institute for social research

York University  

Over 40 years of excellence in conducting applied and academic social research
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON Canada
M3J 1P3

Telephone: 416-736-5061
Toll-free: 1-888-847-0148
Fax: 416-736-5749
E-mail: isrnews@yorku.ca

Previous Projects
2014
Internet Use and Political Activity in Canada
The last two decades have seen a revolution in communication technology with the widespread use of computer networks and digital technologies. This study focused on how these technologies have transformed the practice of democratic citizenship in Canada. In the winter and spring of 2014, ISR conducted 2,000 telephone interviews in English and French with adults across Canada. The researchers explored how Canadians are using online communication to gather information about politics, use e-government services, communicate with political parties, contact social movements, and engage in discussion with other citizens about politics. The extent to which new communication technology has opened up politics and participation to citizens was also examined. Political scientist Dr. Harold Jansen, University of Lethbridge, was the Principal Investigator for this project. His research team includes researchers from the University of Manitoba, Laval University, University of Montreal, and University of Guelph. This study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Liza Mercier was the study director at ISR.
2013
The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS)
This biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Now spanning more than 30 years, the OSDUHS is the longest ongoing school survey in Canada, and one of the longest in the world. The Institute has conducted this survey for CAMH since 1981, and recently undertook its 17th wave of this study. The survey, which now includes measures of student mental and physical well-being, was administered in classrooms across Ontario to approximately 10,400 students in grades 7 through 12 between November 2012 and June 2013. This comprehensive strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies, and provides information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking, drug use, and physical and mental well-being. Funding was provided by the Government of Ontario. CAMH's Dr. Robert Mann was the principal investigator, and the study was managed by CAMH research analyst Angela Boak. John Pollard was the ISR study director.
2012
Marital Satisfaction and Conflict Study
The goal of this national study was to explore how factors such as stress, socioeconomic status, previous socialization patterns, values and behaviours affect couples in terms of marital satisfaction and conflict. The findings from this research will help researchers understand marital conflict and the impact it has on health and well-being. This information could have policy implications in the areas of health and social services that will be beneficial to families and future generations. This research was conducted on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Lenton at York University, and was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The Institute conducted 1,500 telephone interviews with randomly-selected adults across Canada during the spring and summer of 2012. David Northrup, ISR Associate Director, managed this project at the Institute.
"Social Capital, Cultural Capital
and Ethnic Advancement in Toronto" Survey
We know surprisingly little about the social relationships within and between ethnic groups in a highly multicultural city. Social networks (such as marriage, close friendships, etc.) are the channels through which crucial information and influence flow, hence individual and group successes depend on these networks. This project, conducted on behalf of Dr. Bonnie Erickson, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, focused on individual success finding jobs or getting good work with high prestige and income. For ethnic group members, networks and culture can affect work location and job quality, and success in advancing group goals depends on how outsiders see the group: how positively they feel about the group, how aware they are of important group problems, and how willing they are to support action to remedy such problems. This research will contribute to our understanding of inequality and ethnic relations, with emphasis on the roles of networks and culture.

The project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), systematically mapped relationships in and between groups, access to ethnic group and mainstream culture, and the distribution of potential support for anti-discrimination policies, all for the first time. The Institute conducted 900 telephone interviews among Black, Chinese, and White adults in Toronto in the winter and spring of 2011-12. Liza Mercier was the Project Manager at ISR.

Pancreatic Cancer Recruitment Study
Researchers at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) are studying pancreatic cancer, a leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada. Nearly 4,000 Canadians are found to have pancreatic cancer each year and only about 5% of them survive for five years or more years after diagnosis. The researchers recruited about 800 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer into the study, and ISR's role was to recruit a comparison sample of the same age and gender who did not have pancreatic cancer. The Institute recruited about 1,600 Ontarians 35 to 80 years of age from spring 2011 through winter 2012. About 55% of the sample was male and 45% female. Given that pancreatic cancer is much more common in older people, about 90 percent of the sample were between 50 and 80 years of age. People who agreed to participate in the study were sent a mailback questionnaire and, if they agreed, provided a blood or saliva sample. The researchers will compare the two groups on the basis of overall health, current and past medical conditions for both the respondent and their family, genetics, diet, smoking behaviour, and other health determinants. The Study Manager at CCO was Saira Mohammed, and David Northrup, ISR's Associate Director, managed the study at the Institute.
The 18th Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Survey: Public Attitudes Towards Education in Ontario
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto has been undertaking a provincial education survey every two years since 1978. This 18th wave of the study examined Ontarians' attitudes toward the education system in general and, more specifically: public satisfaction with schools; opinions about funding priorities; knowledge about governance; accommodation for minority cultural and religious groups; and other current policy issues including province-wide tests and government spending on education, among other topics. This telephone survey was conducted with 1,000 randomly-selected adult residents across all regions of the province in the winter of 2011-12. Funding for the study was provided by OISE and several provincial government ministries and educational associations. Principal investigator was OISE Institutional Researcher Dr. Doug Hart and the study was managed at the Institute by John Pollard.
2011
Physical Activity Monitor
Since 1995, the Institute has been conducting an ongoing national study examining the health and well-being of Canadians on behalf of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI). Approximately 250 telephone (CATI) interviews were conducted with Canadians in randomly-chosen households with children across the country every month throughout 2011, for a total of approximately 3,000 interviews. Funding for the project came, in part, from the Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council. The study is designed to help researchers better understand how they can effectively assist Canadians in maintaining and improving their health and well-being. The Principal Investigator for the Physical Activity Monitor (PAM) project at the CFLRI was Christine Cameron and Cora Lynn Craig was the Co-Investigator. Richard Myles directed this study at the Institute.
Canadian Internet Project (CIP)
The Canadian Internet Project (CIP) is the third phase of a larger study on Canadians’ Internet habits. This project measures trends in use of the Internet, traditional media and emerging technologies by Canadians, and their attitudes toward media and online activities. The CIP forms part of the World Internet Project (WIP) involving almost 40 countries undertaking similar research. These projects examine the social, political and economic impact of the Internet and other new technologies. Over the summer and fall of 2011 ISR conducted approximately 1,700 telephone interviews across the country with adults and Canadian youth. The CIP was funded by the Canadian Media Research Consortium and other partners. Dr. Charles Zamaria, Ryerson University, was the study’s principal investigator and Dr. Fred Fletcher, York University, was co-investigator. David Northrup, ISR Associate Director, managed the study at the Institute.
Canadian Election Study
Between March 26 and May 1, 2011, approximately 4,200 telephone interviews were conducted during the Canadian federal election campaign for principal investigators Dr. Patrick Fournier of the Université de Montréal, Drs. Stuart Soroka and Dietlind Stolle of McGill University, and Dr. Fred Cutler of the University of British Columbia. For the Canadian Election Study, a rolling cross-sectional sample was utilized whereby approximately 120 interviews were conducted every day of the campaign, in both official languages, with randomly-selected Canadian citizens of voting age. The study included a panel component in which interviews were also conducted with respondents to earlier Canadian Election Studies. The research team was interested in learning how Canadians felt about the major issues in the campaign, and why they elect the people and parties they do. The second phase of the project was a post-election telephone survey in which respondents from the campaign-period survey were re-interviewed to evaluate attitudinal changes which may have occurred over the course of the campaign. ISR Associate Director David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.
2011 Cyclical Program Review
Each year, the Institute surveys undergraduate and graduate students in selected programs as part of the University's Cyclical Program Review. On a rotating basis, each degree program is assessed every eight years (www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate). Results from these student surveys, conducted as either online or mail surveys, are intended to inform the review process conducted by the programs themselves. The survey measures student perceptions of the quality of teaching and the curriculum, the availability and thematic coherence of courses, and the quality of services such as advising and responding to complaints. In the 2010-11 academic year, about 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed, with the results provided in Spring 2011. Only summary results, in which any individual respondent cannot be identified, were provided to the programs by ISR. Liza Mercier was the project manager at the Institute.


Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS)

A biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Institute has conducted this survey for the Centre since 1981, and in 2011 conducted its 16th wave of this study. The survey, which now includes measures of student mental and physical well-being, was administered in classrooms across Ontario to approximately 9,000 students in grades 7 through 12 between October 2010 and June 2011. This comprehensive strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies, and provides information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking, drug use, and physical and mental well-being. CAMH's research team was led by Dr. Robert Mann and Research Analyst Angela Boak; at ISR the project was directed by John Pollard.


Intervention for Problem Drinkers

Helping problem drinkers who will never seek treatment is a challenging public health issue because of the large number of problem drinkers and the limited amount of resources available. This study, which was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), was conducted on behalf of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The goal of the study was to evaluate whether an intervention (e.g., a pamphlet) had any impact on drinking habits, the likelihood of seeking help, perceived risks of drinking, and social reasons for drinking.

Between 2009 and 2011, the Institute conducted interviews with adults in the Greater Toronto Area in order to identify 2,400 problem drinkers. Respondents who agreed to participate in a follow-up study might have had a pamphlet entitled "Evaluate Your Drinking" mailed to their household. During two follow-up interviews - in three months and in six months - respondents were again asked about their drinking habits. The principal investigator at CAMH was Dr. John Cunningham, and the study was directed at ISR by Liza Mercier.


Salmonella Study
The Ontario Agency for Health Promotion and Protection (OAHPP) was conducting a survey of Ontario residents who had been diagnosed with Salmonella. OAHPP asked the Institute to collect a comparison sample of people who had not been infected to facilitate comparisons between people with and without a Salmonella infection. The Institute used random digit dialing (RDD) to capture the comparison sample. ISR surveyed approximately 200 Ontarians in the Spring of 2011. All of the interviews were conducted with adults but parents were also asked about their children in about one-half of the interviews. The concern is that, while Salmonella infections are rare and almost all cases are mild, there is evidence that the number of cases has increased somewhat in Ontario over the last few years. Salmonella bacteria are carried in the stomach of animals including reptiles and poultry. Recent outbreaks in Canada and the USA have been linked to exposure to animals as well as poultry and poultry products. Dairy products and vegetables can be contaminated by water that has animal waste. All of these matters were asked about in questionnaire. The Principal Investigator for the study was OAHPP's Lisa Fortuna, and David Northrup, ISR's Associate Director, managed the study at the Institute.
Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting
This mail survey investigated why firms choose to issue, or not issue, stand-alone Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reports. Stand-alone CSR Reports are known by many different names, including 'Sustainability Reports', 'Environmental Reports' or 'Citizenship Reports', among others. These reports are issued voluntarily and separately from information included in annual reports or posted on corporate websites, and focus on social and environmental practices of the firm. The survey was conducted on behalf of Dr. Linda Thorne at the Schulich School of Business and gathered information on approximately 200 companies in Spring 2011. Liza Mercier was the project manager at ISR.


