
Jennifer Abbass Dick
PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty of Health Sciences
Contact information
Shawenjigewining Hall
- Room 457
North Oshawa
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5
905.721.8668 ext. 3735
Research topics
- breastfeeding
- parenting
- co-parenting
- fathers
Research and Expertise
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Background and Interests
Dr. Jennifer Abbass Dick graduated from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She completed her Master of Nursing degree in 2009 from the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto with a focus on Community Health. She completed her PhD at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto in 2013.
The title of the dissertation is:
- Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Co-parenting Breastfeeding Support Intervention on Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates at 12 Weeks Postpartum
Dr. Abbass Dick has worked with childbearing families as both a Registered Nurse and lactation consultant in the hospital and community throughout her career. She is dedicated to assisting and empowering parents to have a positive and healthy transition to parenthood.
Dr. Abbass Dick and a team of professionals from Ontario Tech University and Durham Region Health Department have created an Online Breastfeeding Course for Mothers and Fathers/Partners. Visit the Breastfeeding information for parents website.
Research Area of Specialty
- breastfeeding
- co-parenting
- fathers
- randomized controlled trials
- interventions design and evaluation
Research interests
- child development
- infant nutrition
- knowledge translation
- parental relationships
- utilizing technology in research
- mindfulness
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Publications
Sun, W., Tahsin, F., Abbass Dick, J., Barakat-Haddad, C. Turner, J., Wilson, D., Reid-Haughian, C. (2021) Educating homecare nurses about deprescribing of medications to manage polypharmacy for older adults. Western Journal of Nursing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920982599
Abbass-Dick, C. (2020). Designing an eHealth Breastfeeding Resource With Young Mothers Using a Participatory Design. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 104365962095706–1043659620957065. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659620957065
Abbass-Dick, S. (2020). The comparison of access to an eHealth resource to current practice on mother and co-parent teamwork and breastfeeding rates: A randomized controlled trial. Midwifery, 90, 102812–102812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102812
Abbass-Dick, N. (2020). Development, psychometric assessment, and predictive validity of the comprehensive breastfeeding knowledge scale. Midwifery, 83, 102642–102642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102642
Abbass Dick, J., Sun, W., Stanyon, W., Papaconstantinou, F., D'Paiva, V., Jiwani-Ebrahim, N., Dennis, CL. (2020) Designing a mindfulness resource for expectant and new mothers to promote maternal mental wellness: Parents’ knowledge, attitudes and learning preferences. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29, 105–114.1-10. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-019-01657-5.
Sun, W., Tahsin, F., Abbass-Dick, J., Barakat-Haddad, C. Turner, J., Reid-Haughian, C. (2019). An Exploration of Home Care Nurse’s Experiences in Deprescribing of Medications: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. BMJ Open 9(5), e025606-e025606. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025606.
Abbass-Dick, J., Brown, H. K., Jackson, K. T., Rempel, L., & Dennis, C. L. (2019). Perinatal breastfeeding interventions including fathers/partners: A systematic review of the literature. Midwifery. 75, 41-51.
Reyes, C., Barakat-Haddad, C., Barber, W., & Abbass-Dick, J. (2019). Investigating the effectiveness of school-based breastfeeding education on breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes and intentions of adolescent females. Midwifery, 70, 64-70.
Dennis, CL, Brown, H., Abbass-Dick, J. Brennenstuhl, S. Prevalence and Predictors of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Chinese Women. Submitted to Maternal & Child Nutrition. 15(2) e12687
Dennis, C. L., Brennenstuhl, S., & Abbass-Dick, J. (2018). Measuring paternal breastfeeding self-efficacy: A psychometric evaluation of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form among fathers. Midwifery, 64, 17-22.
Abbass-Dick, J., & Dennis, C. L. (2017). Maternal and Paternal Experiences and Satisfaction with a Co-parenting Breastfeeding Support Intervention in Canada. Midwifery. 56 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2017.10.005
Abbass-Dick, J., Brolly, M., Huizinga, J., Newport, A., Xie, F., George, S., Sterken, E. (2017). Designing an eHealth Breastfeeding Resource with Indigenous Families Using a Participatory Design. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 1(9).
Abbass-Dick, J., Xie, F., Koroluk, J., Brillinger, S. A., Huizinga, J., Newport, A., & Goodman, W. & Dennis, C. L. (2017). The Development and Piloting of an eHealth Breastfeeding Resource Targeting Fathers and Partners as Co-parents. Midwifery,50, 139-147.
Abbass-Dick, J., & Dennis, C-L. (2017). Breastfeeding co-parenting framework: A new framework to improve breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. Family & Community Health, 40(1):28-31.
Abbass-Dick, J., Stern, S. B., Nelson, L. E., Watson, W., & Dennis, C. L. (2015). 'Coparenting Breastfeeding Support and Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Randomized Controlled Trial'. Pediatrics, 135(1), 102-110. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-1416.
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Courses taught
Undergraduate Courses:
- Health and Healing - Healthy Communities
- NURS 3700U – Instructor/Faculty Advisor
- Community Based Health Care and Nursing
- NURS 3402U – Instructor
- Nursing Leadership and Innovation
- NURS 4100U – Instructor
Graduate Courses:
- Research Approaches for Nursing and Health Sciences
- NURS 5010G – Instructor
- Health and Healing - Healthy Communities
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Grants
Research Title: The Effectiveness of eHealth Breastfeeding Co-Parenting Educational Resource on Overcoming Early Breastfeeding Challenges and Increasing Exclusivity Rates in the First Four Weeks Postpartum
Granting Body: Woman’s Xchange
Amount Requested: 14,983.24
Principle Investigator: Abbass Dick, J
Co-Investigators: Sun, W., Goodman, B., Gainey, S.
Date Awarded: November 19, 2017Research title: The Design and Evaluation of a Coparenting and Breastfeeding Online Course
Granting body: Breastfeeding Community Projects Grant from Best Start Resources Ontario
Amount awarded: $25,000
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Abbass Dick
Co-investigators: Shelley Alcock Brillinger, Amber Newport, Joanne Huizinga, Fangli Xie, Jaymie Koroluk, Cindy-Lee Dennis
Date of award: March 2014 to February 2015Research title: Design and Evaluation of an Online Breastfeeding Resource for Adolescent Mothers and Aboriginal Families
Granting body: Best Start Health Nexus with funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
Amount awarded: $50,000
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Abbass Dick, Michele Brolly, Joanna Huizinga, Fangli Xie, Amber Newport
Co-investigators: Dr. Clemon George, Elisabeth Sterken, Stephanie MacDonald, and Cindy-Lee Dennis
Date of award: January 1, 2015 to December 2015 -
Education
- PhD, University of Toronto, 2013
- Master of Nursing, University of Toronto, 2009
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Queen's University, 1995