Piotr Wilk
Affiliations
Scientist, Division of Children’s Health and Therapeutics, Children’s Health Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
How my research helps children
My primary area of interest is health and well being of children. I am currently engaged in research on childhood obesity by examining how child-, family-, and neighbourhood-level predictors affect obesity. I am especially interested in understanding how social and economic disadvantages affect children's obesity and how obesity influences their health at later stages of their life. By understanding the individual and contextual factors that increase children’s risk of obesity, we can develop interventions and public policies that may reduce such risks.
Research
Current Research Activities
Recently, I was awarded a grant to examine the nature of obesity trajectories among children in southwestern Ontario and to assess the impact of various child- and family level determinants of these trajectories. The strength of this study is that it focuses on children living in our region. Hence, the results of this project will inform local researchers and practitioners about how our children compare to those in other regions of the country.
Research Team
My research team consists of one graduate student, Mary Ellen Kuenzig.
Future Research Plans
Collaborating with Dr. Martin Cooke (University of Waterloo), I am developing a research program that will investigate the predictors of obesity among Aboriginal children and then develop a culturally-appropriate framework for the design of a “healthy weights” intervention targeted to Aboriginal children. There will be three components to the study. The first is the use of Statistics Canada survey data to investigate the determinants of obesity, including characteristics of children, families, and neighbourhoods. The second is to use focus groups of parents of off-reserve Aboriginal children to understand their perceptions of the factors that affect their children’s risk of obesity, and to identify appropriate intervention strategies. The third is a series of stakeholder consultation meetings with Aboriginal community organizations, clinicians, and public health practitioners to come to a consensus about a culturally-appropriate framework for an intervention.
Awards & Grants
Awards & Grants
Funding in support of Testing the Directional Associations between Obesity and Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Examination Across Childhood and Adolescence - Awarded by Lawson Health Research Institute (LHRI)
Funding in support of Reducing Obesity among Aboriginal Children and Youth in Canada: Phase-1 - Development of Intervention through a Community-Based Collaboration - Awarded by Public Health Agency of Canada
Funding in support of Development of Intervention through a Community-Based Co - Awarded by Public Health Agency
Funding in support of Predictors of Health and Developmental Trajectories among Aboriginal Preschool Aged Children in Canada: Effects of Family and Community Level Characteristics - Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Funding in support of Predictors of Health and Developmental Trajectories among Aboriginal Preschool Aged Children in Canada: Effects of Family and Community Level Characteristics – Awarded by Children's Health Research Institute
Funding in support of Using Natural Experiments to Assess the Influence of Environmental Factors on Childhood Obesity – Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Recent Publications
Publications
"Situational and dispositional Influences on nurses workplace wellbeing: The role of empowering unit leadership" Laschinger, H.K., Finegan, J., Wilk, P. 2011. Nursing Leadership, Vol. 60, No. 5.
“Cumulative trauma, personal and social resources, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among income-assisted single mothers” Samuels-Dennis, J., Ford-Gilboe, M., Wilk, P. Avison, W. and Ray, S. 2010. Journal of Family Violence, Vol. 25, No. 6, pp. 603-17.
“Self-reported road safety strategies, risky driving behaviours, and subsequent motor vehicle injuries: analysis of Canadian National Population Health Survey” Vingilis, E. and Wilk, P. 2010.
Canadian Public Policy, Vol.36, Supplement, pp. S69-80.
“New graduate burnout: The impact of professional practice environment, workplace civility and empowerment.” Laschinger, H.K.S. Finegan, J., and Wilk, P. 2009. Nursing Economic$, Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 377-83.
“Abuse-related injury and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder as mechanisms of chronic pain in survivors of intimate partner violence.” Wuest, J., Ford-Gilboe, M., Varcoe, C., Lent, B., Wilk, P., and Campbell, J.C. Pain Medicine, 2009. Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 739-747.
“Context matter: The impact of unit leadership and empowerment on nurses’ organizational commitment.” Laschinger, H.K.S., Finegan, J., and Wilk, P. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 2009.Vol. 39, No. 5, pp. 228-235.
“Modelling the effects of intimate partner violence and access to resources on women’s health in the early years after leaving an abusive partner.” Ford-Gilboe, M., Wuest, J., Varcoe, C., Davies, L., Merritt-Gray, M., Campbell, J., and Wilk, P. Social Science and Medicine, 2009.Vol. 68, No. 6, pp. 1021-29.
“Empowerment, engagement and perceived effectiveness in nursing work environments: Does experience matter?” Laschinger, H.K.S., Wilk, P., Cho, J., and Greco, P. Journal of Nursing Management, 2008.Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 636-646.
“The effects of health status, distress, alcohol and medicinal drug use on subsequent motor vehicle injuries.” Vingilis, E. and Wilk, P. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2008. Vol. 40, No. 6.
“A profile of the structure and impact of nursing management in Canadian hospitals.”
Laschinger, H.K.S., Wong, C., Ritchie, J., D’Amour, D., Vincent, L., Wilk, P., Armstrong Stassen, M., Matthews, S., Saxe-Braithwaite, M., Grinspun, D., Shamian, J., McCutcheon, A., Kerr, M., Macdonald-Rencz, M., Oke, B., Denney, D., and Almost, J. Longwoods Review, 2008.Vol. 6, No. 1.
“A comparison of self-reported motor vehicle collision injuries compared with official collision data: An analysis of age and sex trends using the Canadian national population health survey and transport Canada data.” Roberts, S.E., Vingilis, E., Wilk, P., and Seeley, J. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2008Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 559-66.
Additional publications
Contact
Contact
Phone: 519-661-2111 x 89109
Fax: 519-661-3766
Email: piotr [dot] wilk [at] schulich [dot] uwo [dot] ca
Website: http://www.uwo.ca/epidem/people/Faculty/BasicScientists/Wilk.html
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