2010
Primary Care Access Survey
This province-wide study measured the public's access to physicians by interviewing a random selection of Ontarians on their experiences seeking primary health care. The Institute completed approximately 2,100 telephone interviews across Ontario in each of the first three quarters of 2010. Respondents were asked about their reasons for wanting to contact a physician or their office, any barriers or wait times they experienced, and their overall levels of satisfaction in accessing care. The information will be used to develop programs to improve the public's access to physicians across the province. This study was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on behalf of Sten Ardal, Information Management Consultant with the Ministry. David Northrup, ISR's Associate Director, managed this project at ISR.


Work and Lifelong Learning
From January through June 2010, the Institute interviewed 2,000 Canadians for this national study exploring the relationship between adult learning and the changing nature of work. Two previous studies, Work and Lifelong Learning in 2003-4 and New Approaches to Lifelong Learning in 1998, explored Canadians' experiences with paid and unpaid work, and formal and informal learning they had undertaken. The 2010 national survey allowed for a systematic analysis of trends in formal and informal adult learning to see if underemployment of the labour force (many people have greater formal education than required for their jobs) is continuing to increase while informal learning activities continue to exceed formal ones. Principal investigator Dr. David W. Livingstone is Head of the Centre for the Study of Education and Work, and Professor of Sociology and Equity Studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Funding was provided by the Canada Research Chair in Lifelong Learning and Work at OISE. John Pollard directed this study at ISR.


Public Perception of Potential
Physician-Pharmaceutical Industry Interactions (POPPII)
Interactions between doctors and drug companies have been steadily increasing. This has led to debate about the ethics and acceptability of some of these interactions as they may affect the cost of drugs and the choices that doctors make in prescribing drugs. A number of research studies have asked doctors what they think about doctor-drug company interactions but this is the first study of its kind in Canada to ask the public their opinions on this topic. The Institute interviewed approximately 1,000 randomly-selected adults across Canada during the summer of 2010. The study was conducted for researchers at the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, led by principal investigator Dr. Anne Holbrook. The project director at ISR was Liza Mercier.


H1N1 Preparedness Study
There are a number of ethical issues surrounding the ways in which Canadian officials might prepare for and deal with a possible H1N1 pandemic. In an effort to facilitate debate on these important concerns, this national study asked Canadians their views on who should be given priority when it comes to getting the H1H1 vaccine, where people get H1N1 information and what sources of information they consider trustworthy, what events might increase or decrease trust in public health officials as they deal with H1N1, and what obligations health care workers have if there is a pandemic, among other topics. The Institute interviewed a random sample of approximately 1,000 Canadians across all provinces this past fall and winter. The study was conducted for a number of researchers associated with the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto, including Principal Investigator Dr. Paul Ritvo of York University’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science and Department of Psychology. Funding for this study came from the researchers’ universities and from several levels of government. David Northrup, ISR’s Associate Director, managed this study at the Institute.


Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Survey
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto has been undertaking a provincial education survey every two years since 1978. This 17th wave of the study examined Ontarians' attitudes toward the education system in general and, more specifically, their feelings about major policy issues such as province-wide tests and government spending on education, etc. This telephone survey was conducted with approximately 1,000 randomly selected residents across all regions of the province in the fall of 2009. Funding for the study was provided by OISE and several provincial government ministries and educational associations. Principal investigators were Dr. Doug Hart and Dr. David Livingstone, faculty members at OISE, and the study was directed at ISR by Associate Director David Northrup.


2010 Undergraduate Program Review
Each year the Institute surveys second, third and fourth year undergraduate students in selected programs as part of the University's Undergraduate Program Review. On a rotating basis, each degree program is assessed every eight years. Results from this online student survey are intended to inform the review process conducted by the programs themselves. The survey measures student perceptions of the quality of teaching and the curriculum, the availability and thematic coherence of courses, and the quality of services such as advising, responding to complaints, and providing accommodation for persons with a disability. In the 2009-10 academic year, almost 4,000 students in ten undergraduate programs were surveyed in February and March, with the results provided in Spring 2010. Of course, only summary results, in which any individual respondent cannot be identified, are provided to the programs by ISR. Liza Mercier was the project manager at the Institute.


Harm Reduction for Gamblers
Most problem gamblers do not access treatment, often because of the stigma associated with problem gambling, embarrassment, or a desire to handle their problems on their own. Recent research has shown, however, that self-help interventions for gambling problems have proven to be effective. These interventions include getting personalized feedback on how their gambling activities compare to other people's gambling. The Institute assisted the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in this study by gathering the names of 8,000 Ontario residents, through random selection procedures, who had spent more than $100 on gambling in the previous 12 months. This study explored the effectiveness of self-help interventions in reducing problem gambling among a certain proportion of the sample who are identified as having problems related to gambling. The sample recruitment process took place from 2007 through 2009. Principal investigator Dr. John Cunningham led the study at CAMH, and the study director at ISR was Associate Director David Northrup.


2009
A Survey of Ontario Residents
Tested for H1N1 Influenza
The Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) commissioned the Institute to conduct a study among Ontario residents who were tested for H1N1 influenza (sometimes called ‘swine flu’) in the winter and spring of 2009. The study was designed to help the Agency plan for the flu season. ISR conducted telephone interviews with approximately 700 Ontarians who tested either negative or positive for H1N1. They were asked about their health and health-related behaviours, their interaction with others, and about any treatment they might have received. ISR prepared this study in rapid response to the Agency’s request for timely information on this important health issue. Funding for the study came from the Government of Ontario, and the lead researcher at OAHPP is Dr. Laura Rosella. David Northrup, ISR’s Associate Director, managed the study at the Institute.


Ontario Population Genomics Platform (OPGP)

A major initiative is being developed in Ontario to create and maintain a comprehensive database and repository that can be used to study cancer and other complex diseases. Most research into the causes, treatments and potential cures for different diseases involves the use of information and biological samples from people suffering from specific diseases, whereas this study will provide a comparable group of individuals who are relatively healthy that can be used as a comparison group.

The Institute interviewed more than 3,500 randomly-selected Ontarians from the fall of 2008 through the spring of 2009. The survey focused on the health history of the respondents, their parents and grandparents. In addition, participants were invited to provide a small blood sample to assist in the establishment of an important database and repository to help researchers conduct well-controlled studies on a wide range of complex diseases. This study was conducted on behalf of Dr. John McLaughlin, Senior Investigator at the Prosserman Centre for Health Research and the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, with funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI). John Pollard directed this study at ISR.


Wait Times For Primary Care Survey
In 2008, fewer than 40 percent of Ontarians were able to get an appointment to see their family doctor within two days of being sick. Improving access to care could increase public confidence in the health care system, save dollars by preventing worsening health outcomes and emergency department visits, and improve overall patient health more quickly. This pilot study, conducted on behalf of the Ontario Health Quality Council (OHQC), invited family physicians to take part in an ongoing survey to monitor the time it takes for patients to get an appointment with their family doctors. The Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario College of Family Physicians endorsed this study. During the summer of 2009, the Institute for Social Research contacted approximately 600 Ontario family doctors to ask for their participation in this survey about wait times. Liza Mercier was the project manager.


2008
Canadians and Their Pasts (PASTS)

Canadians and Their Pasts is a large-scale national study examining the degree to which Canadians engage in the past and the impact that history and the past have in their day-to-day lives. This study builds upon earlier work in the United States and Australia, and includes innovations both in survey content and methodology, taking into consideration unique Canadian characteristics such as language, region, and the varied backgrounds that many Canadians have.

The Institute was most directly associated with the PASTS' national CATI telephone survey which gathered information from a representative sample of Canadians about the ways they think about the past, remember the past, and may keep it alive for family members and friends. From the spring of 2007 through the spring of 2008, interviews were conducted, in both official languages, with more than 3,000 adult Canadians. The random sample of Canadian households was stratified into five regions: Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairie provinces, and British Columbia. Additional interviews were conducted in several cities, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. ISR also conducted an additional 100 interviews with Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan, 100 interviews with Acadians in New Brunswick, and 100 interviews with new immigrants in the Regional Municipality of Peel.

The larger PASTS project includes a number of other partners involved in a variety of research activities in all regions across the country. This project was conducted on behalf of a team of Canadian historians and researchers, led by Dr. Jocelyn Létourneau (U. Laval). Co-investigators included Dr. Margaret Conrad (U. of New Brunswick), Dr. Kadriye Ercikan (U. of British Columbia), Dr. Gerald Friesen (U. of Manitoba), Dr. Delphin Muise (Carleton U.), ISR's Associate Director David Northrup (York U.), and Dr. Peter Seixas (UBC). Funding was provided by the Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) program of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada, and the project was also supported financially by Université Laval. At the Institute, this project was directed by John Pollard.


Health Trajectories and Health Care Utilization
Among Injured Workers in Ontario

This study documents the impact of serious injuries on workers’ physical and mental health right after their injuries and for several years afterwards. Injured workers provided information on their health care needs and their utilization of the health care system. These findings were then compared with health care utilization of Ontarians who have not suffered a workplace injury. This research was conducted on behalf of Dr. Peri Ballantyne, a sociologist at Trent University and member of the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury. The Institute conducted approximately 500 extended interviews in the summer and fall of 2008 with injured workers who were recruited for the study through the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), which also funded the research. ISR Associate Director David Northrup managed this study at the Institute.


Survey of Diversity of Canadian
Not-for-Profit Organization Boards
This national survey was conducted on behalf of Professor Pat Bradshaw of the Schulich School of Business at York University, and was managed by Liza Mercier at ISR. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which Canadian non-profit boards are diverse, and to explore the practices and policies related to diversity that are currently in use across the sector, and how it varies across the country. The research was co-sponsored by the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations and Imagine Canada. During the summer of 2008, approximately 800 not-for-profit organizations were asked to participate in this mail survey in either English or French.


Variation in Patient and Physician Attitudes
Towards Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery
and Their Influence on Regional Surgical Rates
Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common and often disabling disorder, for which surgery can significantly reduce pain and disability in appropriately selected patients. In Ontario, the family physician serves as the gatekeeper to care, and specialist consultation can only be obtained by referral. A multi-disciplinary team of investigators from the University of Toronto and elsewhere examined the attitudes of patients, family physicians and surgeons towards surgery for LSS and they will explore the relationship between these attitudes and regional rates of surgery. Through this research, the investigators can better address ways of reducing practice variation, thus improving the referral process, reducing waiting lists, boosting patient satisfaction, and ensuring a more equitable delivery of health care in Ontario. From the fall of 2007 through the summer of 2008, the Institute conducted this mail survey with all orthopaedic and neurosurgeons, and a random selection of family physicians, practising in Ontario, and their patients. The study was funded by a research grant from the Hospital for Sick Children. Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Infrastructure in York Region: An Analysis of Human Services
This study sought to understand the needs of residents of York Region as well as the extent to which they use -- and are satisfied with -- human services. The researchers were particularly interested in the experiences of immigrants, including older immigrants who have settled in the Region. Some of the services under examination include housing, education, child care, employment and settlement services. From the fall of 2007 through the spring of 2008, ISR conducted around 1,800 interviews with randomly-selected residents of York Region (located north of Toronto). A number of interviews were conducted in Italian, Mandarin and Cantonese. In addition, there also was an attempt to include the opinions and experiences of recent immigrants and Region residents with lower levels of income. The study was primarily funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada as well as some organizations in the Region. The principal investigators for the study, all professors at York University, were Dr. Lucia Lo, Dr. Paul Anisef, and Dr. Valerie Preston. David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


2007
2007 Ontario Election Study
Over the course of the provincial election campaign in Ontario from September 10th through October 9th, 2007, the Institute conducted approximately 1,350 telephone interviews with adults in randomly-selected households across the province. The study was conducted on behalf of researchers at Queen's University, Université de Montréal and the University of British Columbia, with funding from these universities. The study will help the researchers to understand why Ontarians elect the people and parties they do, and how important such issues as funding for education and health care are to people across the province. The rolling cross-section sampling strategy of interviewing about 45 people per day will shed light on how public opinion changes over the course of the campaign. The study also looked at issues relating to elections as there was a referendum on Mixed Member Proportional Representation in this election. David Northrup, ISR's Associate Director, managed this project at the Institute.


