Institute for Prevention of
Addictions

Year at a Glance

2022/2023
 

Bringing in the Next Generation of Researchers

The IPA publishing group mentors several students and professors with limited research experience. Past and current mentees work at a variety of universities including Loma Linda University, Andrews University, Southern Adventist University, the University of Michigan, the University of Idaho, University of Tennessee, and the University of California in Los Angeles. We are pleased at the success of our younger faculty in being published in the scientific literature

Global Church Member Survey

The IPA was awarded the 2022/2023 Global Church Member Survey. We continue analysis from the 2017-2018 and plan to present at a session of the annual meeting of the Religious Research Association/Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Working with Church Ministries Departments

We worked with a wide variety of Ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church primarily with Health Ministries as well as Family Ministries, Education, and various media. In working with these ministries, we prepare professional/scientific presentations and publications for the scientific and faith community

Andrews University Health Risk Behavior Study

The IPA has conducted 5 of these surveys, occuring about every 5-7 years since 1995. We now have an integrated file which is used to analyze and examine trends in health risk behaviors as well as changes in risk and protective factors. Presentations have been made from the data to the Michigan Academy of Arts, Science and Letters.

Summer School of Addictions

The IPA will conduct a Summer School of Addictions in May of 2023.

Adventist Human Subject Researchers Association

The IPA provides leadership for the Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association. The 2022 meeting will be held at AdventHealth University in Orlando, Florida. The meeting site is www.ahsra.net. According to Digital Commons, research from the AHSRA group has been downloaded over 5,000 times throughout the world. 

External Committees and Community Involvement

Duane McBride – has Chaired the National Institutes of Health grant review committee for many years and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member to the Monitoring the Future project at the University of Michigan. He also serves on the Berrien County Public Health Department.

Gary Hopkins – updates coming soon

Alina Baltazar – involved at Pioneer Memorial Church; Sabbath School Superintendent, Sabbath School teacher, and on the Family Life Committee. Frequently collaborate with NAD and GC Family Ministries departments

Curt VanderWaal –updates coming soon

Presentations at Major Scientific Conferences

A key part of our mission is to present our primary research at major scientific conferences. Presentations by IPA faculty included presentations at the:

  • Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Portland, Oregon, October 2021.
  • Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, March 2019, 2020, & 2021.

 

Recent Publications in Peer-Reviewed and Faith Based Venues

IPA researchers have published their work in a wide variety of scientific, professional, and peer reviewed journals and books covering a wide variety of disciplines. These venues included:

  • Journal of Research in Christian Education on the role of parents on binge alcohol use among youth, linked here.
     
  • A Chapter in a book on HIV  Research Pioneers published by Johns Hopkins University Press, linked here.
     
  • A book on promoting the public good in the Public Square and the Church can be reveiwed and purchased here.
     
  • Adventist Review on preventing health risk behaviors during the COVID epidemic, linked here. 
 
  • Lake Union Herald – Religion’s Impact on Parenting , linked here.
 
  • Adventist Family Ministries Resource Book – Family Resilience: Being Refined by the Fire, linked here.
 
  • Adventist World - Building Resilience in Children and Youth, linked here.

 

Publications/Presentations Read by the Scholarly Community

In the last year IPA publications and presentation were downloaded by over 3,000 individuals, according to Andrews University Digital Commons. While scholars in the United States downloaded a plurality of articles, scholars in China were second most represented. This demonstrates the global impact of IPA research.

 

IPA Presentations at Upcoming Conferences


• North American Division Mental Health Summit – March 31-April 3, 2022

• Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association – May 18-21, 2022

• Adventist Conference on Family Research and Practice July 21-23, 2022

• Society for the Scientific Study of Religion – November 11-14, 2022

• Religious Research Association – November 11-14, 2022