Nancy Poole

Nancy Poole
Centre of Excellence for Women's Health

PhD

About

143
Publications
50,198
Reads
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2,809
Citations
Additional affiliations
January 2014 - present
Galvanizing Equity Group
Position
  • Head of Faculty
November 1996 - March 2020
Centre of Excellence for Women's Health
Position
  • Managing Director
Education
August 2009 - August 2015
University of South Australia
Field of study
  • Education

Publications

Publications (143)
Article
Full-text available
Background/Objectives: There is limited research on vaping during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Amid the legalization of cannabis in Canada, and evolving patterns of nicotine use, there is a growing need to understand how women experience using nicotine and cannabis vaping during pregnancy and postpartum. This information is essential to inf...
Article
Full-text available
Sex and gender related factors affect the ingestion and impacts of alcohol. This article explores these factors with a focus on males and men. While alcohol use has more negative health effects for females than males at lower levels of consumption due to sex related factors, gender related factors underpin many of the negative social impacts of alc...
Article
Full-text available
Objectives Methamphetamine use is associated with numerous negative health and social concerns in Canada. Sex and gender-related factors play a crucial role in the uptake, patterns of use, responses, and treatment outcomes. This scoping review examines academic evidence on methamphetamine interventions that incorporate sex, gender, trauma, and/or e...
Technical Report
Full-text available
Annually, researchers associated with the Prevention Network Action Team (pNAT) of the CanFASD Research Network search the academic literature for articles related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention. The findings are organized using a four-level prevention framework developed by the pNAT to describe the wide range of work that com...
Article
In Canada, the context for providing brief intervention on substance use during pregnancy is shifting with new opportunities for enhancing discussion of alcohol and other substances, due to the introduction of novel nicotine delivery products (e.g., vaping), the legalization of cannabis, and the crisis in the useof prescription pain medication. The...
Article
Full-text available
Background Children of substance-involved mothers are at especially high risk for exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and poor mental health and development. Early interventions that support mothers, children, and the mother-child relationship have the greatest potential to reduce exposure to early adversity and the mental health probl...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This report reflects the outcomes of a 2024 project: Identifying Research and Promising Practices to Inform Sex and Gender Informed Treatment and Recovery for Women with Substance Use Concerns in Canada, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through a Planning and Dissemination Grant. It reflects the findings of a rapid revie...
Article
Background: Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRDGs) aim to reduce the harms caused by alcohol. However, considerable discrepancies exist in the 'low-risk' thresholds employed by different countries. Argument/analysis: Drawing upon Canada's LRDGs update process, the current paper offers the following propositions for debate regarding the est...
Technical Report
Full-text available
Annually, researchers associated with the Prevention Network Action Team (pNAT) of the CanFASD Research Network search the academic literature for articles related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention. The findings are organized using a four-level prevention framework developed by the pNAT to describe the wide range of work that com...
Article
Full-text available
Background Consideration of sex‐ and gender‐related factors is critical for understanding and supporting health and wellbeing. Although both sex and gender influence people with developmental disabilities, there is relatively little research on these factors and their influences among individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a compl...
Article
Full-text available
In Canada, a Four-Part Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Prevention has been developed that describes a continuum of multi-sectoral efforts, including broad awareness campaigns, safe and respectful conversations around pregnancy and alcohol use, and holistic and wraparound support services for pregnant and postpartum women with alcoho...
Technical Report
Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health is intended to replace Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. It provides accurate and current information about the risks and harms associated with the use of alcohol. The guidance should help people make well-informed and responsible decisions about their alcohol consumption. It is informed by a pub...
Article
Full-text available
Background and Objective: FASD prevention efforts have been expanded in the last 25 years to go beyond the moral panic that guided early public awareness campaigns and policy responses. In Canada, a Four-Part Model of FASD Prevention has been developed and used that describes a continuum of multi-sectoral efforts for women, girls, children, and the...
Article
Full-text available
Background and objective Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention efforts have grown in the last 25 years to go beyond the moral panic that guided the early public awareness campaigns and policy responses. In Canada, a four-part model of FASD prevention has been developed and used that describes a continuum of multisectoral efforts for wom...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This report is for practitioners in the substance use field, and policy makers or scientists who are designing alcohol-related policies or research. It reviews the evidence on how sex- and gender-related factors can determine the effects and impacts of alcohol use, with a focus on women and women’s health. It also reviews the evidence on sex, gende...
