Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Community-Level Characteristics Associated With Variations In Rates Of Homelessness Among Families And Single Adults, Jamison D. Fargo, Ellen A. Munley, Thomas H. Byrne, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, Dennis P. Culhane

Dennis P. Culhane

The Influence Of The Physical Environment And Sociodemographic Characteristics On Children's Mode Of Travel To And From School, Kristian Larsen, Jason Gilliland, Peter Hess, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, Meizi He

Trish Tucker

Objectives: We examined whether certain characteristics of the social and physical environment influence a child's mode of travel between home and school. Methods: Students aged 11 to 13 years from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, answered questions from a travel behavior survey. A geographic information system linked survey responses for 614 students who lived within 1 mile of school to data on social and physical characteristics of environments around the home and school. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the influence of environmental factors on mode of travel (motorized vs "active") to and from school. Results: Over 62% of …

Adolescents' Perspectives Of Home, School And Neighborhood Environmental Influences On Physical Activity And Dietary Behaviors, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, Jason Gilliland, Meizi He

Trish Tucker

This investigation sought to gain an understanding of how youth perceive neighborhood environmental influences on their physical activity and eating behaviors. This qualitative study targeted a heterogeneous sample of 12- to 14- year-olds in London, Ontario, Canada. Using a semi-structured interview guide, we conducted nine focus groups (n = 60) and used inductive content analysis to investigate their discussions. Most participants discussed their school, parks, and opportunity structures around their homes as influencing their physical activity, and overwhelmingly reported the availability of fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, and slow-food restaurants in their neighborhoods as influencing their eating practices. The descriptive information …

The Effect Of Season And Weather On Physical Activity: A Systematic Review, Patricia Tucker, Jason Gilliland

Trish Tucker

Objectives: This study reviewed previous studies to explore the effect of season, and consequently weather, on levels of physical activity. Study design and methods: Thirty-seven primary studies (published 1980–2006) representing a total of 291 883 participants (140 482 male and 152 085 female) from eight different countries are described, and the effect of season on moderate levels of physical activity is considered. Results: Upon review of the evidence, it appears that levels of physical activity vary with seasonality, and the ensuing effect of poor or extreme weather has been identified as a barrier to participation in physical activity among various …

Environmental Influences On Physical Activity Levels In Youth, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, Jason Gilliland, Meizi He, Kristian Larsen, Paul Hess

Trish Tucker

This study assessed the amount of physical activity engaged in by youth aged 11–13, in relation to: (1) the presence of neighborhood recreational opportunities, objectively measured within a geographic information system; and (2) parents’ perceptions of recreation opportunities in their neighborhoods. Students in grade 7 and 8 (n=811) in 21 elementary schools throughout London, Ontario completed the adapted Previous Day Physical Activity Recall and a questionnaire assessing environmental influences in the home and school neighborhoods. Parents/guardians of participants also completed a questionnaire eliciting demographic information and perceptions of the neighborhood environment. On average, students engaged in 159.9 min/day of physical …

Why Are There Delays In Seeking Treatment For Childhood Diarrhoea In India?, Nisha Malhotra

Nisha Malhotra

Abstract Aim To examine the barriers and facilitating factors for seeking treatment for childhood diarrhoea and to determine the main causes for delay in seeking treatment.

Methods Data from Indian Demographic and Health survey 2005–06 (NFHS-III) was used. Mothers were asked if their children (<5-years) had suffered from diarrhoea during the two weeks preceding the survey. Data were collected on the time of seeking treatment after start of the illness, and days waited to seek treatment after the diarrhoea started. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to find the determinants of seeking treatment at the health facility and the factors responsible for the “delay” in seeking advice/treatment.

Results Out of a sample of 41,287 children, 3890 (9.4%) reportedly had diarrhoea. Sixty percent of children with diarrhoea were taken to a health facility. Mother's education till higher secondary and above (OR 1.65; 95% CI, 1.08 – 2.54), richest (OR 1.76; 95% CI, 1.24 – 2.48) wealth index, mother's lack of knowledge of oral …

Research Budget Overhaul, Chiehwen Ed Hsu

Chiehwen Ed Hsu

No abstract provided.

Gifts From The Elders: Honouring The Past For A Healthier Tomorrow, Chantelle Richmond, James Fortier

Chantelle Richmond

“Gifts from the Elders” follows five Anishinaabe youth on a summer research project with their Elders, whose stories guide them on a journey back to proceeding generations that lived a healthy lifestyle off of the land. Their stories chronicle the devastating impact that environmental and cultural dispossession had on the flow of knowledge from Elders to youth, and ultimately on the health of their people. As their summer comes to an end, the youth emerge with “gifts” of knowledge and teachings from their Elders, inspiring a renewed determination to forge a hopeful and healthy future for the next generation.