle left to right: Emma Reiter, Sumayya Dean, Gemma Tomasky
Bottom: Maddi Chow
Not present: Bret Watts, Jasmine Sindhar

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