Article
Full-text available
Alcohol use is coming under increasing scrutiny with respect to its health impacts on the body. In this vein, several high-income countries have issued low-risk drinking guidelines in the past decade, aiming to educate the public on safer levels of alcohol use. Research on the sex-specific health effects of alcohol has indicated higher damage with...
Article
Preconception care is often missed when providing perinatal and reproductive health care. This article describes four evidence-informed preconception interventions on substance use: 1) brief interventions, 2) group interventions, 3) technology-based interventions, and 4) community and workplace awareness strategies. Using concrete resources and ope...
Research
Full-text available
A few key messages from this research synthesis: 1. Cannabis use may worsen psychotic symptoms, especially among males. 2. Cannabis use is a risk factor for psychotic-like experiences among the general population and for those with a psychotic disorder. 3. Both maternal and paternal cannabis use are associated with an increased risk for psychotic-...
Article
Full-text available
Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, with potentially enduring effects on women’s health. A rapid review was conducted on IPV and women’s substance use in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid review explored two separate research questions with a view to integrate the literat...
Article
Wraparound programmes, wherein multiple services are offered at one location, are effective in engaging pregnant or parenting women experiencing substance use and other complex challenges while also addressing gaps in services between the health, child welfare and addictions fields. Evaluations of these programmes have demonstrated positive outcome...
Research
Full-text available
In this brief we describe some issues from current literature about cannabis use by people with various sexual orientations and gender identities.
Chapter
This chapter discusses the need for sex-, gender- and diversity-based analysis to be brought to bear on the topic of women and alcohol, the uptake to date by public health and much-needed directions forward. The eighteenth-century public health discourse about women and alcohol in Canada, as described in Drink in Canada (Warsh, “Oh Lord, pour a cor...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This summary describes evidence from 30 articles from academic and grey literature published between 2018 and 2020 related to beliefs and perceptions of cannabis use.
Article
Full-text available
Understanding the factors that contribute to women’s alcohol use in pregnancy is critical to supporting women’s health and wellness and preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. A systematic review of qualitative studies involving pregnant and recently postpartum women was undertaken to understand the barriers and facilitators that influence alco...
Article
Full-text available
Pregnant women and mothers who use substances often face significant barriers to accessing and engaging with substance use services. A scoping review was conducted in 2019 to understand how stigma impacts access to, retention in and outcomes of harm reduction and child welfare services for pregnant women and mothers who use substances. The forty-tw...
Article
Objectif: Établir des normes pancanadiennes fondées sur les meilleures données probantes actuelles sur le dépistage et les conseils en matière de consommation d'alcool et de troubles de consommation d'alcool chez les femmes enceintes ou en âge de procréer. PROFESSIONNELS CONCERNéS: Les fournisseurs de soins qui prodiguent des soins aux femmes ence...
Article
Objective: To establish national standards of care for screening and counselling pregnant women and women of child-bearing age about alcohol consumption and possible alcohol use disorder based on current best evidence. Intended users: Health care providers who care for pregnant women and women of child-bearing age. Target population: Pregnant...
Article
Full-text available
Background: In Canada, several community-based, multi-service programs aimed at reaching vulnerable pregnant or parenting women with substance use and complex issues have emerged. These programs offer basic needs and social supports along with perinatal, primary, and mental health care, as well as substance use services. Evaluations of these 'one-...
Technical Report
Full-text available
Individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have a heightened sensitivity to stress because of the brain-based impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). There are also disproportionately high rates of chronic and complex adversity among people with FASD, which differentiates them from other disability groups. In order to address these...
Technical Report
Full-text available
We distilled years of research from a large scoping review into a Handbook featuring 10 Key questions to improve responses to substance use. It shares evidence and practical tools for service providers and leaders in prevention, treatment, program and policy design. The handbook promotes critical thinking on: • Understanding concepts of sex, gender...
Technical Report
Full-text available
Technical Report
Full-text available
Women who use substances in pregnancy and/or have children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are highly stigmatized by the media, public, and health and social service providers. Social isolation, non-disclosure of alcohol and/or substance use, and not seeking or receiving the necessary support can be the result.