Women's Political Participation Survey (WPPS)
The primary purpose of this national study was to examine how feminist beliefs and religious values shape the political attitudes and behaviour of women. While women's political behaviour has come to mirror that of men in many domains, some gender gaps continue to exist and were explored in this research. Over the summer and fall of 2007, the Institute conducted approximately 1,200 interviews with randomly-selected adult Canadian women in all provinces except Quebec (which may be added later). Funding for the WPPS study came from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. The principal investigator for the study was Dr. Brenda O'Neill (University of Calgary), and her co-investigators were Dr. Elisabeth Gidengil (McGill University) and Dr. Lisa Young (University of New Brunswick). David Northrup directed this project at the Institute.


Universal Influenza Immunization Project (UIIP)
While several large-scale Canadian health studies regularly gather information on children aged 12 and over, there is no survey in Canada to collect data on younger children. Thus, the UIIP was undertaken to: estimate the proportion of Ontario children aged up to 11 who had a flu shot in the most recent flu season, how many of these children were “at risk” (under 24 months and with a chronic health condition like asthma), and to see if school-based flu shot programs increase the inoculation rate of children. In the spring and summer of 2007, ISR conducted interviews in about 4,000 households in which children live, and about 200 of these households included an “at risk” child. The information from the survey will be used to improve the Ontario flu inoculation program and hopefully decrease the number of people who suffer from the flu each year. The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and was carried out on behalf of principal investigator Dr. Doug Manuel of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Co-investigators included Dr. Jeff Kwong of ICES, Kathy Moran, Chair of the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System Steering Committee from the Durham Health Unit, and ISR Associate Director David Northrup, who also directed this project at the Institute.


Barriers to Gambling Study
This Ontario-wide study explored the behaviours of problem gamblers, including the types of gambling they engage in, the reasons for their gambling and their knowledge about, and experiences with, organizations that offer help to problem gamblers. The information gathered will help researchers understand problem gamblers more fully, including how they have attempted to reduce or stop their gambling, and will lead to improved treatment programs for problem gamblers. In the fall and winter of 2006-07, the Institute interviewed approximately 7,500 randomly-selected adults across the province, and the opinions of those who do not gamble were gathered as well as the experiences of those who do. The study was funded by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and was led by CAMH principal investigator Dr. John Cunningham. David Northrup directed this study at ISR.


Gambling on the Internet
The goals of this national study were to: determine the prevalence of Internet gambling and problem gambling across Canada; determine the demographic characteristics of Internet gamblers and problem gamblers; explore the Internet gambling experience, including expenditures, frequency and duration of play, and game and site preferences; compare Canadian findings with other North American research; and set out policy recommendations for the creation of an online problem gambling awareness program for Internet gamblers. The first stage of this study was a pilot telephone survey of a random sample of 1,000 adult Canadians; the main study, conducted from May 2006 through April 2007, included almost 7,500 respondents. The principal investigators for this study were Dr. Robert Wood (Sociology) and Dr. Robert Williams (Health Sciences) of the University of Lethbridge. Funding was provided by the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. This project was directed at the Institute by John Pollard.


Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey
A biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Institute has conducted this survey for the Centre since 1981 and, in 2007, ISR conducted its fourteenth wave of this study. The survey, which now includes measures of student mental and physical well-being, was administered in classrooms across Ontario to more than 6,000 students in grades 7 through 12 between November 2006 and June 2007. This comprehensive strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies, provides information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking, drug use, and physical and mental well-being, and it allows for an analysis of the effects of classes and schools on student behaviour using multi-level models. CAMH's lead researcher was Dr. Edward Adlaf, assisted by CAMH Research Coordinator Angela Paglia-Boak; at ISR the project was directed by John Pollard, with sample design consultation from Dr. Michael Ornstein.


Survey of Co-ops and Credit Unions in Atlantic Canada
This mail survey of 620 co-operatives and 110 credit unions in the four Atlantic provinces took place at the Institute in the spring and summer of 2007. The survey was conducted on behalf of the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network, a group of researchers from universities, government and community agencies across Atlantic Canada, and was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. Principal investigators were Dr. Leslie Brown (Mount Saint Vincent University) and Dr. Luc Thériault (University of New Brunswick). The results of the survey will provide an improved profile of this sector and will document the contributions that co-ops and credit unions make to the region's economy as well as inform public policy on regional economic and community development, and compare the co-operative sector to the nonprofit and voluntary sectors in Atlantic Canada. The results of the survey will be made available to stakeholders in both official languages in early 2008. Liza Mercier directed this project at ISR.


National Education Survey
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto has been undertaking a provincial education survey every two years since 1978. This 16th wave of the study examined the attitudes of all Canadians toward the education system in general and, more specifically, their feelings about recent changes in education policy. This telephone survey was conducted with approximately 2,350 randomly-selected Canadians in all provinces during the winter of 2007. Funding for the study was provided by OISE and several government ministries and educational associations. Principal investigators Drs. David Livingstone and Doug Hart are faculty members at OISE, and the study was directed at ISR by Associate Director David Northrup.


Operationalizing "Sense of Place":
Establishing a Survey Measurement Tool
A team of researchers at McMaster University's Institute of Environment and Health, led by Dr. Allison Williams, undertook this research to learn more about the subjective meaning and importance individuals give to where they reside, a term referred to as "sense of place." More specifically, the investigators wanted to define "sense of place" through the development of a survey research tool. The ultimate goal of the study was to determine how an individual's health is influenced by their perceptions of their own environments, with the results from the study helping the scientific community gain a better understanding of environment as a health determinant. As part of this research, ISR first conducted a mail survey of 1,250 randomly-selected Hamilton residents in the fall of 2006. Those who participated in the survey were invited to participate in a second wave of this research in 2007. The project was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and was managed by Liza Mercier at ISR.


2006
National Sun Survey
Most people do not realize that skin cancer is by far the most common form of cancer in Canada - and its most serious form, melanoma, kills one in every five people who get the disease. Since there has been no Canada-wide study on sun exposure and sun safety for ten years, the 2006 National Sun Survey gathered new information on the amount of time Canadians spend in the sun, their sun protection behaviours, and their knowledge, attitudes and awareness about sun safety. Over the summer and fall of 2006, the Institute conducted more than 9,000 telephone interviews with randomly-selected adult Canadians in all provinces. The data gathered will help researchers and public health professionals to evaluate public health programs and improve sun safety awareness. This study was funded by the Canadian Cancer Society and was conducted under the direction of the National Sun Safety Committee, part of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control. The principal investigator was Dr. Loraine Marrett of Cancer Care Ontario and the co-investigators were Dr. Cheryl Rosen of the University of Toronto and ISR’s David Northrup, who also directed the study at the Institute.


The Community Employment Innovation Project (CEIP)
This project, situated in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, provided community-based work opportunities to address unmet social and community needs. The CEIP was designed to build capacity among communities to create their own solutions for economic development, while providing new employment opportunities for individuals who are receiving public income assistance. The CEIP was funded by Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) and the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services, and it was managed by the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), a non-profit research organization. In its first wave of this study, the Institute conducted approximately 7,400 interviews from the spring of 2001 to the spring of 2002 in 13 communities across Cape Breton to assess the impact of the CEIP on these communities. Re-interviews for the second phase of this longitudinal study took place in the spring of 2004, and they were repeated in the third phase between May 2005 and June 2006. SRDC contacts include John Greenwood, Claudia Nicholson and Dan Bunbury. The study was directed at ISR by Associate Director David Northrup.


Access to Family Physicians Study
Although universal health care insurance for Canadians removes financial barriers to health care, a significant shortage of family doctors in various communities across the country is creating another barrier: access to care. Family doctors are the gate-keepers to the Canadian health care system, and they help their patients gain access to other health care providers (such as specialists), programs and services. With the shortage of family doctors, many people are using alternative health care services including walk-in clinics, emergency departments and other care providers.

The Access to Family Physicians study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Institute conducted this telephone survey on behalf of Drs. Reid and Freeman and other researchers at the University of Western Ontario, and completed more than 1,300 interviews with randomly-selected residents of Southwestern Ontario during the summer of 2006. The researchers were interested in understanding the effects of access or lack of access to family doctors in Canada by examining how many people are without a family doctor, and whether there are differences between people who have a family doctor and people who don’t with respect to their health, how they access health care services, and how they manage health issues. The project director at ISR was Liza Mercier.


Study of Long-term Care Workers and Workplaces in Canada
This comparative survey brought researchers from Canada together with those based in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway to study the experiences of long-term care workers. The survey collected information from unionized long-term care workers in about 70 randomly selected facilities in Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia to determine their views of their workplace, this health care sector overall, and how their work relates to other aspects of their life. The study also included a focus on gender. The findings of the research are intended to lead to improvements in working conditions and the quality of care provided to residents in long-term care. ISR conducted this research in the spring and summer of 2006 on behalf of Drs. Pat Armstrong and Michael Ornstein at York University, Dr. Hugh Armstrong at Carleton University and Dr. Alec Ostry at the University of British Columbia with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Liza Mercier directed this project at the Institute.


