MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Chronic Diseases in Canada' source. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:35:50 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3122427&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20031083%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Slater J, Green C, Sevenhuysen G, O'Neil J, Edginton B Using the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey, this study examined how overweight and obesity in Canadian adults are distributed across socio-demographic and geographic groupings. Overweight and obesity prevalence were modeled against socio-demographic indicators using Poisson regression and were assessed geographically using choropleth maps. The Gini coefficient was used to assess the distribution of prevalence across risk groups. The potential impacts of high risk versus population-based prevention approaches on the population prevalence of obesity were also examined. Of adults aged 25 to 64 years, 17% were obese and 53% were overweight or obese, with the highest proportions observed in older age groups, among those wh... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3122427 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:22:02 +0100 3122427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3122426&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20031084%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brenner DR, Tammemägi MC, Bull SB, Pinnaduwaje D, Andrulis IL Data from the Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR) were compared with data from a multi-centred prospective cohort of 1655 node-negative breast cancer patients with intensive clinical follow-up. Agreement in cause of death was evaluated using kappa statistics. The accuracy of OCR classification was evaluated against the Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH) study oncologist's interpretation of intensely followed, cohort-collected data as the reference standard. The two sources showed a high level of agreement (kappa statistic [k] = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86, 0.90) in vital status and cause of death. Among those cases where both sources reported a death, the OCR had a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI: 90.5, 98.8) and a s... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3122426 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:22:02 +0100 3122426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3122425&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20031085%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the geographic variability of information generated from different case definitions of childhood asthma derived from administrative health data used in Alberta, Canada. Our objective was to determine if analyses based on different case ascertainment algorithms identify geographic clusters in the same region of the study area. Our study group was based on a closed cohort of asthmatic children born in 1988. We used a spatial scan statistic to identify variations in the approximate location of geographic clusters of asthma based on different case definitions. Our results indicate that the geographic patterns are not greatly affected by the case ascertainment algorithm or the source of data. For example, asthmatics identified from medical claims data showed similar clustering to as... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3122425 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:22:02 +0100 3122425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3122424&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20031086%26dopt%3DAbstract This study used data collected in the Canadian Community Health Survey, cycle 3.1 (2005) to examine this relationship in adults 20 to 64 years old. Obesity was significantly associated with mood disorders, but not with anxiety disorders. When adjusting for sex, place of birth, smoking, and functional limitations, all of which were significantly associated with obesity, the odds of obesity remained significantly higher in persons with mood disorders (with or without anxiety disorders). It is still unclear whether the relationship between obesity and depression is causal, and if so, whether obesity causes depression or depression causes obesity. Implications for health care providers and suggestions for future research are discussed. PMID: 20031086 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Chronic ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3122424 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:22:02 +0100 3122424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2869836&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19804678%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cree M, Lalji M, Jiang B, Carriere KC, Beach J, Kamruzzaman A Although mesothelioma rates have been rising worldwide, little is known about mesothelioma trends in Alberta. This population-based descriptive study used Alberta Cancer Board Registry data from 1980 to 2004 to develop an age-period-cohort model of male pleural mesothelioma incidence rates over time. Both age and cohort effects are associated with incidence rates. The highest-risk cohort comprised men born between 1930 and 1939, reflecting widespread asbestos use and exposure beginning in the 1940s in Canada. We predict that 1393 Albertan men 40 years and older will die of pleural mesothelioma between 1980 and 2024; 783 (56.2%) of these deaths will occur between 2010 and 2024. The total number of mesothelioma deaths... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2869836 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:03 +0100 2869836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2869835&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19804679%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Geneau R, Legowski B, Stachenko S Chronic Diseases (CDs) are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. CD experts have long promoted the use of integrated and intersectoral approaches to strengthen CD prevention efforts. This qualitative case study examined the perceived benefits and challenges associated with implementing an intersectoral network dedicated to CD prevention. Through interviewing key members of the Alberta Healthy Living Network (AHLN, or the Network), two overarching themes emerged from the data. The first relates to contrasting views on the role of the AHLN in relation to its actions and outcomes, especially concerning policy advocacy. The second focuses on the benefits and contributions of the AHLN and the challenge of demonstrating non-quantifia... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2869835 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:03 +0100 2869835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2869834&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19804680%26dopt%3DAbstract This study describes the experience of 19 chronic-pain sufferers who seek relief via the health care system. Their experiences were recorded through in-depth semistructured interviews and analyzed through qualitative methods. The participants reported early optimism, then disillusionment, and finally acceptance of living with chronic pain. Both individuals with chronic pain and their health care professionals need evidence-informed resources and information on best practices to assist them to manage pain. Empathetic communication between health care professionals and individuals with chronic pain is crucial because insensitive communication negatively affects the individual, reduces treatment compliance and increases health care utilization. PMID: 19804680 [PubMed - in process] (Source... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2869834 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:03 +0100 2869834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2869833&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19804681%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Murnaghan DA, Leatherdale ST, Sihvonen M, Kekki P The study examined the association of a school-based tobacco-control program with students' smoking behaviour over time using three cross-sectional, provincial census datasets (grade 10 students in 1999, grade 11 students in 2000, grade 12 students in 2001). Data were collected from all secondary schools in Prince Edward Island (Canada) using the Tobacco module of the School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES). The proportion of regular smokers increased from grade 10 (22.3%) to grade 12 (27.8%, chi(2) = 10.35, df = 1, p < 0.001). Being exposed to different school-based tobacco programs and policies in grades 10 and 11 was not associated with the smoking behaviour of grade 12 students. The strongest predic... