Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
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The purpose of this study was to describe bicycle helmet use among Montreal cyclists as a step towards injury prevention programming. ⋯ Although above the national average, bicycle helmet use in Montreal is still considerably low given that the majority of cyclists do not wear a helmet. Injury Prevention Programs could target the entire cyclist population, but special attention may be warranted in specific groups such as young men, visible minorities, BIXI riders, and those riding in tourist areas. Additionally, a collaborative enterprise with the bicycle sharing system BIXI Montreal™ could prove to be fruitful in addressing the availability of bike helmets for BIXI riders.
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Can J Public Health · Jun 2013
Disparities in receipt of screening tests for cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study using area-based methods.
Few have compared socio-economic disparities in screening tests for cancer with recommended tests for other chronic diseases. We examined whether receipt of testing for colorectal, cervical and breast cancer, as well as diabetes and high cholesterol, differs by neighbourhood-level socio-economic and recent immigrant status. ⋯ People living in low-income and high-immigration DAs had the lowest screening participation for all tests, although disparities were highest for cancer. An organized integrated chronic disease screening strategy leveraging the higher diabetes and high cholesterol screening participation may increase screening for cancer and other chronic diseases in never- and underscreened populations.
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Can J Public Health · May 2013
Development and implementation of an opioid overdose prevention and response program in Toronto, Ontario.
We describe the development of the first community-based opioid overdose prevention and response program with naloxone distribution offered by a public health unit in Canada (Prevent Overdose in Toronto, POINT). ⋯ We are encouraged by the initial development and implementation experience with the naloxone program and its potential to save lives in Toronto. We have planned short-, intermediate-, and long-term process and outcome evaluations.
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Can J Public Health · May 2013
Contribution and performance of mobile units in an organized mammography screening program.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the contribution of mobile mammography units to participation rate and to compare their performance to fixed screening centres within the organized mammography screening program of Quebec, Canada. ⋯ In this program, mobile mammography units allowed regions lacking a fixed centre to attain participation rates slightly higher than those in the rest of Quebec, without loss of sensitivity and with some gain in the false-positive rate.
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Major disasters pose significant threats to population health: rapid-onset crises can result in a massive loss of life, while protracted emergencies can result in both direct and indirect adverse effects to population health and livelihoods. In many cases, windows of opportunity present themselves to mitigate the effects of emergencies, but these opportunities must be seized and acted upon. ⋯ The public health community must serve as strong advocates for interventions to address worsening public health situations before they tip into crisis, and should be advocates for the reconceptualization and reform of priority setting in international development. The failure to do so quite clearly comes at the expense of some of the world's most vulnerable populations.