Digital Commons Network^™

Population-Based Studies On Medications And Fall-Related Injury In Older Adults, Yu Ming

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Fall-related injuries in older adults result in serious consequences to individuals and health care system, especially with the increasing aging population. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe medication prescription patterns within one year prior to fall-related injuries; (2) identify medication classes prescribed within 30 days prior to the injury that were associated to fall-related injury; and (3) examine the association between fall-related injuries and continuous use or new initiation of most commonly prescribed medications.

Methods: Studies used administrative health care data in Ontario. Study 1 described the frequency of medications prescribed to older adults within one …

Energy Access And Extreme Heat Events: A Case Study Of Seniors In Ottawa, Ontario, Samantha N. Doris

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Energy poverty, or not having access to sufficient energy to meet one’s needs, is a serious problem in Canada and around the world. While the current literature on energy poverty largely focuses on the experiences of people utilizing energy services to stay warm during cold winter temperatures, little is known about experiences of energy poverty during summertime heat. This gap is especially urgent since current climate models suggest that cities are likely to experience extreme heat conditions more frequently in the future. This research investigates how people use energy services, such as air conditioning and fans, among other strategies to …

Treasure Amongst The Ruins: The Policy And Practices Of Adaptive Reuse Of Urban Industrial Buildings In Ontario, Marcello Vecchio

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The practice of adaptive reuse is a unique concept of city building, where demolition and traditional brownfield redevelopment have been common practice. Though an already established method, adaptive reuse is becoming increasingly popular due to a greater intensity to protect heritage, reuse materials and structures, and offer unique architectural spaces. To achieve this, there must be sufficient policy in place to incentivize and mitigate the increase cost and risk which are usually associated with this type of development. This thesis combines a province-wide content analysis of Official Plans in Ontario’s 51 cities, with a more in-depth case study investigation on …

Comparison Of Ontario’S Home Care Policies With The Perspectives Of Personal Support Workers In The Provision Of Quality Dementia Home Care, Rachel Breen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Personal support workers (PSW) play a primary role caring for persons living with dementia (PLWD). Policies guide PSW to provide quality dementia home care. This study aimed to explore PSW perspectives on providing quality home care for PLWD in comparison to Ontario home care policies. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze fifteen interviews with PSW and six Ontario policy documents. Alignments included: interprofessional care team approach; dementia-specific education and training for PSW; accessible services, information and education for PLWD and family caregivers; and increasing the respect and supports PSW receive from employers. Differences included: PSW emphasizing person-centred care and …

Adhd Symptoms And Substance Use Among Adolescents In Ontario: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Sex Differences And Covariates, Shannon W. Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objective: 1) Estimate the prevalence of self-reported ADHD symptoms in sample of youth (grades 9-12) in Ontario schools, by sex; and 2) Assess the relationship between ADHD symptoms and substance use (alcohol, tobacco cigarettes, cannabis, stimulants) by sex, controlling for socio-economic status, internalizing and externalizing problems.

Methods: Data from 2015 and 2017 (n = 6,923) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, included self-reports of ADHD symptomatology and substance use. Statistical analyses included bivariate tables and multinomial regressions.

Results: Prevalence for ADHD symptoms was 20.22%, 95% CI [18.52, 22.03] (males = 16.42%, 95% CI …

Exploring The Acquisition Of American Sign Language By Deaf Kindergarten Children: Early Language Access And The Use Of Appropriate Resources, Jenelle Rouse

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explores the accounts of educators and parents regarding the accessibility of American Sign Language (ASL) and its acquisition by deaf children in Ontario, Canada. It is generally known that deaf children’s ASL acquisition and proficiency is directly affected by their early exposure to the language; the earlier and greater the exposure, the greater the acquisition and proficiency, while later and inadequate exposure results in poorer acquisition and proficiency. In the face of societal and educational systems in Ontario, there have been some attempts to provide opportunities for deaf children and their families to develop and acquire ASL (Snoddon, …

Evaluating The Implementation Of A Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management Program Using The Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research: A Case Study, Stefan Paciocco

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent chronic disease that requires comprehensive approaches to manage. Interprofessional teams are effective at providing chronic disease management and care that meets the needs of patients. As part of an ongoing spread, an interprofessional primary care COPD management program was implemented at a family health team in Ontario. A qualitative case study was performed to determine the supporting or hindering factors to the implementation of the program. Data collected was deductively analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Eleven constructs were determined to meaningfully affect implementation. Cosmopolitanism, networks and communication, engaging, design …

Gender And Sexuality-Based Bullying: Student Experiences And Educator Responses, Elizabeth Torrens

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Drawing on qualitative interview data, this dissertation critically examines the issue of gender and sexuality-based bullying (GSB) in the context of Ontario schools. GSB is explained through a theoretical perspective that situates bullying as a mechanism employed by students as they navigate gendered and heteronormative school status structures. Because the status-based structures are so entrenched in educational contexts, a resilience perspective is also adopted to determine best next-steps for mitigating the negative effects of GSB. Further, resilience in this case is viewed through a critical sociological lens that requires the consideration of broader social forces, rather than reducing resilience to …

A Critical Discourse Study Of Programmatic Literacy Curricula In Ontario: Knowledge, Power, And Discourse In An Age Of Diversity, Susan Ibdah

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The aim of this study was to produce understandings of programmatic literacy curricula in an age of cultural, linguistic, and modal diversity. Relative to this diversity, I applied van Dijk’s (2011) Critical Discourse Analysis to the case of the programmatic literacy curricula in Ontario, Canada to investigate how the discourses of these curricula positioned learners, teachers, literacy learning, and the learning environment. Ontario is an important case to study since it has been identified as a model of successful literacy education innovation (e.g., Luke, 2018) in a context that contains hyper diversity within the student population. The study drew on …

Depot Harbour: The Rise And Fall Of An Ontario Grain Port, Patrick Holland-Stergar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis considers the creation, commercial success, decline, and abandonment of Depot Harbour, a major grain port in Ontario. I argue that the rapid, early success of the port beginning in 1898 was only possible with the confluence of economic globalization of grain markets, the expansion of the grain trade and transportation routes in Canada, and ownership invested in the port’s success. The transfer of ownership to a national railroad left Depot Harbour exposed to the negative ramifications of consolidation and nationalization of the railroad system of Canada, which led to its neglect and ultimate abandonment by 1945 despite the …

Analysis Of Billings Data To Evaluate Patterns Of Mental Health Services In Primary Care And Emergency Departments By Blended Fee-For-Service And Blended Capitation Models In Ontario, Canada, Thy H. Vu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Treating mental illness in primary care improves access to care, but it is unclear how to encourage family physicians to provide adequate mental health services. One approach may be changing how they are remunerated. The objectives of this thesis were to: 1) review the literature on the association between physician remuneration and provision of mental health services, and 2) assess the impact of blended capitation, compared to blended fee-for-service (FFS), on mental health services provision in Ontario. The review found that capitation appears to be associated with fewer services compared to FFS; however, studies of ED visits for mental health …