Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice
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Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can · May 2021
Observational StudyA cross-sectional study of pain status and psychological distress among individuals living with chronic pain: the Chronic Pain & COVID-19 Pan-Canadian Study.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, including individuals with chronic pain. We examined associations between geographical variations in COVID-19 infection rates, stress and pain severity, and investigated factors associated with changes in pain status and psychological distress among individuals living with chronic pain during the pandemic. ⋯ Study results identified psychosocial factors to consider in addition to biomedical factors in monitoring patients' status and facilitating treatment access for chronic pain patients during a pandemic.
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Research has shown that during the 2003 SARS pandemic, emergency department (ED) visits among the pediatric population decreased. We set out to investigate if this was also true for injury-related ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ As was the case with SARS in 2003, COVID-19 acted as a deterrent for pediatric ED visits. The lockdown in particular had a profound impact on injury-related visits. The de-confinement period will be monitored to determine the impact in both the short and the long term.
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Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can · Sep 2020
At-a-glance - Increases in exposure calls related to selected cleaners and disinfectants at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: data from Canadian poison centres.
Little is known about the use or misuse of cleaning products during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compiled data from January to June in 2019 and 2020 from Canadian poison centres, and report on calls regarding selected cleaning products and present year-over-year percentage change. ⋯ An increase in calls occurred in conjunction with the onset of COVID-19, with the largest increase occurring in March. Timely access to Canadian poison centre data facilitated early communication of safety messaging for dissemination to the public.
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Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can · Aug 2020
Regional variation in multimorbidity prevalence in British Columbia, Canada: a cross-sectional analysis of Canadian Community Health Survey data, 2015/16.
Multimorbidity represents a major concern for population health and service delivery planners. Information about the population prevalence (absolute numbers and proportions) of multimorbidity among regional health service delivery populations is needed for planning for multimorbidity care. In Canada, health region-specific estimates of multimorbidity prevalence are not routinely presented. The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) is a potentially valuable source of data for these estimates. ⋯ Multimorbidity prevalence estimates varied across BC health regions, and were lowest in Vancouver and Richmond after controlling for multiple potential confounders. There is a need for provincial and regional multimorbidity care policy development and priority setting. In this context, the CCHS represents a valuable source of information for regional multimorbidity analyses in Canada.
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Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can · Jun 2020
Problematic substance use or problematic substance use policies?
This special issue on substance use issues comes at a critical time for Canadian health policy makers and researchers. Most attention is currently focussed on the opioid crisis and the potential impacts of cannabis legalization. However, our most widely used and harmful substances continue to be alcohol and nicotine. ⋯ More generally, a greater focus is needed on harm reduction strategies that are informed by the experience of marginalized people with severe substance use-related problems so as to not exacerbate health inequities. In order to better inform policy responses, we recommend innovative approaches to monitoring and surveillance that maximize the use of multiple data sources, such as those used in the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (CSUCH) project. Greater attention to precision in defining patterns of risky use and harms is also needed to support policies that more accurately reflect and respond to actual levels of substance use-related harm in Canadian society.