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ARE YOU A 1st YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENT AT
WESTERN UNIVERSITY (MAIN CAMPUS)?

Dr. Shauna Burke and colleagues would like to invite you to invite you to participate in a 10-week social media campaign called "iBelong@Western"!

This campaign is designed to enhance social connectedness among 1st-year university students.

Please click below for more information.

ARE YOU A 1st YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENT AT
WESTERN UNIVERSITY (MAIN CAMPUS)?

Dr. Shauna Burke and colleagues would like to invite you to invite you to participate in a 10-week social media campaign called "iBelong@Western"!

This campaign is designed to enhance social connectedness among 1st-year university students.

Please click below for more information.

ARE YOU A 1st YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENT AT
WESTERN UNIVERSITY (MAIN CAMPUS)?

Dr. Shauna Burke and colleagues would like to invite you to invite you to participate in a 10-week social media campaign called "iBelong@Western"!

This campaign is designed to enhance social connectedness among 1st-year university students.

Please click below for more information.

ARE YOU A 1st YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENT AT
WESTERN UNIVERSITY (MAIN CAMPUS)?

Dr. Shauna Burke and colleagues would like to invite you to invite you to participate in a 10-week social media campaign called "iBelong@Western"!

This campaign is designed to enhance social connectedness among 1st-year university students.

Please click below for more information.

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About iBelong@Western Study

Dr. Shauna Burke, Master’s student Julie Vo, and a team of researchers from Western University are conducting a study called “iBelong@Western”, designed to enhance social connectedness among 1st-year university students at Western University. Participation in this innovative study includes following a 10-week evidence-based social media campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn (from March 2023 – May 2023) and, if you are interested, taking part in an optional online focus group (in May 2023).  

In order to participate in this study, you must: (a) be enrolled (currently) as a full-time or part-time 1st-year university student attending Western University (main campus); (b) be a regular user of at least one of the following social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn; (c) have access to the Zoom video-conferencing platform; (d) be proficient in English; and (e) provide consent to participate.  

Invitation to Participate

First-year university students at Western University are being invited to take part in the “iBelong@Western” research study; a study investigating the implementation of (and students’ thoughts about) a 10-week, evidence-based social media campaign designed to enhance social connectedness among 1st-year university students.

To learn more and/or to participate in the study, click the survey link below: 

 

Weekly Draw Details and Guidelines

Draws for a total of ten e-gift cards will take place every Friday during the 10-week social media campaign (March 2023 – May 2023). If you would like to participate, you will be asked to provide your email address to be entered into the weekly draws to win a $20 Amazon e-gift card. For any draw, the odds of winning a prize depend on how many people are entered in the draw; although we do now know how many will enter (and therefore cannot predict the odds of winning), it is estimated that there will be approximately 100 to 450 participants entered into each weekly draw. Study participants and non-participants are permitted to enter the draw (upon request) by emailing the research team. For those participating in the research study, entry into the weekly draws is optional. You are not required to pay money or any other valuable consideration to participate in the draw.  

Social Media Platform Guidelines (Pertaining to Draws)

  • Instagram

    • The weekly draws are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram 
    • You are not encouraged to inaccurately tag content 

  • Facebook

    • You must: (a) fully release and hold Meta harmless from liability, and (b) acknowledge that the promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta 
    • Engagement is optional, you are not required to share, repost, or tag others 

  • Twitter

    • Anyone found using multiple accounts to enter will be ineligible 
    • No duplicate updates of content (links or tweets) are required (e.g., participants do not need to retweet or share the posts multiple times in order to win the prize) 

  • LinkedIn

    • The weekly draws are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, LinkedIn 
    • Engagement is optional, you are not required to share, repost, or tag others 

iBelong@Western References

To see a list of the references used for the “iBelong@Western” social media posts, click the link below:

Publications

A collection of research activities associated with the iBelong program of research.

Articles and Publications

 

Obesity Canada: Staying Connected From A (Social) Distance: Researchers At Western University Are Exploring Young People’s Views Of Social Connectedness, Physical Distancing, Social Media Use, And Wellbeing During COVID-19.

Western News: Study explores impacts of social distancing on youth.

 

Conference Presentations

Burke, S. M. (2022, September 7). “iBelong@Western”: The teaching assistant’s role in facilitating social connectedness among university students. Invited keynote address delivered to ~200-300 graduate students and teaching assistants (TA) at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, TA Day, Western University.

