DataNB
The latest from the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training

What is VitalSignsNB?

VitalSignsNB is a student research stream in NB-IRDT’s Pathways to Professions experiential learning program. Led by Dr. Chris Folkins, this stream uses administrative data to explore topics related to health and the healthcare system in New Brunswick with the goal of supporting evidence-informed decision making to promote a healthier future for the province.

In 2023, VitalSignsNB expanded to host two new projects at once – one that examined diabetes diagnoses in administrative data (featured in a previous Student Spotlight) while the other focused on midwifery services in New Brunswick, exploring methodological approaches for studying midwifery using administrative data.

To gain a deeper understanding of the practice of midwifery as it grows in New Brunswick, the VitalSignsNB Midwifery project:

• Examined the proportion of total in-province births that involved midwifery care both in hospital and at home.
• Summarized the services provided by New Brunswick midwives.
• Examined the proportion of home births requiring hospitalization of the baby or mother.
• Described the basic demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of midwifery clients in New Brunswick.

You can learn about the team’s findings through their research infographic, and by subscribing to the DataNB newsletter to be notified when the full report on their findings is released.

Meet the 2023 VitalSignsNB – midwifery student team

Shirley Andow is currently in her fourth year of a bachelor of arts program, majoring in psychology and minoring in English at St. Thomas University. She is actively involved in part-time work at nonprofit organizations in Fredericton and intends to continue her work in this field. Shirley values continuous learning, equal opportunity and community awareness, demonstrating her commitment to personal growth and making a positive impact on society.

Behdad Beykzadeh graduated with a biology degree from the University of New Brunswick in 2023. He's passionate about equitable healthcare access and strives to alleviate the system's strain. Dedicated to making a meaningful impact, he aims to improve New Brunswick's healthcare landscape for a better future.

What is Pathways to Professions?

Each summer, NB-IRDT hosts student research teams as part of its Pathways to Professions (P2P) experiential learning program. For 13 weeks, these students work on projects relevant to New Brunswick while attending a full curriculum of professional skills workshops.

In 2023, NB-IRDT embarked on its second year of partnership with the Government of New Brunswick's Future GNB / Avenir GNB program and launched a new partnership with Ignite to host students working on government and industry research projects. Now that the 2023 program has ended, we are excited to share our students’ projects and their findings.