Article
Full-text available
Drawing on data from a scoping review on sex, gender and substance use, this narrative review explores the use of gender-informed and technology-based approaches in substance use prevention and health promotion interventions. With an ever-changing landscape of new technological developments, an understanding of how technology-based interventions ca...
Article
Full-text available
Brief alcohol interventions are an effective strategy for reducing harmful and risky alcohol use and misuse. Many effective brief alcohol interventions include information and advice about an individual's alcohol use, changing their use, and assistance in developing strategies and goals to help reduce their use. Emerging research suggests that brie...
Technical Report
Full-text available
Much is changing in the substance use and child welfare fields to bring forth approaches that are culturally safe, trauma informed, harm reduction-oriented and participant-driven. This toolkit highlights these advances and invites people working in both systems to think about how we can continue to improve our work, in partnership with the women wh...
Article
Full-text available
Within Canada, several specialized multi-service prevention programs work with highly vulnerable pregnant and early parenting women with substance use issues. Experiences of trauma, mental health, poverty, and other factors associated with the social determinants of health complete the picture. Program evaluations have demonstrated their value, but...
Article
It is common for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) to require support for mental health and addictions but there are challenges associated with receiving appropriate care in Canada. This qualitative investigation of the barriers and enablers to the development of a clinical pathway in mental health and addictions included foc...
Article
Full-text available
Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading cause of disability, and a major public health concern in Canada. There are well-documented barriers for women and for service providers related to asking about alcohol use in pregnancy. Confidential research is important for learning about alcohol use before, during and after pregnancy, in order to inform fet...
Article
Full-text available
The association between fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), residential schools and subsequent assimilatory policies in Canada is of such significance that it was included in the groundbreaking Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Final Report through Call to Action #33, which focuses on collaboratively developing FASD prevention pro...
Article
Full-text available
In Canada, the context for providing brief intervention on substance use during pregnancy is shifting with new opportunities for enhancing discussion of alcohol and other substances, due to the introduction of novel nicotine delivery products (e.g., vaping), the legalization of cannabis, and the crisis in the use of prescription pain medication. Th...
Article
Full-text available
Rates of smoking during pregnancy remain high in Canada, and cessation rates are low among women who are younger than 24 years and who are socially disadvantaged, that is, have few social and economic resources because of poverty, violence, or mental health issues. On the basis of findings from literature reviews and consultation with policy makers...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This resource focuses on brief intervention with girls and women in the preconception and perinatal period. Service providers from a range of backgrounds will find it relevant to their practice, including midwives, physicians, nurses, Indigenous health care providers, anti-violence workers, pregnancy outreach workers, sexual health service provider...
Technical Report
Full-text available
There is growing evidence of the effectiveness of trauma, gender, and sex (TGS) informed approaches in all areas of the substance use field, including prevention, education, harm reduction, treatment, policy, and research. Trauma-informed practice (TIP) is an important approach to improving substance use services, programming, policy and health pro...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This resource focuses on addressing one facet of the opioid crisis in Canada. Research has shown that the vast majority of individuals who experience problems with opioid misuse and addiction have current or past experiences of trauma and violence. Those experiences of trauma and violence are often gendered, in that women, men, trans and gender div...
Article
Résumé Objectif Établir, en fonction des données les plus à jour, des normes de diligence nationales pour ce qui est du dépistage et de la consignation de la consommation d’alcool, ainsi que du counseling à offrir aux femmes en âge de procréer et enceintes en ce qui concerne la consommation d’alcool. Résultats La littérature publiée a été récupér...
Article
Objective: To establish national standards of care for the screening and recording of alcohol use and counselling on alcohol use of women of child-bearing age and pregnant women based on the most up-to-date evidence. Evidence: Published literature was retrieved through searches of PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library in May 2009 using approp...
Book
Gender Unchained is a well-reasoned call to action that examines many facets of gender inequity and offers real world solutions for tackling it at the root
Article
Full-text available
Pregnancy is often framed as a “window of opportunity” for intervening on a variety of health practices such as alcohol and tobacco use. However, there is evidence that interventions focusing solely on the time of pregnancy can be too narrow and potentially stigmatizing. Indeed, health risks observed in the preconception period often continue durin...
