Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Covid-19 On The Italian And American Healthcare Systems : A Comparative Assessment, Bita Pejam, Jennifer Lam

All Reports

This report aims to examine and assess the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the healthcare systems of the United States of America and Italy; two of the most heavily affected nations. Using data from December 2019 to January 2021, several consultations, and policy reviews, we identify risks and notable areas of issue in each nations’ approach to combating the virus. We focus our report particularly on the health policies and the governmental structures in place that contributed to each nations’ initial method of alleviating the impact of COVID-19. Our report compares the two healthcare systems and proposes a …

Investing Into Domestic Manufacturing Of Critical Medication And Vaccines For The Federal Government, Sharon Low

All Reports

While the federal government has made numerous public announcements regarding their stimulus plan and promises to increase the domestic capacity to produce personal protective equipment, vaccines, and medical equipment, a critical aspect that has been neglected is the serious and ongoing shortages of critical medication. The government has promised to provide 4.28 billion to expand testing and contact tracing capacities, 7.5 billion towards PPE, and 500 million to the provinces and territories for “critical health care system needs and support for mitigation effects.” While these efforts as part of Trudeau’s Safe Restart Agreement are a good place to begin reducing …

Supports For Migrant Farmworkers: Tensions In (In)Access And (In)Action, Susana Caxaj, Amy Cohen, Sarah Marsden

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Publications

Purpose: This study examined the role of support actors in promoting or hindering access to migrant agricultural workers' (MAWs) needs, and, to determine the factors that influence adequate support for this population.
Methodology: Employing a Situational Analysis methodology, we carried out focus groups and interviews with 35 support actors complimented by a community scan (n=28) with public-facing support persons and a community consultation with migrant agricultural workers (MAWs).
Findings: Two major themes were revealed: (In)access and (In)action, and; Blurred Lines in Service Provision. The first illustrated how support actors could both reinforce or challenge barriers for this population through tensions …

Conceptualizing Youth Participation In Children’S Health Research: Insights From A Youth-Driven Process For Developing A Youth Advisory Council, Mohammad El-Bagdady, Krishna Arunkumar, Drew Bowman, Stephanie Coen, Christina Ergler, Jason Gilliland, Ahad Mahmood, Suraj Paul

Geography & Environment Publications

Given the power asymmetries between adults and young people, youth involvement in research is often at risk of tokenism. While many disciplines have seen a shift from conducting research on youth to conducting research with and for youth, engaging children and teens in research remains fraught with conceptual, methodological, and practical challenges. Arnstein’s foundational Ladder of Participation has been adapted in novel ways in youth research, but in this paper, we present a new rendering: a ‘rope ladder.’ This concept came out of our youth-driven planning process to develop a Youth Advisory Council for the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, an …

Assessment Of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (Aitcs): Further Testing And Instrument Revision., Carole Orchard, Linda L Pederson, Emily Read, Cornelia Mahler, Heather Laschinger

Nursing Publications

INTRODUCTION: The need to be able to assess collaborative practice in health care teams has been recognized in response to the direction for team-based care in a number of policy documents. The purpose of this study is to report on further refinement of such a measurement instrument, the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS) first published in 2012. To support this refinement, two objectives were set: Objective 1: to determine whether the items from the data collected in 2016 load on the same factors as found for the 2012 version of the 37-item AITCS. Objective 2: to determine whether …

Medical Sciences 4300: London-Middlesex Suicide Prevention Council, Harshith Bhaskar, Adnan Husein, Ramin Javaheri-Poya, Sabrina Jetly, Christopher Nguyen, Serena Tejpar

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

Suicide is an issue that affects people of all backgrounds, and takes the lives of many individuals every year. The London-Middlesex Suicide Prevention Council (LMSPC), an organization established in 1990, seeks to provide suicide prevention training to members of the community. They seek to engage community members in prevention and intervention by recognizing warning signs that may exist among the London-Middlesex region. The three main programs that strive to deliver these skills are ASIST, ASK, and safeTALK, each with a slightly different focus. LMSPC’s current goal is to increase access to these services through external grants and potential partnerships. Our …