Canadian Election Study
Between November 29, 2005 and January 22, 2006, more than 4,000 telephone interviews were conducted during the Canadian federal election campaign for principal investigators Drs. André Blais and Patrick Fournier of the Université de Montréal, Dr. Elisabeth Gidengil of McGill University, Dr. Neil Nevitte of the University of Toronto, and Dr. Joanna Everitt of the University of New Brunswick. The study was funded by Elections Canada. A rolling cross-sectional sample was utilized whereby approximately 80 interviews were conducted every day of the campaign with randomly selected Canadian citizens of voting age. The research team was interested in learning how Canadians felt about the major issues in the campaign, and why they elect the people and parties they do. The second phase of this project was a post-election telephone survey in which respondents from the campaign-period survey were interviewed to evaluate attitudinal changes which may have occurred over the course of the campaign. ISR Associate Director David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


Atkinson Student Survey
Like all faculties at York, the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies is interested in reducing student attrition and helping students succeed academically. In order to better understand trends of attrition and why students find themselves in academic difficulty, Atkinson must explore student satisfaction and examine why some students leave their studies, and why those having academic difficulty do not use the services available to them. In order to understand student needs and the impact of current retention efforts, Dr. Rhonda Lenton (Dean of Atkinson) asked ISR to conduct a telephone survey of 2,150 Atkinson students, including those currently registered at Atkinson, those who did not return to school in Fall 2005, and those in academic difficulty. The study took place this past winter, led by Dr. Martha Rogers (Associate Dean) at Atkinson; Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Boosting Women’s Political and Social Resources
The goal of this study, one of the first of its kind, was to explore how the social networks of women from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds affect their political involvement (broadly defined) and their access to community services related to health, housing, and child care, etc. Over the fall and winter, the Institute conducted approximately 1,400 telephone interviews, in both English and French, with a random sample of adult women living in Toronto and Montreal, and 250 men were also interviewed. Findings from the study will help policy makers develop strategies to increase women’s social and political capital in Canadian society, particularly for women with low income and recent immigrants, and the results will also be available to advocacy and women’s groups. The study was funded by the Policy Research Fund of Status of Women Canada. The principal investigators were Drs. Dietlind Stolle and Elisabeth Gidengil of McGill University, and the study was directed at ISR by David Northrup.


2006 Undergraduate Program Reviews
Each year the Institute surveys second, third and fourth year undergraduate students in selected programmes as part of the University’s “Undergraduate Program Review.” On a rotating basis, each programme, diploma, and certificate is assessed every eight years. This year, the survey has shifted from a mailed questionnaire to an online survey. Results from the survey are intended to inform the review process conducted by the programmes themselves.The survey measures student perceptions of the quality of teaching and the curriculum, the availability and thematic coherence of courses, and the quality of services such as advising, responding to complaints, providing accommodation for persons with a disability, and registration. Most programmes also add some of their own questions to the survey, to address their particular concerns. In the 2005-06 academic year, almost 3,000 students in six undergraduate programmes were surveyed in February 2006, with the results provided in Spring 2006. Of course, only summary results, in which any individual respondent cannot be identified, are provided to the programmes by ISR. Liza Mercier and Michael Ornstein were responsible for the project at the Institute.


Barriers to Diabetes Care
The purpose of this study was to examine awareness, knowledge and attitudes about diabetes, and to explore what barriers, if any, people in Ontario with diabetes experience in receiving adequate health care. This past winter and spring the Institute completed interviews with 800 randomly-selected respondents across Ontario who have diabetes, and an additional 200 interviews were conducted with diabetes sufferers in low-income areas across the province. The information gathered will help the Diabetes Task Group to recommend changes in the delivery of health care for people with diabetes across Ontario. This study was conducted on behalf of a group of researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre , led by principal investigator Dr. Janet Hux, a Senior Scientist at ICES. Funding for this research came from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care , and the project was directed at ISR by Renée Elsbett-Koeppen.


York University Colleges Survey
This online survey about 2,000 undergraduate students was designed to assist the York University Presidential Task Force presently reviewing the mission, mandate and future role of seven Keele Campus Colleges (Bethune, Calumet, Founders, McLaughlin, Stong, Vanier and Winters).

The goals of the review were:
• to assess students’ understanding of the College system, the nature and type of programming which would engage them in university life, and evaluate the perception of the quality of student life for residential and commuter students;
• to identify how best the Colleges may be organized to promote an accessible academic environment that provides social support and promotes connections with York that encourage retention and an ongoing relationship with the University after graduation; and
• to recommend how the Colleges can continue to assist in the integration of academic and co-curricular facets of the graduate and undergraduate student experience.

For a complete description of the review, please go to: http://www.yorku.ca/vpstdnts/presidental_task_force. At ISR, Liza Mercier and Michael Ornstein directed this project.


2005
Breast Care in Ontario Study
The Breast Care in Ontario study forms part of a larger province-wide initiative to enhance communication, coordination and continuity across the breast care and breast cancer “life cycle” from the primary prevention of cancer through screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care. The first phase of this research included key informant interviews and focus groups with women diagnosed with breast cancer and their caregivers. The goal of the public opinion survey that ISR conducted was to gain increased understanding of women’s knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs about breast cancer, women’s breast health practices, including participation in breast screening, and women’s need for information and services related to the prevention of breast cancer. Over the Fall of 2005, the Institute interviewed approximately 800 adult women who had never been diagnosed with breast cancer. This project was conducted on behalf of Beth Easton, Director of Allocations and Health Promotion, at the Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) with funding from the CBCF (Ontario) and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


‘Act Early’ Pilot Study
This research initiative was designed to inform the general public through a media campaign about inflammatory arthritis and to encourage people who think they may have arthritis to ‘act early’ to prevent their symptoms from getting worse. In the Summer and Fall of 2005, the Institute interviewed approximately 900 Ontarians for this pilot study. Part of the sample was randomly selected and others who contacted the Act Early Initiative were also interviewed. The research will help determine the effectiveness of the Act Early campaign, satisfaction with the care that was provided by the Initiative, and also reveal perceptions about arthritis in the general public. The principal investigator of this study was Dr. Mary Bell of Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre in collaboration with the Arthritis Society and the Rebecca McDonald Centre, and the study was funded by an unrestricted education grant from Amgen Canada and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. David Northrup was the study director at ISR.


Harm Reduction for Smokers
During the Summer of 2005, the Institute conducted a study of cigarette smokers in Ontario to better understand what public health information should be made available to smokers and to examine what steps daily smokers may take to reduce the potential harm caused by their smoking. Smokers were also asked to evaluate some current public health messages aimed at smokers. ISR interviewed approximately 500 randomly-selected daily smokers across the province. This study was conducted on behalf of Dr. John Cunningham of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health which receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


The Protection of Personal Privacy
and the Conduct of Health Research
This project formed part of a larger study examining the value Canadians place on the privacy of their health information, the value they place on health research, and how they reconcile competing demands between protection of privacy and health research. The extent to which general views about privacy and trust are related and how these factors relate to socio-demographic characteristics were also explored. For this study, the Institute conducted approximately 1,100 telephone interviews over the Spring of 2005 in randomly selected households across the country. In addition, respondents in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver were invited to participate in follow-up focus groups/discussion dialogues to further examine issues raised in the survey. This study was led by principal investigator Dr. Don Willison of the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines (CEM) and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CEB) at McMaster University with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). David Northrup directed this study at ISR.


2005 Undergraduate Program Reviews
Each year the Institute surveys second, third and fourth year undergraduate students as part of York University’s “Undergraduate Program Reviews” (UPR). All programs, diplomas, and certificates in the University are assessed every seven years. The mailed survey measures student perceptions of the quality of teaching and the curriculum, the availability and thematic coherence of courses, and the quality of services such as advising, responding to complaints, and registration. In addition to the standardized items in each survey, each program was able to add questions designed to address its particular concerns. In the 2004-05 academic year, about 6,400 students in 15 undergraduate programs were surveyed, beginning in January 2005, with the results provided in Spring 2005. Liza Mercier and Michael Ornstein were responsible for the project at the Institute.


British Columbia Referendum and Election Study
In the provincial election in British Columbia in May 2005, BC residents also voted on a referendum question about electoral reform. This question was developed by the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, a group of BC citizens who were picked at random and have been studying the way elections work in British Columbia and elsewhere. A telephone survey took place from January through May 2005 with approximately 3,000 randomly-selected BC residents and it asked their opinion about the Assembly’s suggestions for electoral reform (including their recommendation for a Single Transferable Vote) and other issues relating to elections and politics in British Columbia. The study was funded by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the principal investigators included Drs. Richard Johnston, Fred Cutler, Mark Warren and Ken Carty (UBC), Drs. André Blais and Patrick Fournier (Université de Montréal) and ISR’s Associate Director David Northrup, who also directed this project at the Institute.


2004 Federal Election Candidate Survey:
Nomination Contests, Political Finance
and Campaign Organization
On January 1, 2004, new legislation came into effect that significantly changes the way Canadian political parties finance their activities. Over the next three years, a team of four researchers from three universities will be studying the impact of the changes on the organization and activities of political parties in Canada. As one part of this study, the Institute for Social Research conducted a mail survey of almost 1,000 candidates from the four major parties who ran in the 2004 federal election, and over 400 individuals who ran for a major party’s nomination prior to the 2004 federal election, but lost the contest. For more information on this research and those on the research team, go to www.partyfinance.ca. This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Liza Mercier managed this project at ISR.


2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey
A biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Institute has conducted this survey for the Centre since 1981 and, in 2005, ISR conducted its thirteenth wave of this study. The survey was administered in classrooms to more than 7,500 students in grades 7 through 12 between January and May 2005. This comprehensive strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies, provides information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking, drug use, and physical and mental well-being, and it allows for an analysis of the effects of classes and schools on student behaviour using multi-level models. CAMH's lead researcher was Dr. Edward Adlaf, assisted by CAMH Research Coordinator Angela Boak; at ISR the project was directed by John Pollard, with sample design consultation from Michael Ornstein.


2004
Gender, Alcohol and Culture:
An International Study (GENACIS)
An international study examining the consequences of problem drinking as well as the impact of alcohol on physical and emotional health, social roles and personal relationships was conducted at ISR throughout 2004. The attitudes and experiences of Canadian women and men regarding alcohol use and related behaviours will be compared with the experiences of people in 24 other countries. This study was conducted for principal investigators Dr. Kate Graham (of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the University of Western Ontario), and Dr. Andrée Demers (of the Health and Prevention Social Research Group at the Université de Montréal), with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health. The Institute conducted approximately 11,000 CATI interviews across the country, in both official languages. The information gathered on risks associated with different drinking patterns will inform the development of educational initiatives, health services and health policies leading to the prevention of problems associated with alcohol, and the multi-national aspect of the study will help to identify cultural factors that may play a role in drinking behaviours. The study was directed at ISR by Renée Elsbett-Koeppen.


Social Change and Well-Being Survey:
An Aboriginal Oversample
A study exploring the economic, social and political factors that shape public policy, and how these policies determine societal values, attitudes and well-being among individuals and communities, was conducted at the Institute from the Summer of 2004 through the Winter of 2005. Forming part of a larger national project, this study sought to interview approximately 600 Aboriginal Canadians, living both on and off reserve, in the Western provinces. The larger study was conducted on behalf of a group of researchers from a number of Canadian universities, led by Professor Richard Johnston of the University of British Columbia. The study was directed at ISR by John Pollard.