Research
Full-text available
Policy alert written for CanFASD highlighting the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy, in light of Canadian government plans to legalize cannabis by July 1, 2018. https://canfasd.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Cannabis-Use-and-Pregnancy-Policy-Alert.pdf
Article
Full-text available
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading cause of developmental disability among Canadians. As a result, FASD has emerged as a public health priority in Canada. The current paper provides an overview of FASD in Canada with respect to (1) epidemiology; (2) conceptualizations of FASD by schools, the government, mental health services and...
Article
Full-text available
This article discusses a three-year Canadian project that created common Evaluation Frameworks for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) support programs and for FASD prevention programs (i.e., programs serving people living with FASD and programs serving pregnant women and mothers). The project’s mixed-methods approach included a comprehensive li...
Article
Despite decades of attention, intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a major issue with serious health and social and economic consequences for victims and society. In addition to establishing important services for women and children, there is also an ongoing need to change male batterer's behavior. The effectiveness of male batterer programs has...
Article
Full-text available
Effective prevention of risky alcohol use in pregnancy involves much more than providing information about the risk of potential birth defects and developmental disabilities in children. To categorize the breadth of possible initiatives, Canadian experts have identified a four-part framework for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevention: Le...
Chapter
Full-text available
Attention to the gender-specific needs of homeless women in Canada’s North is crucial. The complexity of the issues involved warrants a whole system shift in social policy and service delivery, as well as in the way that many individual programs and professionals work. This chapter describes a participatory action research project involving service...
Article
Full-text available
. National data from Canada and the United States identify women to be at greater risk than men for the misuse of prescription opioid medications. Various sex- and gender-based factors and patient and physician practices may affect women’s use and misuse of prescription opioid drugs. Objectives . To explore the particular risks, issues, and treatme...
Data
A list of the academic literature search terms, a list of grey literature search terms and the websites searched, and a list of references that were captured by the searches but excluded from the final review due to lack of relevance.
Article
Full-text available
This is a story about three virtual and face-to-face communities which met in the capitals of Canada's three Northern territorial cities over a two-year period to discuss and act on culturally safe and gender-specific services for Northern women (and their children) experiencing homelessness, mental health and substance use concerns. It is a story...
Article
Full-text available
Background. Repairing the Holes in the Net was a 2-year, multilevel action research project designed to inform the development of culturally appropriate and gender-specific services for northern women who are homeless or marginally housed and who face mental health and substance use concerns. The study was designed to learn about the barriers and s...
Article
Full-text available
Despite high rates of smoking among some subgroups of women, there is a lack of tailored interventions to address smoking cessation among women. We identify components of a women-centered approach to tobacco cessation by analyzing 3 bodies of literature: sex and gender influences in tobacco use and addiction; evidence-based tobacco cessation guidel...
Article
Canada's Correctional Investigator has found that mental health disorders, alone or in combination with alcohol and drug abuse, challenge public health and safety. Trauma is a key contributor among Canada's inmate population. Therapy dogs can assist in supporting individuals with mental health, addiction, and trauma concerns. This case report prese...
Article
Full-text available
This paper describes the methods, strategies and insights gained from a scoping study using a "Two-Eyed Seeing" approach. An evolving technique, Two-Eyed Seeing respects and integrates the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and Western sciences, often "weaving back and forth" between the two worldviews. The scoping study was used to inform a tool fo...
Book
Addiction is a complex problem that requires more nuanced responses. Transforming Addiction advances addictions research and treatment by promoting transdisciplinary collaboration, the integration of sex and gender, and issues of trauma and mental health. The authors demonstrate these shifts and offer a range of tools, methods, and strategies for r...
Article
Full-text available
Considerations of how gender-related factors influence smoking first appeared over 20 years ago in the work of critical and feminist scholars. This scholarship highlighted the need to consider the social and cultural context of women¿s tobacco use and the relationships between smoking and gender inequity. Parallel research on men¿s smoking and masc...
Article
Full-text available
Gender inequity is a pervasive global challenge to health equity. Health promotion, as a field, has paid only limited attention to gender inequity to date, but could be an active agent of change if gender equity became an explicit goal of health promotion research, policy and programmes. As an aspect of gendered health systems, health promotion int...