Staying Current In Your Field Of Interest: Tips For Aspiring Students As Researchers, Dor D. Abelman

Health Studies Publications

Undergraduate students are becoming increasingly involved in research. They already posses the skills required to make meaningful contributions to their field of interest. Some important components of their success relates to a student's ability to stay up to date in the research of their field, and to learn practical skills pertaining to the publishing process. This article hopes to help with this through presenting easy-to-follow summary tables and short paragraphs on tips for success. Topics include staying up to date in a practical way, getting involved, reaching out for help, and publication. For students, by students, this report is relatable …

Health Literacy Promotion: Contemporary Conceptualizations And Current Implementations In Canadian Health Librarianship, Nicole K. Dalmer

FIMS Publications

Research questions: What are the current conceptualizations of health literacy, and what strategies are Canadian health librarians in public, academic, and hospital libraries enacting to put health literacy promotion into practice? Data sources: Serving as the basis of this scoping review, library and information science, health sciences, and interdisciplinary databases were searched using key terms relating to health literacy promotion as it relates to services, programming, or resources used in a variety of library settings. A web searched allowed for the inclusion of grey literature sources. Study selection: Data sources were searched using a combination of subject headings …

Area-Based Differentials In Childhood Cancer Incidence In Australia, 1996–2006, Danny R. Youlden, Peter D. Baade, Patricia C. Valery, Timothy E. Hassall, Leisa J. Ward, Adele C. Green, Joanne F. Aitken

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Background. International studies examining the association between the incidence of childhood cancer and characteristics of the area in which the patient lives have generally reported inconsistent patterns. Area-based differentials in childhood cancer throughout Australia have not been previously published at a national level. Procedure. Population-based information from the Australian Paediatric Cancer Registry was used to identify all children aged 0- to 14-years old diagnosed with invasive cancer or intracranial and intraspinal tumors of benign or uncertain behavior between 1996 and 2006. Age-standardized incidence rates per million children per year and the corresponding incidence rate ratios were calculated, categorized by remoteness …

Growing Up Our Way : The First Year Of Life In Remote Aboriginal Australia, Sue Kruske, Suzanne Belton, Molly Wardaguga, Conceptual Narjic

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

In this study, we attempted to explore the experiences and beliefs of Aboriginal families as they cared for their children in the first year of life. We collected family stories concerning child rearing, development, behavior, health, and wellbeing between each infant’s birth and first birthday. We found significant differences in parenting behaviors and childrearing practices between Aboriginal groups and mainstream Australians. Aboriginal parents perceived their children to be autonomous individuals with responsibilities toward a large family group. The children were active agents in determining their own needs, highly prized, and included in all aspects of community life. Concurrent with poverty, …

Do Indigenous Australians Age Prematurely? The Implications Of Life Expectancy And Health Conditions Of Older Indigenous People For Health And Aged Care Policy, Philippa R. Cotter, John R. Condon, Tony Barnes, Ian P.S. Anderson, Leonard R. Smith, Teresa Cunningham

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective. To assess whether Indigenous Australians age prematurely compared with other Australians, as implied by Australian Government aged care policy, which uses age 50 years and over for population-based planning for Indigenous people compared with 70 years for non-indigenous people.

Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of aged care assessment, hospital and health survey data comparing Indigenous and non-indigenous age-specific prevalence of health conditions. Analysis of life tables for Indigenous and non-indigenous populations comparing life expectancy at different ages.

Results. At age 63 for women and age 65 for men, Indigenous people had the same life expectancy as non-indigenous people at age 70. …

Management Of Type 2 Diabetes, Susan Harch, David Reeve, Carole Reeve

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: This article describes the evaluation of a new model of partnership care using an audit cycle.

Results: Statistically significant improvements in foot examination, body mass index, urine albumin creatinine ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides and visual acuity measurements were observed. Significant increases in the proportion of patients achieving cholesterol and triglycerides therapeutic targets occurred. Most other outcome indicators demonstrated a nonsignificant improvement, which may be due to the short time interval in the audit for potential change.

