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Past Projects
The Social Inclusion and Health Equity Research Group played a major role in Trans PULSE, a CIHR-funded, multi-phase, mixed methods, community-based research program that explores the impact of social exclusion and transphobia on the health and well-being of trans Ontarians. The study included two qualitative phases as well as the most comprehensive survey ever implemented to assess the health, mental health and quality of life issues facing trans people.
Findings
The Trans PULSE team is committed to making sure that the information that comes out of this study is used to produce the greatest positive impact possible on the well-being of trans people. Keeping this in mind, the team has presented at numerous conferences and community events; released topic-specific (e.g. suicide and trans people) ‘E-Bulletins’ in both English and French; published academic papers to speak directly to a professional audience; released project reports targeted for specific institutions and audiences; created infographics; and is continuing to plan more knowledge dissemination strategies.
The research evidence has been used to:
- Support decreasing surgery wait times.
- Change attitudes toward LGBTQ people in Waterloo Region.
- Provide accurate information for recognizing Trans Awareness month.
- Provide information to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
- Inspire the Toronto for All campaign.
Trans PULSE also partnered with Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO) to host a Trans Health Advocacy Summit at Western University in London, Ontario. This summit provided trans community change-makers, activists and allies living in Ontario with opportunities to learn about Trans PULSE data, share ideas, develop new skills, and create a support network for ongoing change efforts.
While the long-term project has wrapped up, the Trans PULSE team continues to work (separately and together) on a range of projects related to trans health and trans community. The Trans PULSE project website is home for this work.
Little empirical evidence is available to guide the development of HIV behavioural prevention programs for gay and bisexual trans men who have sex with other men. Policy makers and frontline prevention workers are therefore relying on information gleaned from studies of non-trans gay men to design HIV prevention campaigns and interventions for trans men.
Funded by CIHR, this study identifies factors that shape HIV-related risk for trans men who have sex with men. This includes how trans men make decisions related to sexual health/activity and what impacts those decision-making processes.
Funded by CIHR, this three phase study examines the current challenges facing Canadian research ethics boards (REBs) to fully understand and adequately assess community based participatory research (CBPR) projects.
- Phase one involved a content analysis of the review forms used by 99 REBs nationally.
- Phase two involved key informant interviews with 15 national stakeholders with expertise in CBPR and research ethics.
- Phase three involved 58 interviews with 29 community and academic partnership teams from funded HIV/AIDS CBPR initiatives across Canada.
Data analysis is focusing on some of the unique ethical challenges facing these research teams and the role of REBs in assisting (or hindering) these teams with their challenges. From this study, we have been able to argue that REBs (because of their narrow focus on assessing risks to individuals in research) may unintentionally be creating a situation where CBPR projects face unique ethical challenges and concerns.
Findings
- The Greater Involvement of People Living with AIDS principle: theory versus practice in Ontario's HIV/AIDS community-based research sector published in AIDS Care July 2008 (Travers, Wilson, Flicker, et al., 2008) has been shared and cited widely.
- Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes by internationally renowned CBPR scholar Dr. Meredith Minkler included a chapter about this work entitled: Ethical Review of Community-Based Participatory Research: Considerations for Institutional Review Boards (Sarah Flicker, Robb Travers, Adrian Guta, Sean McDonald, and Aileen Meagher).
- Are we asking the right questions? A review of Canadian REB practices in relation to community-based participatory research. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 5, 35-46 shared further findings about this work.
- Rainbow Health Ontario Research Methods: Community-Based Research with LGBTQ Communities
Funded by the Centre for Urban Health Initiatives and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Teens Resisting Urban Trans/Homophobia (TRUTH) focused on the broad impacts of homophobic discrimination on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in Toronto and Waterloo Region.
In Waterloo Region, we utilized a photovoice method, whereby youth were equipped with cameras and instructed to take photos illustrating issues, concerns, etc. that they had as LGBT youth living in the region. These photographs have been used in the dissemination of the study findings. One such dissemination event took place at the Button Gallery in Kitchener and was attended by 150 people including both the mayors of Waterloo and Kitchener.
African Caribbean and Black Youth (ACBY) is a community-based research project studying HIV/AIDS vulnerability of the African Caribbean and Black youth in Windsor and Essex County. We are a partnership between the University of Windsor, Wilfrid Laurier University, Youth Connection Association, African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO), and the AIDS Committee of Windsor and are funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
We will work with youth in Windsor and Essex County to:
- Conduct research using surveys, interviews and focus groups.
- Complete a community mapping exercise.
- Build partnerships.
- Develop strategies to combat HIV/AIDS.