Omar, M., van der Linden, N. K., Holmes, O. K., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Pearson, E. S., Gilliland, J., Seabrook, J. A. & Burke, S. M. (2022, February). Internet use, social media risks, and satisfaction with life among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Oral presentation to be delivered at the Western University Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Student Research Conference 2022 (“Evolution and Innovation”), London, Ontario, Canada. Virtual Conference.

Omar, M., Koert van der Linden, N., Holmes, O. K., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Pearson, E. S., Gilliland, J., & Burke, S. M. (2021, June). Internet use and risks reported by university students during the COVID-19 pandemic [Online verbal presentation]. Presentation delivered at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Xchange Initiative 2021. Virtual Conference.

Koert van der Linden, N., Holmes, O. K., Omar, M., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Pearson, E., Gilliland, J., & Burke, S. M. (2021, June). Self-reported health, health behaviours, and psychological wellbeing among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic [Online verbal presentation]. Presentation delivered at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Xchange Initiative 2021. Virtual Conference.

Holmes, O. K., Koert van der Linden, N., Omar, M., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Peason, E., Gilliland, J., & Burke, S. M. (2021, June). University students’ social media use and social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic [Online verbal presentation]. Presentation delivered at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Xchange Initiative 2021. Virtual Conference.

Omar, M., Koert van der Linden, N., Holmes, O. K., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Pearson, E. S., Gilliland, J., & Burke, S. M. (2021, March). A cross-sectional examination of internet use and risks among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic [Online verbal presentation]. Eastern Canada Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium. Virtual conference hosted by the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Koert van der Linden, N., Holmes, O. K., Omar, M., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Pearson, E., Gilliland, J., & Burke, S. M. (2021, March).  A cross-sectional examination of self-reported health, health behaviours, and psychological wellbeing among Ontario university students during COVID-19 [Online verbal presentation]. Eastern Canada Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium. Virtual conference hosted by the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Holmes, O. K., Koert van der Linden, N., Omar, M., Dumas, T., Zarbatany, L., Ellis, W., Donelle, L., Irwin, J. D., Tucker, T., Pearson, E., Gilliland, J., & Burke, S. M. (2021, March).  A cross-sectional investigation of Ontario university students’ social media use and social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic [Online verbal presentation]. Eastern Canada Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium. Virtual conference hosted by the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Mental Health Resources

The researchers acknowledge that answering some questions in the optional focus groups (for example, feelings about belonging and social connectedness as a first-year university student) might elicit difficult or negative thoughts and emotions in some individuals. Please find below a list of mental health support services available to students nationally, provincially, and locally.

First and foremost, if you are in an emergency situation or in immediate danger, please call 911, or go to nearest hospital/emergency department.

National and Provincial Mental Health Support Services: 

University students seeking help regarding mental health concerns can use these National and Provincial mental health resources:

General: 

Canadian Mental Health Association (all ages):

Government of Canada (all ages):

General Mental Health Support (all ages):

ConnexOntario Helpline (all ages):

211 Ontario (all ages):

BounceBack (all ages):

Young People: 

Kids Help Phone (ages 5 – 20):

Good2Talk (ages 17 – 25):

London and Area Resources:

ReachOUT – Mobile and Chat Services:

The Mental Health & Addiction Crisis Centre:

Anova Woman’s Community House:

Abused Women’s Helpline:

  • Main Helpline: 519-642-3000
  • Crisis and Support line: 519-438-2272

Campus Resources:

Western University

https://www.uwo.ca/health/

Brescia University College

https://brescia.uwo.ca/student_life/health_and_wellness/index.php

Huron University College

https://huronatwestern.ca/wellness-services/

King’s University College

https://ukings.ca/campus-community/student-services/health/

The iBelong Program of Research

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and organizations have urged individuals and communities to adhere to a number of public health recommendations in effort to curb the spread of the virus. While these kinds of measures are crucial to reducing viral transmission, some – including physical distancing – may have important (and potentially detrimental) implications for many individuals’ physical, social, and psychological wellbeing. At Western University, a team of health sciences researchers, led by Dr. Shauna Burke, sought to investigate the impact of physical distancing measures on student health over the course of the pandemic – and thus, the iBelong Program of Research was born.