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2869833 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:03 +0100 2869833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2869832&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19804682%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pampalon R, Hamel D, Gamache P, Raymond G Administrative databases in the Canadian health sector do not contain socio-economic information. To facilitate the monitoring of social inequalities for health planning, this study proposes a material and social deprivation index for Canada. After explaining the concept of deprivation, we describe the methodological aspects of the index and apply it to the example of premature mortality (i.e. death before the age of 75). We illustrate variations in deprivation and the links between deprivation and mortality nationwide and in different geographic areas including the census metropolitan areas (CMAs) of Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver; other CMAs; average-size cities, referred to as census agglomerations (CAs); small towns and rural... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2869832 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:03 +0100 2869832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734798&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19697479%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stein E, MacQuarrie M PMID: 19697479 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734798 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:10:03 +0100 2734798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2723421&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19694099%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Butler-Jones D PMID: 19694099 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2723421 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:02:03 +0100 2723421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2723420&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19694100%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Infante-Rivard C PMID: 19694100 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2723420 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:02:03 +0100 2723420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2543916&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19527567%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Joseph KS, Fahey J We compared perinatal information submitted to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) hospitalization database with information submitted to the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database (NSAPD) in order to assess the accuracy of the CIHI data. Procedures such as Caesarean delivery were coded accurately (i.e. sensitivity of 99.8%; specificity of 98.7%). Postpartum hemorrhage, induction of labour and severe intraventricular hemorrhage also had sensitivity and specificity rates above 85% and 95%, respectively. Some diagnoses, defined differently in the two databases, were less accurately coded, e.g. respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) had a sensitivity of 50.9% and a specificity of 99.8%. Restriction to more severe forms of the disease improved accura... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2543916 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:52:03 +0100 2543916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2543915&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19527568%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of administrative health databases for autism diagnoses. Three administrative health databases from the province of Nova Scotia were used to identify diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders (ASD): the Hospital Discharge Abstract Database, the Medical Services Insurance Physician Billings Database and the Mental Health Outpatient Information System database. Seven algorithms were derived from combinations of requirements for single or multiple ASD claims from one or more of the three administrative databases. Diagnoses made by the Autism Team of the IWK Health Centre, using state-of-the-art autism diagnostic schedules, were compared with each algorithm, and the sensitivity, specificity and C-statistic (i.e. a measure of the discrimination abili... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2543915 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:52:03 +0100 2543915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2543914&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19527569%26dopt%3DAbstract This study provided additional evidence that, while physical function could be severely and negatively affected by both chronic disease and advanced age, mental health remained relatively high and stable. PMID: 19527569 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2543914 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:52:03 +0100 2543914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2543913&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19527570%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Karunanayake CP, Pahwa P The senior population is growing rapidly in Canada. Consequently, there will be an increased demand for health care services for seniors who have mental illness. Seniors are more likely to live in rural areas than younger people; therefore, it is important to identify the differences between rural and urban seniors in order to design and deliver mental health services. The main objective of this paper was to use the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) to examine the differences with regard to mental distress between rural and urban seniors (i.e. 55 years and older). The other objectives were to investigate the long-term association between smoking and mental health and the long-term association between unmet health care needs and the mental health... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2543913 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:52:03 +0100 2543913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2543912&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19527571%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ouedraogo E, Turcotte F, Ashley MJ, Brewster JM, Ferrence R The home represents an important source of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke for non-smokers, including children, who live with smokers. Our goal is to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with the adoption of smoking bans in "smoker households" in Quebec. Selected associations are compared with three other Canadian provinces (Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia). This is a cross-sectional study involving 2648 respondents. Logistic regression analysis is employed. Few smoker households in Quebec (21%) have a ban on smoking; the presence of a non-smoker is strongly linked to the existence of such a ban; the presence of a child under the age of 6 is less strongly associated with the adoption of a... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2543912 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:52:03 +0100 2543912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272412&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19281690%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: To T, Dell S, Tassoudji M, Wang C Data collected from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) in 1994/95 and 1996/97 were used to measure longitudinal health outcomes among children with asthma. Over 10 000 children aged 1 to 11 years with complete data on asthma status in both years were included. Outcomes included hospitalizations and health services use (HSU). Current asthma was defined as children diagnosed with asthma by a physician and who took prescribed inhalants regularly, had wheezing or an attack in the previous year, or had their activities limited by asthma. Children having asthma significantly increased their odds of hospitalization (OR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.71, 3.70) and health services use (OR = 3.80; 95% CI: 2.69, 5.37). Low-income ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272412 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:07:22 +0100 2272412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272409&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19281691%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examines the links between the material and social dimensions of deprivation and injury hospitalizations in children aged 14 years or under from 2000 to 2004. Hospitalization data are from the Quebec hospital administrative data system, whereas socio-economic characteristics of individuals were estimated based on the smallest geographic areas for which Canadian census data were disseminated. The Poisson regression model was used to calculate the relative risks of hospitalization for seven categories of unintentional injury. A total of 24 540 injury hospitalizations were examined. Hospitalization in children is associated with both dimensions of deprivation. Injuries to pedestrians and motor vehicle occupants and injuries related to burns and poisonings are clearly associated wit... