New project aims to reduce boating-related injury in BC
[Image: BCIRPU Director Dr. Ian Pike (left), Vancouver MP Joyce Murray, and Chief Executive Officer for Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) Pat Quealey (background) aboard a RCM-SAR vessel. Paul Joseph Photo | UBC Public Affairs]
The BCIRPU has received funding from Transport Canada to better understand attitudes about boating safety in British Columbia.
The three-year project—led by BCIRPU Director Dr. Ian Pike, in partnership with the Lifesaving Society, the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR), and the Community Against Preventable Injuries (Preventable)—will investigate the awareness, attitudes, and behaviours of recreational boaters in BC related to boating safety. A social marketing campaign will be developed and implemented to address the burden of boating-related injury.
The project was officially announced on May 23 at an event in Vancouver with RCM-SAR, Vancouver MP Joyce Murray, and the BCIRPU research team.
Recreational boaters include paddlers and other operators of human-powered crafts; operators of small power boats (under 6m) and sailboats, and operators of other pleasure crafts. “This project will assess who is at risk of injury while boating and why, and target the attitudes underlying behaviours such as drinking alcohol while boating, and not wearing a personal flotation device,” said Dr. Pike.
“This project will work with the boating community and safety organizations to shift attitudes and behaviours and ultimately reduce the incidence of these preventable events so that the many lakes, rivers, and miles of coastline can be enjoyed safely.”
The project has three phases: first, investigators will review the best available information about recreational boating injuries in BC and create an epidemiological report. The team will conduct market research to understand attitudes, awareness, and behaviours related to boating and develop an effective, targeted social marketing campaign. Second, a multi-platform campaign will be launched across the province based on the outcomes of phase one. Finally, in phase three, researchers will evaluate the campaign, and expand and modify as needed before generating a final report.
UBC News Article (May 23, 2017)
Transport Canada Release (May 23, 2017)
- 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
