Implementation and evaluation of a novel community-based urban mobile health clinic in Toronto, Ontario
Despite Canada's single-payer health system, marginalized populations often experience poor health outcomes and barriers to healthcare access. In response, mobile health clinics (MHCs) have been deployed in several cities across Canada. MHCs are well established in the United States; however, little is known about their role and impact in a country with universal healthcare. We describe the implementation of an urban MHC and early learnings from a mixed methods process and outcome-oriented evaluation.
Enablers and barriers to public health practice during COVID-19: Perspectives from local public leadership from across Canada
Our study investigates the efforts of local medical health officers during COVID-19 in Canada, with a focus on explicating enabling factors and barriers to effectively respond through local public health efforts.
Decolonizing urban Indigenous healthcare: The potential of urban reserves
The urbanization of Indigenous peoples in Canada has increased substantially during recent decades, with over 44% of Indigenous peoples now residing in urban centres. Despite the urban concentration of healthcare services, Indigenous health outcomes remain significantly worse than non-Indigenous health outcomes for people living in urban centres. The historical and subsisting impacts of colonialism have had a profound negative influence on social determinants of health for Indigenous peoples, resulting in higher rates of chronic disease and mortality. Mistrust of the healthcare system, racial discrimination, and medical paternalism remain barriers to accessing care and diminish the quality of care received. This commentary explores how Indigenous-led health services can improve Indigenous health outcomes and how urban reserves could be used to improve the health of urban Indigenous residents.
The association between medical fitness facility attendance and incident mental disorders
This study examined the effects of medical fitness facility (MFF) attendance, a proxy for exercise, on the incidence of mental disorders.
Innovation through collaboration: Identifying opportunities to improve congenital anomalies surveillance in Canada
The burden of congenital anomalies is a significant public health concern. In response to the World Health Organization's recommendations, Canada developed and strengthened congenital anomalies surveillance to build capacity for prevention and optimal health outcomes. Historically, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) exclusively used hospital discharge data for the Canadian Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System (CCASS). A primary objective of the CCASS is to report prevalence, trends, and factors associated with congenital anomalies in Canada. However, the purpose of hospital discharge data is not for congenital anomalies surveillance; therefore, enhanced local data, which have more complete case ascertainment and additional data quality measures, are necessary.
Building a community of practice to address alcohol harms in Canada: Experience from the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project
Alcohol is a major cause of health and social costs and harms in Canada. While research and awareness of harms caused by alcohol are on the rise, few transdisciplinary platforms exist that are committed to facilitating bold alcohol policy change to reduce health inequities and improve lives.
Quantitative microbial risk assessment of acute gastrointestinal illness attributable to freshwater recreation in Ontario
The burden of disease associated with acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Canada is estimated to be ~ 20 million cases/year. One known risk factor for developing AGI is recreation in freshwater bodies such as lakes. The proportion of cases attributable to freshwater recreation in Canada, however, is currently unknown. The study objective was to estimate the risk of developing AGI from exposure to Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157:H7, norovirus, and Salmonella during freshwater recreation in Ontario, Canada.
A comparison of perinatal outcomes associated with gestational diabetes mellitus testing practices in British Columbia: A population-based retrospective cohort study
This study sought to compare one-step versus two-step testing approaches for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to investigate the associations between testing approach, degree of glucose impairment, and perinatal outcomes.
Safer Opioid Supply programs: Hydromorphone prescribing in Ontario as a harm reduction intervention to combat the drug poisoning crisis
The crisis of unregulated fentanyl-related overdose deaths presents a significant public health challenge. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of four Safer Opioid Supply programs (SSPs) in Ontario, one in London and three in Toronto.
Acute gastrointestinal illness burden associated with water recreation in high-income countries: A scoping review
The burden of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) attributable to natural water recreation in Canada is unknown. Understanding the burden can help prioritize public health interventions and resource allocation for reduction of disease. Our objectives were to compile estimates of AGI burden associated with natural water recreation, identify knowledge gaps in water recreation epidemiology, and evaluate methods applicable for developing a burden estimate for Canada.
Use of the moving epidemic method to guide the launch of palivizumab immunization campaigns for respiratory syncytial virus in Québec, Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the seasonal transmission pattern of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), challenging the launch of palivizumab immunization campaigns. This study explored the performance of the moving epidemic method (MEM) to guide the launch of such campaigns.
Fist fighting and increased mortality post-retirement among National Hockey League players
Fist fighting among hockey players is thought to have long-term impacts on health. Because of methodological concerns of previous studies, we undertook a retrospective cohort study among retired National Hockey League (NHL) players to estimate rates of all-cause mortality according to the cumulative number of fights in their careers.
Embracing Housing First as a continuum: A response to "Safeguarding against the degradation of Housing First"
The association between neighbourhood marginalization and SARS-CoV-2 outcomes in patients presenting to emergency departments
Social and economic marginalizations have been associated with inferior health outcomes in Canada. Our objective was to describe the relationship between neighbourhood marginalization and COVID-19 outcomes among patients presenting to Canadian emergency departments (ED).
Factorial invariance of the Everyday Discrimination Scale among African, Caribbean, Black, and other racialized women living with and without HIV in British Columbia, Canada
The Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) assesses the mistreatment racialized people experience daily. It is widely used in Canadian HIV research to measure racial discrimination among African, Caribbean, and/or Black (ACB), and other racialized women. However, no studies have examined whether the EDS provides valid estimates of racial discrimination that are objectively comparable across racial/ethnic groups or by HIV status in Canada. We aimed to address this gap.
Implementation of a paraprofessional role across the public health sector in Manitoba: Impacts on system capacity
Manitoba experiences sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) incidence rates above the national average and fundamental public health sector responses face human resource constraints.
Adolescent behavioural intentions: Secondary outcomes from a cluster randomized controlled trial of the Health4Life school-based lifestyle modification intervention
Health4Life: a school-based eHealth intervention targeting multiple health behaviour change (MHBC).
Factors associated with self-rated health in Black Canadians: A cross-sectional study
Self-rated health (SRH) has shown to be a strong predictor of morbidity, functional decline, and mortality outcomes. This paper investigates the association between sociodemographic variables (e.g., employment, education, sex) and SRH among Black Canadians.
Long-term serological response and boostability of intradermal rabies immunization: A retrospective chart review
Rabies vaccines in Canada are currently labeled for intramuscular use only; however, intradermal vaccine administration may be equally effective. This study aims to assess the immediate and long-term (≥ 2 years) serological response and boostability of intradermal administration of rabies vaccine for pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Factors associated with low self-compassion in young adults
Self-compassion comprises treating oneself non-judgementally with kindness and understanding during life challenges. Our aim was to identify, from among a diverse set of sociodemographic, lifestyle behavioural, psychological, family/peer social influence, and health indicators, factors associated with low self-compassion in a population-based sample of young adults.