To date, iBelong has implemented two survey-based research programs, titled iBelong and iBelong2.

iBelong was a one-time cross-sectional survey-based study that was conducted to examine Ontario university students’ perceptions of physical distancing, social connectedness, social media use, and overall health and wellbeing during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March – April 2020).

As the pandemic continued to evolve and progress, the iBelong team saw an opportunity to learn more about Ontario young peoples’ perceptions of physical distancing, social connectedness, social media use, and overall health and wellbeing over time, and thus, Phase 2 (iBelong2) was introduced. iBelong2 consisted of three online surveys designed to examine young peoples’ (individuals aged 14 – 25) perceptions of physical distancing, social connectedness, social media use, and overall health and wellbeing at different time points throughout the pandemic (i.e., Summer 2020, Winter 2020/21, and Summer 2021) using a longitudinal design.

To date, data from these studies are being used in research publications by iBelong team members and graduate students. iBelong is continuing to grow with the emergence of the iBelong@Western social media-based study and new Student Research Council, composed of undergraduate students at Western University. The team hopes to continue exploring these variables as young people transition to their newfound “normal lives” in a post-COVID-19 pandemic world.

Meet the Team

Meet the incredible research team behind the iBelong Program of Research, led by Dr. Shauna Burke and the iBelong research team @WesternU, @HuronCollege, @KingsCollege & @LakeheadU.

Dr. Shauna Burke

Dr. Shauna Burke is the Principal Investigator of the iBelong program of research, and an Associate Professor in the School of Health Studies at Western University.

Dr. Burke has published numerous research articles and book chapters in the areas of health promotion, childhood obesity, group dynamics, and exercise psychology, and co-authors a widely used Canadian health textbook. Dr. Burke is also an award-winning instructor, having taught numerous health-related courses at Western University since 2006. She also supervises graduate students, most of whom study child, adolescent, and/or family health.

Dr. Burke’s current research interests include the promotion of health and wellbeing among young people, with a specific focus on social connectedness (online and offline), social media, and physical, social, and mental health. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Burke and the iBelong research team are also interested in how public health recommendations, such as physical distancing, impact youth and adolescents’ perceptions of connectedness and wellbeing.

Dr. Jennifer Irwin

Dr. Jennifer Irwin is a health behaviourist and Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University. She is a multi-award-winning teacher at the Faculty, University, and Provincial levels and a widely published researcher. She is passionate about kindness, collaboration, and each of us doing our part to support one another. Her research focuses primarily on the application of motivational interviewing and coaching on health-related behaviours, including obesity prevention and treatment, tobacco cessation, stress management, and the promotion of physical activity and healthy dietary intake behaviours.

Dr. Trish Tucker

Dr. Trish Tucker is an Associate Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy and the Director of the Child Health & Physical Activity Lab at Western University. Dr. Tucker’s expertise are in the broad areas of health promotion, physical activity, and childhood obesity prevention. Her primary area of research is the measurement and promotion of physical activity with a particular focus on preschool-aged children.

Ms. Nerida Koert van der Linden

Nerida is a PhD student in the field of Health Promotion at Western University and is the program coordinator for iBelong2. Prior to Western, Nerida graduated from Lakehead University's Master of Science in Kinesiology program in 2019, and completed her undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa in 2016. Nerida's research interests lie in preventative health, physical activity, group dynamics, health and wellbeing, and community-based health promotion. It is her goal to explore physical distancing, self-reported health behaviours, and wellbeing among young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Olivia Holmes

Olivia is a first-year Masters student in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program at Western University. She recently graduated with honours from the Child Health program at Brock University and is now conducting research in the field of Health Promotion at Western. Olivia is a successful recipient of a SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship for 2020-2021. Working under the direction of Dr. Shauna Burke, her thesis project will explore Ontario university students’ perceptions of social media use and social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Tara Dumas

Dr. Tara Dumas is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Huron University College. She studies social development in adolescence and emerging adulthood, and is particularly interested in how the peer context shapes young people’s attitudes and behaviours. Her social networking site research largely examines predictors and outcomes of young people’s risky online behaviour including deceptive like-seeking (i.e., behaviours to secure online attention in the form of likes, e.g., buying followers), engagement in risky online challenges, and posting of substance use-related content.