Canadian Election Study
Between May 23 and June 27, 2004, more than 4,000 telephone interviews were conducted during the Canadian federal election campaign for principal investigators Drs. André Blais and Patrick Fournier of the Université de Montréal, Dr. Elisabeth Gidengil of McGill University, Dr. Neil Nevitte of the University of Toronto, and Dr. Joanna Everitt of the University of New Brunswick. The study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), the investigators' universities, and Elections Canada. A rolling cross-sectional sample was utilized whereby approximately 110 interviews were conducted every day of the campaign with randomly selected Canadian citizens of voting age. The research team was interested in learning how Canadians felt about the major issues in the campaign and why they elect the people and parties they do. The second phase of this project was a post-election telephone survey in which respondents from the campaign-period survey were re-interviewed to evaluate attitudinal changes which may have occurred over the course of the campaign. The final phase of the study is a mail questionnaire which was sent to post-election survey respondents. David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


National Study of Work and Learning
The Institute conducted this national telephone study of 10,000 Canadians to identify gaps in workplace training and education, and to explore current issues and trends related to work and learning. This CATI study took place from the fall of 2003 to the spring of 2004 and was conducted in both official languages. ISR undertook this study on behalf of a network of researchers from seven universities and more than 10 community groups and professional institutions from across Canada. This telephone study formed part of a larger project which included face-to-face interviews and case study groups in a multifaceted examination of the experiences, challenges and work environment dynamics that individual Canadians face today. The research team was led by Dr. David Livingstone of the University of Toronto and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Other principal investigators included Dr. John Myles (University of Toronto) and Dr. Pierre Doray (Université du Québec à Montréal) in partnership with Larry Hubich (Saskatchewan Federation of Labour) and the Royal Bank of Canada. Funding for this project came from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The project director at OISE was Dr. Doug Hart and David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


Fitness Study 2004
A national study examining the health and well-being of Canadians was conducted in 2004 on behalf of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) . Approximately 750 telephone (CATI) interviews were conducted with Canadians in randomly-chosen households across the country every month throughout 2004, for a total of approximately 9,000 interviews. Funding for the project came, in part, from Health Canada. The study is designed to help researchers better understand how they can effectively assist Canadians in maintaining and improving their health and well-being. The Principal investigator of the study was CFLRI president Cora Lynn Craig. Richard Myles directed this study at the Institute.


Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
Provincial Education Survey
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), now amalgamated with the University of Toronto, has been undertaking a provincial education survey every two years since 1978. This 15th wave of the study examined Ontarians' attitudes toward the education system in general and, more specifically, their feelings about recent changes in education policy. This telephone survey was conducted with approximately 1,000 randomly-selected residents across all regions of the province in the fall of 2004. Funding for the study was provided by OISE and several provincial government ministries and educational associations. Principal investigators Drs. David Livingstone and Doug Hart are faculty members at OISE, and the study was directed at ISR by David Northrup.


Retirement Planning Centre Study
In the fall of 2004, the Institute conducted a study on behalf of York’s Retirement Planning Centre. With an aging work force at the University, it is critical that the RPCentre uses its resources, both financial and staffing, to the best advantage in light of community expectations, and the changing environment in which retirement is defined and experienced. This qualitative study entailed a series of focus groups with both users and non-users of the RPCentre, from a variety of employee groups, so information could be gathered to assist the Centre to design effective and cost-efficient programs and services. The principal investigator for the study was the RPCentre’s Coordinator Karen Gray, and the project was managed at ISR by John Pollard.


Education-Job Requirement Matching in the New Economy
The "Education-Job Requirement Matching in the New Economy" project was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and was directed by Dr. David Livingstone of the University of Toronto and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). The purpose of the study was to assess the learning activities of current employees in relation to skill requirements of their jobs. The study complemented and provided more focus on these issues than the recent national survey of changing conditions of work and lifelong learning for all Canadian adults. The Institute conducted approximately 1,700 CATI interviews with working adults in Ontario in the Spring of 2004. The results of the study will be made available to both policy makers and the general public in order to form future educational and economic policy. Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Survey of Building Workers
Investigators from the Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit (GOEHU) at the University of Toronto undertook a survey of symptoms and health conditions in different groups of service workers. In recent years, there has been an increased understanding of the effects of chemicals and other health hazards in the workplace. However, service workers represent one large group of the work force that has not been assessed for possible workplace hazards in the same way as other workers have, such as factory workers. This survey was mailed to 3,000 service workers in public and private buildings during the summer of 2004. Respondents may be contacted at a later date to participate in the second part of the study, which would involve breathing tests, blood test and skin allergy tests. Dr. Gary Liss and Dr. Susan Tarlo were the principal investigators at the GOEHU, and Liza Mercier directed data collection at the Institute.


British Columbia Social Change and Well-Being Survey
A study exploring the economic, social and political factors that shape public policy, and how these policies determine societal values, attitudes and well-being among individuals and communities, was conducted at the Institute in the Spring and Summer of 2004. Forming part of a larger national project, this longitudinal study sought to re-interview approximately 900 respondents in British Columbia resource communities from the first wave of the study which was conducted by ISR in 2001. The larger study was conducted on behalf of a group of researchers from a number of Canadian universities, led by Professor Richard Johnston of the University of British Columbia; the research team for the current British Columbia Recall Study included Professors Clyde Hertzman, Aleck Ostry and James Tansey of the University of British Columbia. Funding was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The study was directed at ISR by John Pollard.


A Study on Genes and Melanoma
This study was conducted on behalf of Cancer Care Ontario with funding from the Sloan-Kettering Institute, the basic-science research arm of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The survey was also conducted in New South Wales, Tasmania, California, and New Jersey. The Institute gathered data in British Columbia and Ontario, involving approximately 500 interviews over the past four or five years. In this study, CATI interviews were conducted with people who had been recently diagnosed with melanoma and who completed a mail survey prior to the telephone interview. The study was directed at ISR by David Northrup.


Barriers to Diagnosing Occupational Lung and Skin Diseases
The purpose of this study was to improve worker outcomes for two common occupational diseases in the health care field: occupational dermatitis and occupational asthma. This study, funded by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), focused on physicians who see the worker early and provide ongoing care to the worker, including family physicians, dermatologists and respirologists. It evaluated practice patterns of these physicians, perceived levels of knowledge and adequacy of training, and barriers to recognizing and managing occupational skin and respiratory disease. The study was conducted on behalf of the GAGE Occupational and Environmental Health Unit at the University of Toronto. In the first phase of the study, focus groups were used to confirm findings with respect to knowledge, attitudes and barriers, and the second phase involved a mail survey directed by Liza Mercier at ISR. In the spring of 2004, the survey was sent to about 900 family physicians, dermatologists and respirologists across Ontario.


Survey of Youth Members of Political Parties in Canada
With the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the first-ever national study of youth political party members was conducted by Dr. Bill Cross of Mount Allison University and Dr. Lisa Young of the University of Calgary during the winter of 2004. The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of youth participation in, and attitudes towards, Canadian politics. The Institute for Social Research conducted this mail survey with just under 1,200 youth members of the federal Liberal Party, federal New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois. Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Middlesex-London Parent Survey
To help researchers in the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) explore the needs of families and children in their region, the Institute conducted approximately 1,225 interviews in the Summer and Fall of 2004 in randomly-selected households in which there were children under 12 years of age. Health issues related to pregnancy and breast feeding, and safety concerns involving car seat use for children, were examined in this study as well as ways in which caregivers perceive accidents, injuries and illness among young children. Ruth Sanderson coordinated the study for the MLHU, which funded the study. David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


2003
New Brunswick Social Capital Survey
This survey was designed to measure the political and social attitudes of New Brunswickers, as well as their interest and involvement in various civic and political activities. The research will help test the validity of traditional myths about New Brunswick society and explore the nature of anglophone/francophone relations in the province. In addition, the investigators will be able to compare attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours in New Brunswick to the rest of the country. Between July and September 2003, the Institute conducted 1,000 CATI interviews, in both English and French, with New Brunswickers. Funding for this study was provided through a grant awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to political scientists Dr. Don Desserud, Dr. Joanna Everitt and Dr. Paul Howe at the University of New Brunswick. David Northrup and Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Social Change and Well-Being Survey
A national study exploring the economic, social and political factors that shape public policy, and how these policies determine societal values, attitudes and well-being among individuals and communities, was conducted at the Institute over the winter and spring of 2003. This national longitudinal study sought to re-interview, in both official languages, approximately 5,100 respondents from the first wave of the study which was conducted by ISR in 2000-01. The study was conducted on behalf of a group of researchers from a number of Canadian universities, led by Professor Richard Johnston from the University of British Columbia. Funding is provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and David Northrup and Liza Mercier directed the study at ISR.


Ontario Women's Health and Diet Study
The goal of this Ontario-wide study was to explore how various factors, including diet, may be related to the development of breast cancer. The study examined lifestyle, dietary intake and other factors in both women who have breast cancer and those who do not in an effort to learn more about the causes of breast cancer. Respondents with breast cancer were selected from the Ontario Cancer Registry and those who do not have breast cancer were randomly selected from the population. ISR recruited more than 4,000 women from April through December 2003 to participate in the study by completing a mail survey. Funding for the study was provided by the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative. Principal investigators were Drs. Michelle Cotterchio, Nancy Kreiger, Beatrice Boucher and Lilian Thompson at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) and the University of Toronto. The CCO project manager for this study was Nouri Chowdhury (416-217-1345). David Northrup directed this study at the Institute.


The Demographics of Ontario Gaming Revenue
The Institute conducted a study examining the demographic characteristics of residents of Ontario who contribute to government gaming revenues through gambling activities. To date, researchers have had difficulty estimating the true net expenditures of gamblers but this study will explore alternative ways to gather more accurate data. Screening interviews took place with approximately 6,650 Ontarians from March through November 2003. A subset of 400 respondents (100 each of problem gamblers, gamblers at moderate risk, those at low risk, and individuals with no risk of becoming a problem gambler) were invited to complete gambling diaries for one month. The results from the telephone survey and the diaries, along with demographic information from the rest of the sample, are extrapolated to the population of Ontario gamblers to generate total population net spending estimates. Funding for the study was provided by the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. Principal investigators are Professors Robert Williams and Robert Wood of the University of Lethbridge. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) Study
PEDS is a screening tool which was developed by Professor Frances Glascoe at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. The PEDS tool is used for screening children under seven years of age who may be at risk for developmental delays and behavioural problems. Researchers in the Public Health Departments of Toronto, Durham and Hamilton would like to assess whether or not the PEDS tool would be appropriate for use as a module in the province-wide Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS) study currently being conducted each month at ISR. The Institute conducted approximately 200 CATI interviews from the fall of 2003 through the winter of 2004 in each of the study areas, for a total of just over 600 interviews, and around 350 respondents also agreed to complete the written version of the questionnaire to test the methodology of the research. Principal investigators were Wil Ng of Toronto Public Health, Dr. Donna Reynolds of the Durham Region Health Department, and Philippa Holowaty of the Hamilton Public Health and Community Services Department. Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Population Health Recall Study
The Institute conducted approximately 700 telephone (CATI) interviews in the summer and fall of 2003 with residents in four neighbourhoods in Hamilton, Ontario who were first interviewed in the winter of 2002. The initial study explored respondents' opinions about their neighbourhood, their social and community networks, and their health status and use of health services, among other topics. Findings from the 2002 study showed that various aspects of their neighbourhood had an impact on residents' health and well-being so respondents were re-interviewed in 2003 to further explore the determinants of health at the local level, including physical (e.g., housing characteristics) and social (e.g., contact with neighbours) factors. The study was conducted on behalf of Dr. John Eyles in the School of Geography and Geology at McMaster University, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC). Dr. Sue Keller-Olaman coordinated the project for the research team at McMaster. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


Tobacco-Related Practices
of Canadian Primary Care Physicians
The Institute conducted a mail survey with 1,600 randomly selected members of the Canadian Paediatric Society and the College of Family Physicians of Canada in the fall of 2003. The study was funded by a research grant from the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation and involved a multi-disciplinary team of investigators at the University of Toronto and elsewhere. The research team examined the education, beliefs and practices of Canadian paediatricians and family physicians regarding children’s exposure to second-hand smoke in homes. Understanding these patterns will help professional organizations and faculties of medicine plan programs to help physicians deal with smoking-related issues in their practice. This study will also provide a basis for helping Canadian primary care physicians advise parents on this issue and ultimately reduce second-hand smoke exposure among child patients and children of adult patients. This study was directed at ISR by Liza Mercier.