Conclusion: A dedicated chronic disease team and a clinical information system to coordinate culturally appropriate, multidisciplinary chronic disease care enables effective management of …

Using First Nations Children's Perceptions Of Food And Activity To Inform An Obesity Prevention Strategy, Ashlee-Ann E. Pigford, Noreen D. Willows, Nicholas L. Holt, Amanda S. Newton, Geoff D.C. Ball

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Counting The Cost: Estimating The Number Of Deaths Among Recently Released Prisoners In Australia, Stuart A. Kinner, David B. Preen, Azar Kariminia, Tony Butler, Jessica Y. Andrews, Mark Stoové, Matthew Law

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To estimate the number of deaths among people released from prison in Australia in the 2007–08 financial year, within 4 weeks and 1 year of release. Design, participants and setting: Application of crude mortality rates for ex-prisoners (obtained from two independent, state-based record-linkage studies [New South Wales and Western Australia]) to a national estimate of the number and characteristics of people released from prison in 2007–08. Main outcome measures: Estimated number of deaths among adults released from Australian prisons in 2007–08, within 4 weeks and 1 year of release, classified by age, sex, Indigenous status and cause of death. …

Health Conditions And Health-Policy Innovations In Brazil: The Way Forward, Cesar G. Victoria, Mauricio L. Barreto, Maria Do Carmo, Carlos A. Monteiro, Maria Ines Schmidt, Jairnilson Paim, Francisco I. Bastos, Celia Almeida, Ligia Bahia, Claudia Travassos, Michael Reichenheim, Fernando C. Barros

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Using The Commons To Facilitate Health Communication, Anna Liebzeit, Karen Adams, Mat Jakobi

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

The Determinants Of First Nation And Inuit Health: A Critical Population Health Approach, Chantelle A.M. Richmond, Nancy A. Ross

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Environmental dispossession disproportionately affects the health of Canada’s Aboriginal population, yet little is known about how its effects are sustained over time. We use a critical population health approach to explore the determinants of health in rural and remote First Nation and Inuit communities, and to conceptualize the pathways by which environmental dispossession affects these health determinants. We draw from narrative analysis of interviews with 26 Community Health Representa- tives (CHRs) from First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada. CHRs identified six health determinants: balance, life control, education, material resources, social resources, and environmental/ cultural connections. CHRs articulated the role …

Physical Activity Levels Of Older Community-Dwelling Adults Are Influenced By Summer Weather Variables, Caitlin A. Brandon, Dawn P. Gill, Mark Speechley, Jason Gilliland, Gareth R. Jones

Geography & Environment Publications

Adequate daily physical activity (PA) is important for maintaining functional capacity and independence in older adults. However, most older adults in Canada do not engage in enough PA to sustain fitness and functional independence. Environmental influences, such as warmer daytime temperatures, may influence PA participation; however, few studies have examined the effect of summertime temperatures on PA levels in older adults. This investigation measured the influence of summertime weather variables on PA in 48 community-dwelling older adults who were randomly recruited from a local seniors’ community centre. Each participant wore an accelerometer for a single 7-consecutive-day period (between 30 May …

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

Geography & Environment Publications

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 …

Cultural Icons And Marketing Of Gambling, L. Dyall, S. Tse, A. Kingi

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

A number of different countries and states have or are in the process of developing formal or informal guidelines to govern gambling advertising and marketing of gambling. There is a growing consensus that gambling advertising should not mislead the public, be fair, provide information on the odds of wining and there should be provisions in place to protect vulnerable groups, such as, children. In the development of these guidelines by different countries or states there has been no real consideration of the need to engage with different indigenous and ethnic populations to ensure that they are protected as vulnerable populations. …

Learning From The Grandmothers: Incorporating Indigenous Principles Into Qualitative Research, Charlotte Loppie