Dr. Jason Gilliland

Dr. Jason Gilliland is Director of the Urban Development Program and Professor in the Department of Geography, School of Health Studies, Department of Paediatrics, and Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Western University. Dr. Gilliland is a Scientist with the Children’s Health Research Institute and was recently named the Children’s Health Foundation Scientist of the Year for his work on identifying and removing barriers to children’s physical activity. He is also Director of the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, a multi-disciplinary research and training centre which develops and connects highly-skilled researchers to create, disseminate, and mobilize knowledge for making healthy, thriving communities.

Dr. Lynne Zarbatany

Dr. Lynne Zarbatany is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Western University. She has published work on a range of topics related to peer relationships including peer group processes, gender differences, and childhood behaviour disorders. Her current research interests include studying how friendships and peer groups affect children’s psychological adjustment and behaviour.

Dr. Lorie Donelle

Dr. Lorie Donelle, is an Associate Professor at Western University in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and a Scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute in London Ontario. She holds an endowed research chair - the Arthur Labatt Family Chair in Nursing focused on digital health. Dr. Donelle’s research addresses issues of health literacy, social justice, and digital health. Her research investigates technology enabled models of homecare and the relationships between health information technologies and client / clinician health practices. Dr. Donelle sits on International (World Health Organization) and national advisory committees for health literacy and digital health.

Dr. Wendy Ellis

Wendy Ellis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at King's University College. Dr. Ellis’ research interests span a range of topics related to social development in childhood and adolescence. Dr. Ellis has conducted research on social media, cyber dating aggression, popularity and bullying. Her early research focus has been on group influence and documenting the processes through which children’s groups influence their members in both positive and negative domains.

Dr. Erin Pearson

Dr. Erin Pearson is an Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Lakehead University and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. Her research broadly focuses on health promotion and lifestyle behaviour change in various populations. Her specific interests include: 1) community-based health promotion in children, youth, and families from psychological and behavioural perspectives; 2) evaluating the utility of Co-Active coaching/motivational interviewing as strategies to promote health, wellness, and/or weight management in at-risk populations; and 3) theoretically grounded behaviour change interventions.

Ms. Maram Omar

Maram is a first-year Master’s student in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program at Western University. She recently received her Bachelor of Health Sciences degree from Western University, with honors specializing in Rehabilitation Sciences. Maram’s current research interest is in the Health Promotion field, specifically looking at promoting child health. She is now conducting research under the supervision of Dr. Shauna Burke. Her research project involves exploring university students’ self-reported internet usage, risks, and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Julie Vo

Julie is a first-year Master’s student in the Health and Rehabilitation program at Western University. She is a recent graduate from the Honours Life Sciences program at McMaster University with specific research interests in knowledge translation and health promotion. Under the guidance of Dr. Shauna Burke, her research project focuses on the development of an evidence-based social media campaign designed to enhance social connectedness among first-year university students.

Ms. Hannah Litchfield

Hannah is a PhD student in the faculty of Health and Rehabilitation Science at Western University. She completed Master of Management of Applied Sciences degree, specializing in Global Health Systems, this past year, prior to which she completed her undergraduate degree at Western in the faculty of Health Sciences. Hannah is a certified Project Manager, working with the Project Management Institute of Southwestern Ontario as their Professional Development Team Lead and is currently completing her PMP (Project Management Professional) credential through the Project Management Institute. She works as a Health and Wellness Specialist and Project Manager at Participation House Support Services (PHSS) in London, Ontario and is passionate about incorporating inclusive and accessible ``fun`` into wellness-related programming. Hannah's research interests lie in nutrition, mental health, EDID, and belonging among youth in low- and middle-income countries. She hopes to partner with The Africa Institute at Western throughout the course of her doctoral degree and explore belonging in diverse global contexts.

Contact

If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or the conduct of this study, you may contact The Office of Human Research Ethics (519) 661-3036, 1-844-720-9816, e-mail: ethics@uwo.ca. This office oversees the ethical conduct of research studies and is not part of the research team. Discussions with the Office of Human Research Ethics will be kept confidential.

For further information regarding this research project or your participation in the study, you may contact master’s student, Ms. Julie Vo (jvo8@uwo.ca), or the Principal Investigator, Dr. Shauna Burke (sburke9@uwo.ca). You may also reach the iBelong research team by filling out the contact form on this page.

For updates about iBelong please find us on:

Twitter: @iBelongStudy
Instagram: @ibelongstudy
Facebook: iBelongStudy
LinkedIn: iBelongStudy