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272409 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:07:22 +0100 2272409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272405&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19281692%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mitton C, Macnab YC, Smith N, Foster L Provincial and regional decision makers in the injury prevention field were interviewed in British Columbia (B.C.) to obtain their views about best processes for the transfer or dissemination of relevant data. These decision makers (n = 13) indicated that data should provide them with a holistic and comprehensive picture to support their decision processes. In addition, they felt information about injury types and rates should be linked backward to determinants or causes and forward to consequences or outcomes. This complete chain of data is needed for planning and evaluating health promotion interventions. It was also felt that data providers needed to devote more effort to fostering effective receptor capacity, so that injury prevention... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272405 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:07:22 +0100 2272405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272402&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19281693%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Verhoef MJ, Trojan L, Armitage GD, Carlson L, Hilsden RJ Many cancer patients seek complementary therapies (CTs) for cancer management; however, relatively little is known about patients' CT information seeking behaviour. Therefore, we assessed: 1) cancer patients' use of the types and sources of CT information; 2) their information preferences; and 3) their understanding of the phrase "scientific evidence or proof that a therapy works." We collected data from 404 patients attending the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) in Calgary and 303 patients calling the Cancer Information Service (CIS) helpline. In most cases, patients wanted information on the safety of CTs, how CTs work and their potential side effects. Physicians and conventional cancer centres were the most desired sour... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272402 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:07:22 +0100 2272402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1997517&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19036218%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Donelle L, Arocha JF, Hoffman-Goetz L In this age of chronic disease and shared decision making, individuals are encouraged to contribute to decisions about health care. Health literacy, including numeracy, is requisite to meaningful participation and has been accepted as a determinant of health. The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of literacy, consisting of prose and numeracy skill, math anxiety, attained education and context of information on participant ability to comprehend Internet-based colorectal cancer prevention information. Prose, numeracy, and math-anxiety data, as well as demographic details, were collected for 140 Canadian adults, aged 50 + years. Participants had adequate prose literacy (STOFHLA) scores, high STOFHLA numeracy scores, moderate... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1997517 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:00:18 +0100 1997517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1997516&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19036219%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sewitch MJ, Fournier C, Ciampi A, Dyachenko A Canadian guidelines recommend colorectal-cancer (CRC) screening for individuals aged 50 to 74 years. The study objective was to estimate rates of CRC screening according to individual and geographical characteristics, and of adherence to current CRC screening guidelines. Respondents to the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.1 (aged >/= 50 years, without past or present CRC) participated. Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and endoscopy utilization and screening rates were calculated. The sample included 16 747 residents of Newfoundland, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Overall, the FOBT screening rate was 7.7% in the past year, and the endoscopy screening rate was 8.8% in the past 5 years. FOBT screening rates ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1997516 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:00:18 +0100 1997516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1997515&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19036220%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated the use of population-based administrative databases for stroke surveillance. First, a meta-analysis was conducted of four studies, identified via a PubMed search, which estimated the sensitivity and specificity of hospital data for ascertaining cases of stroke when clinical registries or medical charts were the gold standard. Subsequently, case-ascertainment algorithms based on hospital, physician and prescription drug records were developed and applied to Manitoba's administrative data, and prevalence estimates were obtained for fiscal years 1995/96 to 2003/04 by age group, sex, region of residence and income quintile. The meta-analysis results revealed some over-ascertainment of stroke cases from hospital data when the algorithm was based on diagnosis codes for a... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1997515 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:00:18 +0100 1997515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1997514&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19036221%26dopt%3DAbstract This study estimated agreement between population-based administrative and survey data for ascertaining cases of arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke. Chronic disease case definitions that varied by data source, number of years and number of diagnosis or prescription drug codes were constructed from Manitoba's administrative data. These data were linked to the Canadian Community Health Survey. Agreement between the two data sources, estimated by the kappa coefficient, was calculated for each case definition, and differences were tested. Socio-demographic and comorbidity variables associated with agreement were tested using weighted logistic regression. Agreement was strongest for diabetes and hypertension and lowest for arthritis. The case definition elements... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1997514 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:00:18 +0100 1997514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799772&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12959674%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Johnston GM, Boyd CJ, MacIsaac MA, Rhodes JW, Grimshaw RN Nova Scotia, and especially Cape Breton, has high cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates. Letters were sent to 15,691 unscreened and 6,995 under-screened women from Cape Breton Island encouraging them to obtain a Pap test. Controls were 61,510 unscreened women and 32,996 under- screened women in mainland Nova Scotia who were not sent letters. For this cohort study, the provincial Health Card Number database and Provincial Cytology Registry were linked. Having a Pap smear was associated with having received a letter (OR = 1.64), having been previously under-screened rather than unscreened (OR = 1.85), with youth and with higher income (OR = 1.13). After receiving a letter, women in Aboriginal, Mixed Black, Acadian... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799772 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799771&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12959675%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Martinez J, Pampalon R, Hamel D Cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) constitute an important cause of disability and death in Quebec. Among the primary CVA risk factors, certain socioeconomic characteristics of individuals and living environments appear to play a central role. The purpose of this article is to examine the links between material/social forms of deprivation and CVA mortality in a group of 4,339 individuals aged 25 to 74 years who died between 1994 and 1998. The socioeconomic profile of these persons was estimated on the basis of the enumeration area in which they resided. The Poisson regression technique was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of mortality by deprivation level. Our results show the presence of a mortality gradient for both material and social fo... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799771 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799770&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12959676%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nathoo T, Shoveller J Developing indicators to measure the different facets of food security presents numerous conceptual and methodological challenges. This paper adopts an ecological framework to reflect on these issues through an examination of the Healthy Food Basket (HFB) tool. The HFB tool is used to measure food security conditions by determining the cost and availability of a group of foods in a shopping basket across a range of stores in different regions and neighbourhoods. The paper discusses the ability of the HFB tool to describe micro-, meso- and macro-level influences on food security and the use of the ecological model in developing complementary and alternative strategies for understanding and monitoring food security. PMID: 12959676 [PubMed - indexed for ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799770 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799769&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12959677%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Monahan A, Stewart DE The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of scientists and lay people participating in National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) grant review panels towards the inclusion of non-scientists in the review process. Questionnaires were sent to the 126 scientists and 24 lay panelists who participated in NCIC's grant reviews in 1998. Survey topics included lay member selection, the role of the lay panelist and suggestions for improving the process. Data were analyzed qualitatively, and quantitatively using SPSS. Sixty-one of the 126 scientists (48.4%) and 16 of the 24 lay panelists (66.7%) completed the survey. Female scientists were significantly more supportive than male scientists of the selection of cancer patients/survivors/advocates as ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799769 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799768&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12959678%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Page SA, Verhoef MJ, Stebbins RA, Metz LM, Levy JC Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to therapeutic approaches not considered part of conventional medicine. A survey was mailed to sample of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The response rate was 440/673 (65%). Mean sample age was 48 years; 75% were female. Respondents ranged from mildly to severely impaired. Seventy percent used CAM primarily to improve health and manage the symptoms of MS. Most consumers reported positive effects. Lack of knowledge was the most common reason given for not using CAM. Patient education, physician-patient dialogue, and continued research and regulation of CAM are important to the well being of CAM consumers. PMID: 12959678 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chroni... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799768 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799749&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15841850%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Waller BJ, Cohen JE, Ashley MJ The attitudes of Ontario youth toward the sale and price of cigarettes, making smoking against the law, and tobacco company truthfulness were assessed in 2001 and compared to adult attitudes in 2000 and youth attitudes in 2003. Youth were more supportive of restricting cigarette sales and raising prices than adults, and more likely to agree that the government should make smoking against the law, but they were less distrustful of tobacco companies. In 2003, youth were more supportive of sales restrictions and making smoking illegal, and more distrustful of tobacco companies, than in 2001. More comprehensive assessments and continued monitoring of youth attitudes are needed. PMID: 15841850 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseas... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799749 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799748&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15841851%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Veugelers PJ, Yip AM, Burge F Delivery of health services is an important determinant of health. Restricted availability and access may result in health inequalities. To determine the extent of geographic variation in the delivery of health services and its effect on the health of community residents in terms of under-diagnosis and under-treatment of hypertension, we carried out a multilevel study of participants in the 1995 Nova Scotia Heart Health Survey (n = 3,094). We used individual level survey data and health status measurements linked to geographical level information to examine the importance of adequate delivery of health services to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in the universal health care setting of the province of Nova Scotia. The delivery of primar... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799748 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799747&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15841852%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this paper are to describe the design and methodology of the multi-centre, retrospective cohort study, present clinical characteristics of the survivor population, and evaluate the representativeness of study controls. Response rates were 63% for surivors (n = 2,152) and 49% for controls (n = 2,432). Survivors with germ cell turmours and carcinomas were slightly under-represented among participants as were those who received more intense or multiple series of therapy. Study controls were similar to Census individuals based on marital and work status but did have a slightly higher level of education and income. Otherwise, no large or systematic differences were found. Thus, these long-term survivors and population controls can be validly studied to evaluate whether and to ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799747 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799746&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15841853%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Smith PM, Mustard CA, Payne JI This paper presents a methodology for estimating the size and composition of the Ontario labour force eligible for coverage under the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Act (WSIA). Using customized tabulations from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey (LFS), we made adjustments for self-employment, unemployment, part-time employment and employment in specific industrial sectors excluded from insurance coverage under the WSIA. Each adjustment to the LFS reduced the estimates of the insured labour force relative to the total Ontario labour force. These estimates were then developed for major occupational and industrial groups stratified by gender. Additional estimates created to test assumptions used in the methodology produced similar res... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799746 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799745&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15841854%26dopt%3DAbstract This study has shown that an epidemiologically-based needs assessment could be a useful basis for the planning of health services. PMID: 15841854 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799745 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799744&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15841855%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bajdik CD, Fang R, Band PR, Le N, Gallagher RP Our objective was to determine work-related pre-menopausal breast cancer risks that depend on a woman's family history of the disease. In a large case-control study, 318 women with breast cancer and 340 healthy women completed a mailed questionnaire. All of the women were pre-menopausal and controls were matched to cases by age. All risk estimates were adjusted for women's smoking history and whether they reported a prior breast biopsy. There was an odds ratio (OR) of 6.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.5-31.9) for breast cancer among pre-menopausal women with no family history if they ever worked in material processing occupations. Among women with a family history of breast cancer, there was an OR of 6.4 (0.7-55.9) if they ever work... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799744 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799743&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15844250%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chambers LW, Hendriks A, Hall HL, Raina P, McDowell I, In December 2002, a national workshop was held in Ottawa to guide research directions for the caregiving of people with Alzheimer's disease in Canada. Prior to the workshop, a search was conducted to identify Canadian-based investigators who have conducted research related to caregiving of individuals with cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease and other dementia, identify relevant Canadian research studies, and provide an overview of results and themes emerging from this research. This paper summarizes findings from our search for Canadian studies, research themes identified at the national workshop in Ottawa, and recommendations from the workshop. The report first outlines patterns of caregiving and subsequently focu... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799743 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799736&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16251009%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this study was to examine the hypothesis that a Mediterranean-type dietary pattern (M) is associated with healthy body weights in a large suburban municipality in Ontario. A random cross-sectional sample of 759 adults, 18 to 65 years of age, participated in a telephone survey, which included questions on the frequency of consumption of 60 food categories. Principal components analysis showed that food categories aggregated into six low-order dietary factors and two high-order dietary patterns. The M pattern reflected higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, olive oil and garlic, and fish and shellfish. The non-M pattern reflected high fat/nutrient poor, meats and poultry, and foods high in added sugars. The M-score was inversely related to body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799736 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799735&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16251010%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jean S, Major D, Rochette L, Brisson J In the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program, a personalized letter signed by a regional program physician is sent to every woman in the province 50 to 69 years of age, inviting her to have a screening mammogram. A reminder letter is also frequently sent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of this screening invitational strategy on rates of participation. The population studied was comprised of 684,028 women in Quebec aged 50-69. The baseline (expected) monthly mammography screening rate was estimated from the rate of screening mammograms recorded between the date a woman became eligible for screening and the mailing date of her personalized invitational letter; the observed monthly mammography screening rate was calcula... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799735 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799734&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16251011%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: David ST, Chandran U, Paquette D, Scholten D, Wilson J, Galanis E, Becker M, Crane F, Lester R, Mersereau T, Wong E, Carr D Attendance at summer outdoor mass gatherings may lead to heat- and sun-related illness. The purposes of this study were: (1) to estimate the proportion of people in attendance at the 2003 Canada Day celebration in the National Capital Region who used sun and heat protective items; (2) to identify factors associated with the utilization of these protective items; and (3) to provide research data to public outdoor event organizers when developing evidence-based plans for safer events. A naturalistic observational cross-sectional method was used to gather information at the 2003 Canada Day celebration in the National Capital Region on attendees' demographics... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799734 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799733&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16251012%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Poulin C, Hand D, Boudreau B This validation study assessed the degree of confidence that can be placed on inferences from depressive symptoms among adolescents, based on a 12-item version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D). This short version of the scale had been developed for application in the National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth and we refer to it as the CES-D-12-NLSCY. The major data source for the present validation study was a 2002/2003 survey of 12,990 students in junior and senior high school in the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses for two different proxy gold standards yielded adequate areas under the curve (AUCs) of .84 and .80, allowing us to establish cut points for three c... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799733 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799732&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16251013%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Csizmadi I, Friedenreich CM, Bryant HE, Courneya KS A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the impact on measures of effect of a suspected differential participation response rate between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) users and nonusers, among controls recruited to a population-based case-control study of breast cancer. The age-specific prevalence of current HRT use among controls was compared to data from the 1996 Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Control women identified as current HRT users were randomly re-sampled to replicate the prevalence of HRT use reported by the NPHS. Unconditional logistic regression was conducted to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) for the use of HRT and breast cancer risk before and... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799732 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799731&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16251014%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Potter BK, Speechley KN, Gutmanis IA, Campbell MK, Koval JJ, Manuel D The purpose of this study was to explore and compare measures of socioeconomic status (SES) in a national sample of Canadian adolescents. Issues of missing data and interrelationships among the measures were addressed. Measures of SES included household income, parental education, two parental occupation-based measures, and four neighbourhood proxy indicators. The proportion of adolescents with missing data was largest for household income (21.1 percent). Data were not missing at random, as adolescents missing household income information were less likely to reside in a high income neighbourhood. Pair-wise Spearman correlations ranged from: 0.40-0.79 between neighbourhood SES measures; 0.12-0.37 between hous... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799731 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799696&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18341762%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McIntyre RS, Wilkins K, Gilmour H, Soczynska JK, Konarksi JZ, Miranda A, Woldeyohannes HO, Vagic D, Alsuwaidan M, Kennedy SH This investigation was undertaken to explore and compare the effect of bipolar I disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) on workforce function. The data for this analysis were procured from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 1.2). The sample consisted of 20 747 individuals (18 years or older and currently working); the proportions screening positive for lifetime BD and MDD were 2.4% and 11.2%, respectively. Individuals with BD or MDD had a significantly lower mean annual income, compared to people without these disorders. Individuals with BD had a signifi cantly lower annual income when compared to MDD (p < 0.05). Results from a mult... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799696 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799695&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18341763%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lim KL, Jacobs P, Ohinmaa A, Schopflocher D, Dewa CS This paper presents a comprehensive measure of the incremental economic burden of mental illness in Canada which incorporates the use of medical resources and productivity losses due to long-term and short-term disability, as well as reductions in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), for the diagnosed and undiagnosed population with mental illness. The analysis was based on the population-based Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.1 (2003). For all persons, we measured all health services utilization, longterm and short-term work loss, and health-related quality of life and their dollar valuations, with the economic burden being the difference in dollar measures between the populations with and without mental health p... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799695 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799694&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18341764%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Louchini R, Goggin P, Steben M Non-cervical anogenital cancers (i.e. anal, vulvar, vaginal and penile cancers) associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), for which HPV is known to be the necessary cause of carcinogenesis, are poorly documented due to their relatively low incidence rate. The aim of this study is to describe the incidence rates of these cancers between 1984 and 2001, and their relative survival probabilities, in Quebec (Canada) between 1984 and 1998. The incidence of these cancers is on the rise, particularly anal cancer in women and, more recently (since 1993-95), vulvar cancer. Between 1984-86 and 1993-95, the 5-year relative survival probability for men with anal cancer decreased from 57% to 46%, while that for penile cancer dropped from 75% to 59%. Howe... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799694 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799693&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18625085%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Leclerc BS, Bégin C, Cadieux E, Goulet L, Leduc N, Kergoat MJ, Lebel P The identification of risk factors for falls in longitudinal studies becomes difficult because of exposures that change during the follow-up and also because individual subjects may experience an event more than once. These issues have been neglected and improper statistical techniques have been used. The typical approaches have been to report the proportion of fallers or the time to first fall. Both avoid the underlying assumption of independence between events and discard pertinent data. We review the existing methods and propose a Cox hazards extension. We exemplify it in the study of potential risk factors associated with all falls in 959 seniors. Finally, we compare the results of the proposed Wei... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799693 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799692&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18625086%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this paper is to present descriptive data on gender and smoking among Ethiopian immigrants in Toronto, Canada. The study used a cross-sectional epidemiological survey design (N = 342). The main outcome measures identified subjects as current (regular or occasional) smokers, daily smokers and former smokers. Overall, 20.8% of the individuals in the sample were current smokers and 15.7% were daily smokers. Although smoking rates (current and daily) were significantly higher among males compared to females, nearly twice as many female as male daily smokers reported that they began smoking post-migration (60.0% vs. 30.2%). Furthermore, 80.0% of female compared to nearly 56% of male daily smokers reported that they were smoking more post-migration. A significantly higher propor... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799692 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799691&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18625087%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Clarke DE, Colantonio A, Rhodes AE, Escobar M The current study provides a critical review of Canadian studies on ethnicity and mental health with respect to the definition, conceptualization and operationalization of ethnicity. It provides a discussion on the methodological issues related to these factors and their implications to guide future research and enable comparability of results across studies. Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, MEDLINE and CINAHL were used to identify relevant Canadian articles published between January 1980 and December 2004. The review highlights a number of key issues for future researchers to consider such as the need for: 1) clear rationales as to why ethnicity is important to their outcome of interest; 2) clarity on the definition of ethnicity,... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799691 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799690&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18625088%26dopt%3DAbstract This study used data collected in the Canadian Community Health Survey, cycle 3.1 (2005) to examine factors associated with comorbid mood disorders and to assess their association with the quality of life of individuals living in Ontario. Results indicate that individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, bowel disorder or stomach or intestinal ulcers had the highest rates of mood disorders. The odds of having a comorbid mood disorder were higher among women, the single, those living in poverty, the Canadian born and those between 30 and 69 years of age. The presence of comorbid mood disorders was significantly associated with short-term disability, requiring help with instrumental daily activities and suicidal ideation. Health care providers are urged to proactively screen chro... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799690 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799689&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18625089%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we estimated a set of direct health care costs using data collected in a provincial telephone survey of mood and anxiety disorders in Alberta. The survey used random digit dialing to reach a sample of 3394 household residents aged 18 to 64. A telephone interview included items assessing costs without reference to whether these were incurred by the respondent, government or a health plan. The survey interview also included the Mini Neuropsychiatric Diagnostic Interview (MINI). Costs for antidepressant medications appear to have increased since the last available estimates were published. Surprisingly, most medication costs for antidepressants were incurred by respondents without an identified disorder. Also, an unexpectedly large proportion of medication costs were for psycho... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799689 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:12:41 +0100 1799689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799707&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17623559%26dopt%3DAbstract This study estimates the prevalence of obesity, calculates the proportion (or population-attributable fraction [PAF]) of major chronic diseases which is attributable to obesity, estimates the deaths attributable to it and projects its future prevalence trends. In Canada, the overall age-standardized prevalence proportion of obesity has increased from 10 percent in 1970 to 23% in 2004 (8 percent to 23 percent in men and 13 percent to 22 percent in women). The increasing prevalence of obesity was observed for all five age groups examined: 20-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65+. On average, the PAF of prevalence of selected major chronic diseases which is attributable to obesity from 1970 to 2004 has increased by 138 percent for men and by 60 percent for women. Overall, in 2004, 45 percent of hyp... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799707 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799706&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17623560%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Darlington GA, Kreiger N, Lightfoot N, Purdham J, Sass-Kortsak A Associations between prostate cancer and dietary factors, physical activity and smoking were assessed based on data from a population-based case-control study. The study was conducted among residents of northeastern Ontario. Cases were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and diagnosed between 1995 and 1998 at ages 50 to 84 years (N=752). Male controls were identified from telephone listings and were frequency matched to cases on age (N=1,613). Logistic regression analyses investigated history of diet, physical activity and smoking as potential risk factors. Tomato intake had a significant positive association with prostate cancer risk for highest versus lowest quartiles (OR=1.6; 95 percent CI: 1.2-2.0). A... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799706 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799705&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17623561%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Baliunas D, Patra J, Rehm J, Popova S, Kaiserman M, Taylor B Cigarette smoking is one of the most important risk factors for burden of disease. Our objective was to estimate the smoking-attributable deaths and the years of life lost for Canada 2002. For Canada in 2002, 37,209 of all deaths aged 0 to 80+ years were attributable to smoking, 23,766 in men and 13,443 in women. This constituted 16.6 percent of all deaths in Canada, 21 percent for men and 12.2 percent for women. Main causes of smoking-attributable death were malignant neoplasms (17,427), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) (10,275) and respiratory diseases (8,282). Lung cancer (13,401) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (7,533) were the single largest disease contributors to deaths caused by smoking. 