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

In this article, the author describes the process she undertook to incorporate Indigenous principles into her doctoral research about the midlife health experiences of elder Aboriginal women in Nova Scotia, Canada. By employing qual- itative methods within the context of an Indigenous worldview, she gained knowledge of and developed competence in Aboriginal health research. The emergent partnership among Aboriginal community research facilitators, participating Mi’kmaq women, and the researcher provided many opportunities for the researcher to incorporate the paradigmatic and methodological traditions of Western science and Indigenous cultures. The application of these principles to this study might provide a useful example …

Social Support And Thriving Health: A New Approach To Understanding The Health Of Indigenous Canadians, Chantelle A.M. Richmond, Nancy A. Ross, Grace E. Egeland

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objectives. We examined the importance of social support in promoting thriv- ing health among indigenous Canadians, a disadvantaged population.

Methods. We categorized the self-reported health status of 31 625 adult indig- enous Canadians as thriving (excellent, very good) or nonthriving (good, fair, poor). We measured social support with indices of positive interaction, emotional support, tangible support, and affection and intimacy. We used multivariable lo- gistic regression analyses to estimate odds of reporting thriving health, using social support as the key independent variable, and we controlled for educational attainment and labor force status.

Results. Compared with women reporting low levels of …

Environmental Equity Is Child's Play: Mapping Public Provision Of Recreation Opportunities In Urban Neighbourhoods, Jason Gilliland, Martin Holmes, Jennifer D. Irwin, Patricia Tucker

Geography & Environment Publications

This paper examines the spatial distribution of recreational opportunities for children and youth in a mid-sized Canadian city (London, Ontario), in relation to the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods and estimated local need for publicly provided recreation spaces. Public recreation facilities (N = 537) throughout the city were identified, mapped and analysed in a geographic information system. To explore potential socio-environmental inequities, neighbourhoods (N = 22) were characterized by socioeconomic and environmental variables, an index of neighbourhood social distress, a neighbourhood play space needs index, and measures of the prevalence and density of recreational opportunities. The results of the …

Characteristics Of Aboriginal Injecting Drug Users In Sydney, Australia: Prison History, Hepatitis C Status And Drug Treatment Experiences, Carolyn Day, Joanne Ross, Kate Dolan

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Australian Aboriginals are overrepresented in prisons and tend to be overrepresented in studies of injecting drug users (IDU). The aim of this study was to examine differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal IDUs in terms of gender, prison history and hepatitis C status and testing. Secondary analyses were conducted on data from three cross-sectional studies of IDUs. These studies employed similar methodologies, with recruitment being through needle and syringe programs, methadone clinics, snowballing and street intercepts. All studies were coordinated through the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Aboriginal people were overrepresented in all studies, were more likely to have been …

Assault-Related Admissions To Hospital In Central Australia, Ged F. Williams, Wendy P. Chaboyer, Philip J. Schluter

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To determine the number of assault-related admissions to hospital in the Central Australia region of the Northern Territory over a six-year period. Design and setting: Retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to Alice Springs Hospital (ASH) and Tennant Creek Hospital (TCH) from July 1995 to June 2001, where the primary cause of injury was “assault”. Main outcome measures: Frequency of assault-related admission to hospital; demographic characteristics of the victims. Results: In the six years, there were 2449 assault-related admissions to ASH and 545 to TCH. Adults aged 25–34 years were most frequently hospitalised for assault, in a proportion greater …

Globalization, Diet, And Health: An Example From Tonga, Mike Evans, Robert C. Sinclair, Caroline Fusimalohi, Viliami Liava’A

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The increased flow of goods, people, and ideas associated with globalization have contributed to an

increase in noncommunicable diseases in much of the world. One response has been to encourage lifestyle changes with educational programmes, thus controlling the lifestyle-related disease. Key assumptions with this approach are that people’s food preferences are linked to their consumption patterns, and that consumption patterns can be transformed through educational initiatives. To investigate these assumptions, and policies that derive from it, we undertook a broad-based survey of food-related issues in the Kingdom of Tonga using a questionnaire. Data on the relationships between food preferences, perception …