Public Health Commons^™

Health Concerns Of Adolescents And Adults With Spina Bifida, Jessica A. Starowicz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Transitional and Lifelong Care (TLC) program is a multidisciplinary clinical service providing comprehensive, coordinated care to adolescents and adults with spina bifida (SB). This study sought to identify the most common health concerns among this population at initial consultation and identify patient factors related to these concerns to ultimately improve health care delivery. A retrospective chart review was performed. Descriptive analyses were completed and associations between concerns and patient factors were determined using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients. A multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the relationship between patient factors and total number of concerns reported. Ninety-four patient charts …

Incidence Of Cancer And Stage At Diagnosis Among People With Recent-Onset Psychotic Disorders, Jared C. Wootten

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Evidence on cancer incidence in people with psychotic disorders, compared to the general population, is equivocal, although those with psychotic disorders so have more advanced stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis. The objective of this thesis was to compare cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis for people with psychotic disorders, relative to the general population. Our systematic review did not observe a significant difference in overall cancer incidence among people diagnosed with psychotic disorders (RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.16), however people with psychotic disorders were more likely to be present with advanced stage cancer at …

Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs And Gait Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results From The Gait And Brain Study, Abdelhady Osman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Medication use and gait impairment are two of the most important risk factors for falls. Several drug classes have been classified as fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). Gait is an important marker of overall health and independence in older adults. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between FRIDs and gait performance in older adults through two studies. Firstly, our systematic review of twenty studies on the association between FRIDs and gait performance found that the use of drugs with sedative properties is associated with reduced gait speed. Secondly, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from …

Interplay Between Shift Work, Psychological Distress, Sleep Quality, And Cognitive Performance, Rea Therese Alonzo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Shift work schedules are designed to maintain a continuous operation of goods and services. However, engaging in shift work may impact cognitive functioning. This thesis assessed the relationship between shift work and cognitive performance. Using cross-sectional data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, multiple linear regression models were used to investigate the association between shift work and cognitive performance, as well as the moderating effects of psychological distress and sleep quality. Differences by sex and retirement status were also investigated. Shift work was significantly associated with poor performance for executive functioning but not for declarative memory. Poorer cognitive performance …

Association Between Air Pollution And Incidence Of Dementia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Cohort Studies, Ehsan Abolhasani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objective. To estimate the risk of dementia in association with exposure to air pollutants.

Methods. Six databases were searched. Cohort studies that reported the hazard ratio (HR) of dementia in association with exposure to air pollutants in adults > 40y were included. For all meta-analyses, the random-effects model was used.

Results. A total of 16 and 13 studies were included in the systematic review and the meta-analysis, respectively. Risk of dementia increased by 4% per 1μg/m³ increase in fine particulate matter level (HR, 1.04; 95%CI, [1.02, 1.06]), which was statistically significant. The risk of dementia increased by 3% per 10μg/m …