2003 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey
A biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Addiction Research Foundation, now a division of Ontario's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Institute has conducted this survey for the Centre since 1981 and, in 2003, ISR conducted its twelfth wave of this study. The survey was administered in classrooms to almost 7,000 students in grades 7 through 12 between January and June 2003. This comprehensive strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies, provides information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking and drug use, and allows for an analysis of the effects of classes and schools on student behaviour using multi-level models. CAMH's lead researcher is Dr. Edward Adlaf, assisted by CAMH Research Analyst Angela Paglia; at ISR the project was directed by John Pollard, with sample design consultation from Michael Ornstein.


A Survey of Nurses Working in Ontario Acute Care Hospitals
The Institute conducted a mail survey in the winter and spring of 2003 with more than 13,000 Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses employed in a medical-surgical or critical care area. A research team affiliated with the University of Toronto will be using the data for two studies.  Nursing and other determinants of hospital level outcomes such as 30-day mortality and readmission rates is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and focuses on examining readmission and mortality outcomes for medical patients.  Nurse staffing and work environments: relationships with hospital-level outcomes examines readmission and mortality outcomes for surgical patients, and is funded by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. The purpose of these studies is to better understand how nursing and hospital characteristics contribute to hospital quality of care outcomes such as unplanned patient readmission and patient mortality. Principal investigator, Dr. Ann Tourangeau, is a faculty member at the University of Toronto, and the study was directed at ISR by Liza Mercier.


Colorectal Screening Study
In the Spring of 2003 the Institute conducted 1,000 CATI interviews with randomly-selected Ontarians aged 50 to 75 for the Colorectal Screening Study, a project designed to help physicians better understand how familiar patients are with screening tests for colorectal and bowel cancer. Results from this study will also facilitate an understanding of the physician-patient relationship in the delivery of colorectal cancer preventive health services. The study was funded by Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the principal investigator was Dr. Tracey Asano, a family physician and National Cancer Institute of Canada research fellow. This study was directed by Richard Myles at the Institute.


York Region Smoking Study

ISR conducted a study on behalf of the York Region Health Services to examine smoking habits, beliefs and knowledge of tobacco-related health risks among residents of York Region who identify themselves as Chinese and Italian. The Institute conducted approximately 400 CATI interviews in each of these community groups in the winter of 2003. This study forms part of a multi-phase research project that will help the York Region Health Services better serve the needs of the community through program development and service delivery designed to meet the needs of all populations within the Region. Following a media campaign on smoking in public places and environmental tobacco smoke, ISR will conduct an additional 800 interviews in both the Chinese and Italian communities in York Region. This study is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Principal investigator for the study is Mona Nahdy, Tobacco Awareness Campaign Co-ordinator for York Region Health Services. David Northrup and Renée Elsbett-Koeppen directed data collection at the Institute. 


2002
Understanding the Influences on Public Values
About Health Care Services and Financing:
An Empirical Study

This national study explored the public's values toward the ways in which health care is financed, including the financing of home care services and new and emerging technologies, such as cancer drugs, which have become important policy issues. ISR conducted approximately 1,700 CATI interviews, in both French and English, with randomly-selected respondents across Canada in the fall and winter of 2002-03. The survey will be repeated at certain intervals throughout the duration of this three-year project to assess change in public values over time. This telephone survey forms part of a larger study which also includes focus groups with the general public and in-depth interviews with policy makers, the media and health care organization representatives; the overall goal of the study is to generate new knowledge about public expectations concerning health services and their funding arrangements. This project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and is led by researchers at McMaster University's Centre for Health Economic and Policy Analysis (CHEPA) and other researchers at Université Laval, Queen's University, the University of British Columbia and Carleton University. Liza Mercier directed this study at ISR.


Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
Provincial Education Survey

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, now amalgamated with the University of Toronto, has been undertaking a provincial education survey every two years since 1974. This 14th wave of the study examined Ontarians' attitudes toward the education system in general and, more specifically, their feelings about recent changes in education policy. This telephone survey was conducted with approximately 1,000 randomly-selected residents across all regions of the province in the fall of 2002. Funding for the study was provided by OISE and several provincial government ministries and educational associations. Principal investigators, Drs. David Livingstone and Doug Hart, are faculty members at OISE, and the study was directed at ISR by David Northrup.


"Left Out":
Perspectives on Social Exclusion and Social Isolation
Among Low-Income Populations
This study examined the impact of socioeconomic status and social class on health and social cohesion -- the sense of belonging or of feeling isolated -- in two Canadian cities. For the "Left Out" project, the Institute conducted approximately 1,600 telephone (CATI) interviews in the summer and fall of 2002 with residents in selected neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta. Residents in two lower income and two higher income neighbourhoods were interviewed in each city. The telephone survey formed part of a larger project which also included face-to-face interviews with residents in the selected study areas and interviews with policy makers and consumer advocacy groups who deal with exclusion and isolation issues of people living in poverty. The research team included principal investigator Dr. Miriam Stewart and Dr. Linda Reutter, both of the University of Alberta, Dr. Gerry Veenstra of the University of British Columbia, Dr. Rhonda Love of the University of Toronto and Dr. Dennis Raphael of York University. Funding for the study was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC). David Northrup directed this study at ISR.


History of Drinking Survey
ISR conducted a study on behalf of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to explore why and how some people change addictive behaviours without the use of treatment programs and other support systems. Information gleaned from this study will be adapted for use in current alcohol treatment programs. The Institute conducted approximately 3,000 computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) with randomly-selected residents in households across Ontario in the spring and summer of 2002. The research methodology for this study included audio taping some open-ended responses relating to strategies respondents have used to stop or reduce their drinking, and there was a brief mailback survey to gather information on major life events in respondents' lives. The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The principal investigator at CAMH was Dr. John Cunningham and David Northrup directed the study at ISR.


Summer Fitness Study
A national study examining the health and well-being of Canadians has being conducted on behalf of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI). Approximately 1,500 telephone (CATI) interviews were conducted with Canadians in randomly-chosen households across the country in the summer of 2002 and an additional 1,000 interviews were conducted in the Ottawa area. Funding for the project came, in part, from Health Canada. The study was designed to help researchers better understand how they can effectively assist Canadians in maintaining and improving their health and well-being. The principal investigator for the study was CFLRI president Cora Lynn Craig. Richard Myles directed this study at the Institute.


Health and Well-Being Among Canadians
A national study examining the health and well-being of Canadians was recently completed on behalf of a number of organizations including the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) and the Berger Population Health Monitor, a semi-annual health survey. Approximately 4,000 telephone (CATI) interviews were conducted with Canadians in randomly-chosen households across the country in the winter and spring of 2002. Funding for the project came, in part, from Health Canada. The study was designed to help researchers better understand how they can effectively assist Canadians in maintaining and improving their health and well-being. Principal investigators for the study were CFLRI president Cora Lynn Craig and Dr. Earl Berger, managing director of the Berger Population Health Monitor and associate director of policy for the Hay Health Care Consulting Group. Richard Myles directed this study at the Institute.


Quality of Life in Southern Ontario Communities:
Stoney Creek Follow-up Study
The Institute conducted approximately 300 telephone (CATI) interviews in the summer of 2002 with residents of Stoney Creek in the amalgamated City of Hamilton, Ontario. These respondents were first interviewed in the summer of 1996, around the time the nearby Taro Landfill was scheduled to open. In addition to respondents' concerns about the landfill, the study also explored their opinions about their neighbourhood, their social and community networks, and their health status and any health problems they might have experienced recently, among other topics. Comparing respondents' answers between 1996 and 2002 will help researchers examine the connection between environmental issues, health problems and quality of life. The study was conducted on behalf of Dr. Susan Elliott in the School of Geography and Geology at McMaster University, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC). John Pollard directed this study at ISR.


2001
Nutrition Study
The Institute recently completed a province-wide study on nutrition on behalf of Cancer Care Ontario, an agency of the Government of Ontario. Between the summer of 2001 and the spring of 2002, approximately 3,200 CATI interviews were conducted (averaging about 260 interviews per month) with randomly-selected Ontario residents between the ages of 18 and 64. The study will help the researchers evaluate current fruit and vegetable consumption and develop a nutrition strategy to raise awareness of the importance of diet, healthy eating and cancer risk across the Province of Ontario. The principal investigator for this study was Loraine Marrett and co-investigator was Melody Roberts, both of Cancer Care Ontario. The research team was also guided by a Steering Committee and the Toronto Public Health Department. Renée Elsbett-Koeppen directed data collection at ISR.


Hitting Home:
The Home as a Site for Long-Term Care Project
This study examined the experiences of Ontario residents who receive home care services in several regions across the province. The study explored, among other things, the kinds of services home care recipients receive, their satisfaction with these services, their housing conditions, and home modifications that may have been required as a result of their disability. The Institute conducted approximately 830 telephone (CATI) interviews throughout the fall and winter of 2001-02, including approximately 260 interviews in an urban area, 290 in a rural area, and 280 in a remote region of the province. Local Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) in these three areas were collaborating partners in this research and the study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. This telephone survey formed part of the larger "Hitting Home" project, which also included case studies and other qualitative research. The principal investigator for the study was Dr. Patricia McKeever, Co-Director of the Home and Community Care Evaluation and Research Centre (HCERC) at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. Kathy Osterlund, also from HCERC and the Faculty of Nursing, was the Research Co-ordinator for the project. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Approximately 14,300 households across Canada were contacted over the past year for a study that was conducted on behalf of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU). The CATI survey sought information about social norms with respect to smoking in households; information about the extent to which there are rules, understandings or agreements about smoking in households; what factors are associated with having or not having rules about smoking; the degree of association between rules and smoking status of respondents; and, the association between having or not having rules and knowledge of health affects of ETS. This national study followed an earlier survey conducted in Ontario on behalf of this research team. This study was led by OTRU Director Dr. Roberta Ferrence, Dr. Mary Jane Ashley of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto, David Northrup, Associate Director at the Institute, and OTRU Scientist Dr. Joanna Cohen. David Northrup also directed data collection at ISR.


Population Health Study:
Deconstructing the Determinants of Health at the Local Level
The Institute conducted 1,500 telephone (CATI) interviews in the fall and winter of 2001-02 with residents in five neighbourhoods in the vicinity of Hamilton, Ontario. The study explored respondents' opinions about their neighbourhood, their social and community networks, their health status and general health behaviours, and their use of health services and preventive health care, among other topics. The study was conducted on behalf of Dr. John Eyles, Director of the McMaster Institute of Environment and Health (MIEH) in the School of Geography and Geology at McMaster University, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC). Dr. Susan Elliott of McMaster collaborated on this study and Kathleen Wilson co-ordinated the project for the research team at MIEH. John Pollard directed this study at ISR.


Physical Activity Monitor

A national study examining the importance of physical activity in the lives of Canadians was conducted on behalf of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI), an organization funded by Health Canada, between the spring and fall of 2001. Approximately 4,000 CATI interviews were conducted with Canadians in randomly-chosen households across the country. The study was designed to help CFLRI provide up-to-date and reliable information to governments and the private sector on a wide range of issues associated with health and active living. Principal investigator for the study was CFLRI president Cora Lynn Craig; Richard Myles directed the study at the Institute.


2001 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey
A biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Addiction Research Foundation, now a division of Ontario's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Institute has conducted this survey for the Centre since 1981 and, in 2001, ISR conducted its eleventh wave of this study. The paper and pencil survey was administered in classrooms to more than 4,000 students in grades 7 through 13 (OAC) between March and June 2001. This comprehensive strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies, provides information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking and drug use, and allows for an analysis of the effects of classes and schools on student behaviour using multi-level models. CAMH's lead researcher was Dr. Edward Adlaf; at ISR the project was directed by John Pollard, with sample design consultation from Michael Ornstein.


Halton Child Care Study
In the winter of 2001, approximately 800 CATI interviews were conducted with residents of Halton Region on their attitudes toward, and experiences with, the provision of child care services on behalf of the Social and community Services Department of the Regional Municipality of Halton. The research was led by Mary Beth Jonz, Director of Children’s Services Division with the Region. Data gathered will assist the Region in: forecasting child care needs over the next five years; establishing a blueprint of needed child care services and support, and; exploring accessibility, affordability and flexibility of services. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


The Heart and Stroke Foundation Public Awareness Survey
In the fall of 2000, ISR conducted a CATI survey on behalf of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Approximately 750 interviews were conducted with randomly-selected respondents 45 years of age or older in three target cities: London, Hamilton and Kingston. Situated between two larger scale surveys that ISR conducted on behalf of the Foundation in 1999 and 2001, the Public Awareness Survey examined and evaluated a number of ways of more effectively providing information on heart and stroke awareness to the general public, including through television and print advertisements. As part of the research strategy, an additional 750 interviews were conducted in January 2001 and a number of media-related interventions took place in the three communities to help guide the Foundation in their efforts to better inform the Canadian public about heart disease and healthy living. Frank Rubini guided this research for the Foundation and David Northrup directed data collection at ISR.


2000
Social Change and Well-Being Survey
ISR began conducting 4,000 CATI interviews, in both official languages, with randomly-selected Canadians from all provinces in April 2000 for a study exploring the economic, social and political factors that shape public policy, and how these policies determine societal values, attitudes and well-being among individuals and communities. Data collection for this study was completed in the summer of 2001. The study was conducted on behalf of a group of researchers from a number of Canadian universities, led by Professor Richard Johnston from the University of British Columbia. Funding was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Data collection was directed by David Northrup at the Institute.


Canadian Election Study
Between October 24 and November 26, 2000, approximately 2,500 telephone interviews were conducted during the Canadian federal election campaign for principal investigators Drs. André Blais and Richard Nadeau of the Université de Montréal, Dr. Neil Nevitte of the University of Toronto, and Dr. Elisabeth Gidengil of McGill University. The study was funded by the investigators’ universities and Elections Canada. A rolling cross-sectional sample was utilized whereby approximately 70 interviews were conducted every day of the campaign with randomly-selected Canadian citizens of voting age. The research team was interested in learning how Canadians felt about the major issues in the campaign and how they view the political process in general. The study included an Internet survey for respondents to comment more fully on news coverage during the campaign. The second phase of this project was a post-election telephone survey in which respondents from the campaign-period survey were re-interviewed to evaluate attitudinal changes which may have occurred over the course of the campaign. The final phase of the study was a mail questionnaire which was sent to post-election survey respondents. Richard Myles directed data collection for this study at the Institute.


Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
Provincial Education Survey
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, now amalgamated with the University of Toronto, has been undertaking a provincial education survey every two years since 1974. This 13th wave of the study examined Ontarians’ attitudes toward the education system in general and, more specifically, their feelings about recent changes in education policy. The telephone survey was conducted with approximately 1,000 randomly-selected residents across all regions of the province in the fall of 2000. Funding for the study was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education and the University of Toronto. Principal investigators, Drs. David Livingstone and Doug Hart, are faculty members at OISE, and the study was directed at ISR by David Northrup.


The ‘Not to Kids’ Survey
The City of Toronto’s ‘Not to Kids’ project was designed to raise public awareness about the City’s goal to make it more difficult for under-aged youth to buy cigarettes. The centrepiece of the project was an advertising campaign using print media and advertisements on radio and television, and in bus shelters and malls. One of the main goals of the ‘Not to Kids’ survey conducted by ISR was to determine the visibility of these advertisements. A random sample of approximately 1,000 residents of the City of Toronto, 20 years of age and older, were interviewed about their recognition of the ‘Not to Kids’ campaign and their attitudes toward the sale of cigarettes to minors. This study, undertaken in the fall of 2000, was funded by Toronto Public Health and was led by Dr. Merra Jain. David Northrup directed data collection for this project at the Institute.


Survey of Health Care Professionals
The scope of chemical and other health hazards in the workplace has been increasing in recent years. The safety of health care workers, however, has not been the focus of investigations for possible workplace hazards to the same extent as it has been for other sectors such as factory workers. Researchers at the University of Toronto undertook this survey to assess symptoms and possible health problems among health professionals, an important step in improving their working environment. On behalf of Dr. Gary Liss of the GAGE Occupational & Environmental Health Unit in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, the Institute conducted this mail survey of 3,000 members of the Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (OAMRT) and 3,000 members of the Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA). Data collection took place in the fall of 2000 and was directed at ISR by John Tibert.


Health Charity Consortium Survey
A wide variety of factors relating to charitable giving, including who gives, how they give, and why some people give and others do not, was examined in a national study that the Institute conducted on behalf of several national charitable organizations, with guidance from the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (CCP). The Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey was administered to approximately 1,500 Canadians in randomly-selected households across the country in the fall of 2000. This research was undertaken at a time when governments have reduced their role in the provision of services to those in need (e.g., reduced funding for hospitals, schools and libraries, etc.) and the need for charitable donations has become more acute. Data gathered in this study will be compared with findings from a baseline study conducted by ISR in 1998. The Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Arthritis Society and the Canadian Diabetes Association, collaborated with the Centre on this study. Dr. Michael Hall, CCP’s Vice-President, Research, coordinated the study on behalf of the participating organizations and David Northrup directed this project at the Institute.


Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) in the Home
Approximately 1,800 households across Ontario were contacted for a study which was conducted in the spring and summer of 2000 on behalf of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto and the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at York University. The Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey sought information about social norms with respect to smoking in households; information about the extent to which there are rules, understandings or agreements about smoking in households; what factors are associated with having or not having rules about smoking; the degree of association between rules and smoking status of respondents; and, the association between having or not having rules and knowledge of health affects of ETS. This study was led by Dr. Mary Jane Ashley of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto and David Northrup, Associate Director at the Institute, who also directed data collection at ISR.


A Survey of Confidential, Professional and Managerial Employees at York University
The Institute conducted a mail survey of the membership of the York University Confidential, Professional and Managerial Employees Association (CPMEA) in the summer and fall of 2000. The goal of this study was to identify key issues of concern to York’s CPM staff. The results will be used to set priorities and help form the agenda for the Joint Committee of Senior Management and the CPMEA Directors for the next several years. Ken Robb, Senior Manager of Human Resources Services, and Steve Dranitsaris, on behalf of the CPMEA directors, led this research. John Pollard and David Northrup directed this study at ISR.


National Survey of Informal Learning Practices
Canadians’ opinions on, and experiences with, informal learning and how it is related to formal and continuing education and training programs were explored in this study. The information collected will help researchers understand what social barriers may prevent the integration of informal learning with formal programs and certification, and what standards need to be implemented to allow formal credit for the informal learning people undertake. The current survey is a follow-up study of 1,500 respondents who participated in a 1998 Canada-wide survey on informal learning. This project was conducted between June and August 2000 on behalf of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and the University of Toronto and was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Principal investigator was OISE’s Dr. David Livingstone and the study was directed at the Institute by David Northrup.


A Readership Survey of the York University Gazette
In the fall of 2000, ISR surveyed a representative sample of York University faculty and staff to explore their satisfaction with the York Gazette. This mail survey was conducted on behalf of, and was funded by, York’s Department of Communications in the Division of University Advancement, and was led by Jessie-May Rowntree, Director of Communications. The Institute received almost 700 completed questionnaires overall. Results from this research will guide the Communications Department in making changes and improvements to the Gazette. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


National Survey of the Gambling Habits of Canadians
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) commissioned the Institute to undertake a study on the gambling habits of Canadians. The project entailed conducting 3,000 CATI interviews with a random sample of respondents in all ten provinces between January and April 2000. Two weeks after the initial interview, approximately 400 respondents were re-interviewed. The CCSA-sponsored study was designed to examine the social and economic impact of gambling on individuals and society – in the context of increasing access to gambling across Canada. The study was led by a number of investigators at the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and David Northrup directed data collection at ISR.


Strengthening Canadian Democracy
This national study, commissioned by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) and conducted between February and April 2000, focused on a number of issues that are expected to be part of discussions concerning democracy in Canada over the next decade. Data collection for this study entailed 1,200 CATI interviews, conducted in either English or French, with randomly-selected residents in all Canadian provinces. Results from this research will be compared to findings from a 1990 study conducted for the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing. IRPP, a non-partisan ‘think tank’ which promotes democracy in Canada, provided funding for the project. Principal investigator Paul Howe, IRPP’s Research Director, and David Northrup, ISR Associate Director, have co-authored a report on the study findings.


Community Attitudes Toward Adoption
More than 750 CATI interviews were conducted in the spring of 2000, in both English and French, with randomly-selected respondents in all provinces for a study examining Canadians’ attitudes toward adoption. This research examined attitudes toward birth parents and adoptive parents, and opinions about open adoptions and birth reunions. The goal of the research is to provide policy makers with valid and reliable data upon which to make decisions and formulate policy in the area of adoption. Principal investigators were Professor Charlene Miall, McMaster University, and Professor Karen March, Carleton University. The study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. John Pollard directed the study at ISR.


Survey on Charitable Giving
This study examined the opinions of 3,875 randomly-selected Canadians on various aspects of charitable giving. Topics under examination included attitudes toward new approaches to fundraising in Canada, regulations and accountability for charities, and whether or not charities should become involved in business ventures. The CATI survey was administered, in both English and French, between May and August 2000. The study was conducted on behalf of the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (CCP) with funding from the Muttart Foundation. Dr. Michael Hall, CCP’s Vice-President, Research, guided the study for the Centre and David Northrup directed data collection at ISR.


Tobacco Policy Survey
Between April and August 2000, the Institute conducted 1,600 CATI interviews with randomly-selected residents of Ontario for a study examining attitudes toward smoking regulations, opinions about the effects of smoking on health, and the role that should be played by tobacco companies, government and individuals when it comes to health issues related to smoking. Current attitudes will be compared against opinions gathered in baseline studies approximately four years ago. Comparisons will also be made between attitudes of the general public and responses from Canadian legislators in a previous study asking many of the same questions. The study was funded by the Ontario Tobacco Initiatives Program and was conducted for researchers at the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Principal investigators were Dr. Mary Jane Ashley of the University of Toronto and Dr. Roberta Ferrence of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, and the project was directed at ISR by Tammy Chi and David Northrup.


A Readership Survey of Profiles Magazine
In the spring and summer of 2000, ISR surveyed a representative sample of York University alumni to explore their satisfaction with Profiles, York’s alumni magazine, and to examine other issues relating to the University’s communications with alumni. This mail survey was conducted on behalf of, and was funded by, York’s Department of Communications in the Division of University Advancement, and was led by Jessie-May Rowntree, Director of Communications. The Institute received approximately 600 completed questionnaires overall. Focus groups were conducted with various cohorts of alumni in the fall of 1999 to explore these topics more fully and to assist with questionnaire development. Results from this research will guide the Communications Department in making improvements to Profiles magazine and in more effectively communicating with alumni. John Pollard directed this study at the Institute.


An Evaluation of the How Much Fat Do You Eat?
Resource Guide (Dairy Farmers of Ontario)
ISR assisted the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) in evaluating a resource they have developed to help women understand the role of fat in their diet. The How Much Fat Do You Eat? resource is a questionnaire to help women learn if their fat intake is too little, just about right, or too high, and it provides information on the sources of fat in their diet. The research strategy involved administering a series of questionnaires, including an intervention to an experimental component of the sample, to groups of women who regularly meet to discuss a variety of issues related to healthy living. Data collection, involving almost 300 participants, took place between February and May 2000. Funding for the project was provided by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Principal investigators at DFO were Gerrilyn Hopper and Carol Harrison, Registered Dieticians and Nutrition Educators. John Pollard directed this research at the Institute.


“Best Practice” Services to Newcomer Youth
As part of a larger research project, the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS) commissioned the Institute to conduct a survey of service organizations in the winter of 2000. Information was gathered on: programs and services available to immigrants and refugees between the ages of 16 and 20 years of age; problems that organizations face when they serve newcomer youth; programs and practices that meet the needs of newcomer youth especially well; and, what needs to be done in order to improve newcomer youth services. Overall, 145 agencies in the Greater Toronto Area took part in the survey. John Tibert and Darla Rhyne directed this project at ISR.


1999
Ontario College of Teachers
The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) commissioned the Institute to conduct a mail survey to determine what professional learning activities teachers currently engage in and to identify barriers to participation in professional learning. The College was interested in determining what forms of professional learning are helpful to members of the College, identifying learning needs and resources of members, and receiving members’ personal assessment of professional learning activities that are available to them. A random sample of 800 Ontario elementary, junior high and high school teachers was chosen for the study. The results of the survey will be published in the College’s newsletter which is sent to teachers four times a year. This study took place between December 1999 and February 2000. OCT’s Gary Adamson was the principal investigator and David Northrup directed data collection at ISR.


Analysis of Census Data (HRDC)
The objective of this study was to partner with Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) for the acquisition of special, customized 1996 Census tabulations specific to the geographic boundaries represented by the 25 local Training Boards in Ontario. The tabulations were acquired and the data transferred to customized tables. Statistics Canada forwarded the tabulations in Beyond 20/20 to the Institute at regular intervals. The goal was to produce informative tables that were not extensively complex, that were suitable for use in describing the Board Area, and that could be used in Board planning activities. ISR provided HRDC the original files sent from Statistics Canada as well as the developed tables in Microsoft Excel. This project took place between the spring of 1999 and the winter of 2000 under the direction of Michael Ornstein, with technical assistance from Gregory Hanson.


Hamilton Environmental Risk and Action Survey
The Institute conducted more than 500 CATI interviews for the Hamilton Environmental Risk and Action Survey (HERAS) on behalf of the McMaster University Institute of Environment and Health and the Hamilton-Wentworth Public Health Department between December 1999 and January 2000. The sample was chosen randomly from households in the Hamilton-Wentworth region. This study investigated the impact of air quality on individual and community well-being and it also addressed the need to better understand the determinants of action around environmental issues. The principal investigator was Professor Susan Elliott of the School of Geography and Geology at McMaster University, and the study was sponsored by the Hamilton-Wentworth Social and Public Health Services and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Sarah Wakefield managed this project on behalf of the research team at McMaster University and John Pollard directed the study at ISR.


1999 Ontario Drug Monitor
In 1999, the Institute conducted the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)’s Ontario Drug Monitor following procedures established for the 1996, 1997 and 1998 waves of this study. These procedures included conducting 2,400 telephone interviews over the course of the year, averaging approximately 200 interviews every month, using random digit dialling (RDD). In this study Ontario residents are asked about their consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and their attitudes toward various alcohol and tobacco policy issues. Some questions in the survey are repeated every month and there are several panels of additional items that get rotated in and out of the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey on a regular basis. Lead investigator at the Centre was Dr. Edward Adlaf, Research Scientist at CAMH; the study was directed by David Northrup at the Institute.


Physical Activity Monitor
The Institute conducted a large national study between April and August 1999 on behalf of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI), which is funded by Health Canada. Approximately 4,000 CATI interviews were conducted with respondents in randomly-chosen households across Canada. This study examined the importance of physical activity in the lives of Canadians and will help CFLRI provide up-to-date and reliable information to governments and the private sector on a wide range of issues associated with health and active living. Principal investigator for the study was CFLRI president Cora Lynn Craig; Richard Myles directed the study at the Institute.


Halton Community Access Survey
On behalf of the Health Department of the Regional Municipality of Halton, ISR conducted a study in the spring and summer of 1999 examining health-related topics that are of interest to people living in Halton Region and how people go about getting information on the health-related topics that interest them. The study was designed to help researchers and policy makers in developing new strategies of informing Halton residents about healthy living. Approximately 600 Halton Region residents, 16 years of age and older, were randomly selected for this CATI interview. The study was led by principal investigators Pamela Forsyth, Program Manager, and Karen Moynagh, Health Promoter, in the Health Department’s Health Promotion and Communications Program. The project was directed at ISR by John Pollard.


1999 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey
A biennial study of student awareness and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs was initiated in 1977 by the Addiction Research Foundation, now a division of Ontario’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Institute has conducted this survey for the Centre since 1981 and, in 1999, ISR conducted its tenth wave of this study. The Institute also led a major re-design of the sampling strategy in 1999 to facilitate an analysis of the effects of classes and schools on student behaviour using multi-level models. The “paper and pencil” survey was administered, in their classes, to approximately 5,000 students in grades 7 through 13 (OAC) between March and June 1999. This strategy facilitates comparisons between Canadian and American studies as well as providing information on the critical age patterns associated with smoking, drinking and drug use. CAMH’s lead researcher was Dr. Edward Adlaf; at ISR the project was directed by John Pollard, with sample design consultation from Michael Ornstein.


1998
Survey of Ontario Nurses
In the fall of 1998, the Institute undertook a research study that sought to understand how the organization of nursing care affects nurses’ work and the well-being of patients. This project was coordinated by the WHO Collaborating Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and was funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Data were gathered through a mail survey of approximately 18,000 registered and working nurses in 222 selected hospitals in Ontario. The study was led by principal investigator Linda Aiken, a nurse researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Judith Shamian of Mt. Sinai Hospital; Drs. Geoffrey Anderson and Jack Tu of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Studies were co-investigators. This study was completed in the summer of 1999 and was directed by John Tibert at the Institute.


Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
ISR completed three related surveys for the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) from the spring of 1998 to the spring of 1999. The largest was a national survey of almost 2,500 respondents across Canada, including the Yukon and Northwest Territories, in the 1998 Physical Activity Monitor (PAM). The major focus of the survey was to measure the extent to which respondents participated in a wide range of physical activities, and to identify factors that encouraged or mitigated against participation. The second component, the Recall Survey, included 500 interviews with respondents who completed the 1997 PAM. A data set linking these studies allowed change in activity levels to be measured at the individual level. The third component of this research involved the recruitment of 500 people to participate in an In-Home Fitness Test as well as an interview about their fitness activities. This study allowed the researchers to determine the relationship between physical measures (such as heart rates, blood pressure, conditioning, etc.) and response to a sub-set of the survey questions. Principal investigator for the study was CFLRI president Cora Lynn Craig and Richard Myles directed the study at ISR.


1997
Canadian Election Study
CES 1997 employed four complementary methods of data collection (1) a campaign wave rolling cross-section survey, a post-election cross-section survey, and a mailback survey (2) semi-structured interviews with selected respondents (3) interviews with party strategists (4) media tracking of party advertising and TV news coverage.

The 1997 Canadian Election Study team was comprised of André Blais (Université de Montréal), Elisabeth Gidengil (McGill University), Richard Nadeau (Université de Montréal) and Neil Nevitte (University of Toronto). CES 1997 was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada under its Major Collaborative Research Initiatives programme. Survey work was conducted by the Institute for Social Research at York University.


1996
Canadian Legislator Study
More than 550 legislators completed a survey about the role of government, health promotion and, in particular, smoking and tobacco control. Funding was provided by Health Canada's National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP). The co-principal investigators for the survey were Mary Jane Ashley of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto, Roberta Ferrence of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit at the University of Toronto, and David Northrup of the Institute for Social Research at York University; the project manager was Joanna Cohen of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. Interviewing was completed in both official languages at the Institute for Social Research using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) techniques.


 
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