515,608... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799705 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799704&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17623562%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this study was to profile the scope and nature of injuries experienced during the sport of rugby. We analyzed emergency department injury surveillance data over a decade (1993-2003) from the Kingston sites of the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program. Rugby injuries were examined by mechanism, nature and anatomical site of injury, with stratification according to sex and age. A total of 1,527 injuries was observed (mean of 153 per year). Results show the tackling phase of play accounted for the highest number of injuries (506/1,527; 33.1 percent). The most common natures of injury were sprains and strains (426/1,527; 27.9 percent), while the leading anatomical location of injury was the face (294/1,527; 19.3 percent). Target patterns of injury were iden... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799704 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799703&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953793%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to identify personal factors associated with expert and respondent agreement on past occupational exposure. Epidemiologic data was collected from 1995 to 1998 in a community-based, case-control study of prostate cancer. Using longest jobs and excluding agreement on "never" exposure, self-reported and expert estimates of ever/ never exposure, by skin or ingestion, to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were compared. Agreement between respondents and the expert was 53.9 percent (N=1,038), with overreporting being more common than underreporting relative to the expert (31.8 percent versus 14.4 percent). In multiple logistic regression models, white-collar occupational status was significantly associated with overreporting (odds ratio [OR] = 0.142; 95 percent confidence interval... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799703 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799702&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953794%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Miller AR, Recsky M, Ghazirad M, Papsdorf M, Armstrong RW Canadian research on health services for children and youth with chronic health conditions (CHC) is limited. In a postal survey, pediatricians in British Columbia rated the quality and safety of health care services for children with chronic medical conditions (Ch-Med) lower (mean rating +/- SD on a seven-point scale: 4.86 +/- 1.02 ) than services for children with acute conditions/injuries (5.97 +/- 1.01), and lowest for children with chronic developmental, behavioral and mental health conditions (Ch-DBM; 3.06 +/- 1.17). To improve health care services for CHC, respondents especially favoured improving access to community-based services and resources and to medical specialists and specialized facilities, and the implem... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799702 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799701&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953795%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ashley MJ, Victor JC, Brewster J Pharmacists in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island were surveyed in 2002 regarding their professional involvement in smoking cessation. In all provinces, at least 70 percent had positive attitudes toward smoking cessation. At least 50 percent thought that pharmacists have important roles in motivating patients to quit and in most aspects of motivating, assisting and referring patients. However, in all provinces, less than 40 percent had intervened in various ways in the past year with more than one half of their patients who smoked. Advising cutting down or quitting, attempting to increase motivation to quit and suggesting the use of nicotine replacement therapy were the most often performed interventions. Consistent inter-pr... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799701 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799700&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953796%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, preferences for health states were elicited from lay panels (N=146) in nine Canadian communities (Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec, Moncton and Halifax); the study was conducted from January to June of 2003. Information on health states was presented to raters using the CLAssification and MEasurement System of Functional Health (CLAMES), which assesses functional capacity using 11 health status attributes, each with four to five levels ranging from normal to severely limited functioning. Preferences for 238 health states classified by CLAMES were elicited using the standard gamble (SG) technique in both individual and group exercises. Mean preferences for these health states were then used to estimate the parameters of a log-linear ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799700 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799699&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953797%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Boswell-Purdy J, Flanagan WM, Roberge H, Le Petit C, White KJ, Berthelot JM Summary measures of population health that incorporate morbidity provide a new perspective for health policy and priority setting. Health-adjusted life years (HALYs) lost to a disease combine the impact of years of life lost to premature mortality and morbidity, measured as year-equivalents lost to reduced functioning. HALYs for 25 cancers were estimated from mortality and incidence in 2001 in Canada; population-attributable fractions were estimated for major risk factors contributing to these cancers. Results from this analysis indicate that Canadians would lose an estimated 905,000 health-adjusted years of life to cancer for 2001, including 771,000 to premature mortality and 134,000 to morbidity from... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799699 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799698&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953798%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jiang X, Li D, Boyce W, Pickett W Injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Canadian adolescents. Rural adolescents may be disproportionally affected by these traumatic events. Differences in risk for injury between rural and urban adolescents remain understudied. We compared adolescent reports of medically attended injury by urban-rural geographic status using a representative national sample of Canadian adolescents. The study involved an analysis of a national sample of Canadian adolescents aged 11 to 15 years (N=7,235) from the 2001-2002 WHO/Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. Respondents were classified into five geographic categories according to school addresses. Several differences in risk for injury were documented by urban-rural geog... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799698 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799697&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17953799%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aims to analyze the determinants of high birth weight (> 4000 grams) by various geographic regions of Canada. Analyses were performed using the data from cycles 1 to 4 (1994-2001; N=20,002 children) of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Children were grouped into five geographic residential area categories: the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairie provinces and British Columbia. Determinants analyzed in the study include sex, gestational age and birth rank of children; maternal age and education; maternal smoking during pregnancy; family type; family socioeconomic status (SES) and maternal health (postpartum depression; hypertension and prescription drug use during pregnancy). In comparison to Quebec, the odds of giving birth ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799697 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1799697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799726&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16672134%26dopt%3DAbstract This study estimates the incidence and prevalence of hypothyroidism in Quebec, based on a data bank produced by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) on the use of thyroid hormones by persons insured under RAMQ's public drug insurance plan between 1992 and 2001. In 2001, the prevalence of thyroid hormone use in women and men respectively was 10.8 and 2.9 percent. Prevalence increases with age, reaching, among those aged 65 and over, 21.9 percent in women and 8.0 percent in men in 2001. Incidence is highest in women between the ages of 45 and 64 and in men aged 65 and over. Age-related incidence is relatively stable in women but tends to increase in men. On a regional and local basis (by Centre local de services communautaires [CLSC]), incidence rates up to 2.4 times h... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799726 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799725&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16672135%26dopt%3DAbstract This study describes the self-reported epidemiology of FM in Canada using data collected from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.1 (2000). FM prevalence rates with corresponding 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated. The Canadian prevalence rate was 1.1 percent with a female-to-male ratio of six to one. In women, rates increased with age up to 65 years, declining thereafter. Data collected on-age-at- diagnosis is presented and demonstrates a surprising number of newly diagnosed FM cases among people in their 20s and 30s, signifying that FM is a problem for people of all ages. The association with FM and a number of sub-populations was also investigated. With respect to geography and environment, the FM prevalence rate in women was shown to be approximately two percent ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799725 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799724&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16672136%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ohinmaa A, Schopflocher D, Jacobs P, Demeter S, Chuck A, Golmohammadi K, Klarenbach SW Health behaviours influence the future incidence of certain common chronic diseases and thus have an impact on health status and utilization of health care services and costs.We analyzed person-level data of the Albertan adult population from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.1 (2000) to determine health care costs associated with specific health behaviours (smoking, sub-optimal diet, physical inactivity) and chronic disease states (heart disease, diabetes, COPD). We found that 74.7 percent of the population exhibited one or more risk behaviours, while 10.5 percent had one or more of the chronic diseases of interest. Greater health care utilization and costs were noted in groups ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799724 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799723&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16672137%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this study was to calculate the prevalence of multiple exposures to four modifiable risk factors (smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity and overweight) and to establish whether there are more Canadians with multiple risk factor exposures than those with singular ones. Weighted estimates of the prevalence of mutually exclusive risk factor clusters were calculated according to the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.1 (2000). Confidence limits were estimated by bootstrap techniques. Findings indicate that 21.0 percent of Canadians have no risk factor exposures, 53.5 percent are physically inactive, 21.5 percent currently smoke, 44.8 percent are overweight, and 6.0 percent are high-risk drinkers. Compared to females, males are less physically inactive but more likely to... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799723 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799722&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16672138%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mills C PMID: 16672138 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799722 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799721&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16832904%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Paquette D, Lowry RB, Sauvé R PMID: 16832904 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799721 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799720&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16867239%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bryant H, Robson PJ, Ullman R, Friedenreich C, Dawe U In a climate of increasing privacy concerns, the feasibility of establishing new cohorts to examine chronic disease etiology has been debated. Our primary aim was to ascertain the feasibility of enrolling a geographically dispersed, population-based cohort in Alberta. We also examined whether enrolees would grant access to provincial health care utilization data and consider providing blood for future analysis. Using random digit dialling, 22,652 men and women aged 35 to 69 years, without diagnosed cancer, were recruited. Of these, 52.4 percent (N=11,865) enrolled; 84 percent of Alberta communities were represented. Approximately 97 percent of enrolees consented to linkage with health care data, and 91 percent indicated wil... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799720 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799719&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16867240%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Page SA, Mitchell I A structured survey of patients in three illness groups (acquired immune deficiency syndrome, multiple sclerosis and mental disorders) was undertaken to describe patients' perspectives on privacy, consent and the use of their health information for medical research. The survey was distributed by mail to subjects in the AIDS and MS groups and was completed in a clinic waiting room by people in the mental disorders group. Of the 478 patients approached for participation, 235 returned completed surveys (response rate 49.2 percent). Most subjects were concerned about privacy and they valued opportunities to provide consent for the use of their personal health information for research. Contextual factors, such as identification, type of illness and who was condu... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799719 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799718&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16867241%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rosychuk RJ, Yau C, Colman I, Schopflocher D, Rowe BH Routine surveillance of cases of disease can highlight geographic regions that need further study and intervention. Statistical disease cluster detection methods are one way to statistically assess the number of cases in administrative areas. Traditionally, disease cluster detection methods are used to monitor the incident cases of disease. We review a statistical cluster detection method that is applicable for regions with diverse administrative area population sizes. We apply the method to assess clustering of self-inflicted injury presentations to emergency departments in Alberta, Canada. Analyses focus on the pediatric population and are adjusted by the age and gender distributions of subregional health authorities. Fif... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799718 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799717&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16867242%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ashbury FD, Cameron C, Finlan C, Holmes R, Villareal E, Décoste Y, Kulnies T, Swoboda-Geen C, Kralj B Community-based smoking cessation initiatives target large numbers of people, are highly visible and have the potential for great impact. Ontario's Quit Smoking (2002) Contest was evaluated one year after its implementation to measure behaviour change among adult smokers participating in the contest. The registration database of 15,521 contest participants provided the basis for a random sample of 700 participants throughout Ontario who were contacted for a follow-up telephone survey. A total of 347 surveys were completed, of which 60 percent were women. Almost one third (31.4 percent) of the survey respondents reported that they had not smoked since the start of the cont... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799717 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799716&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16867243%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined trends in ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates in Canada from 1986 to 2000, including analyses at the county level. The study population comprised Canadians aged 35 and over. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were computed. Linear regression and Poisson regression were used to calculate average annual percentage change (AAPC) by age, sex, county and province. A substantial decrease in mortality rates was observed in those aged 35 and over for both sexes; the AAPC indicated a decline of 3.44 percent for males and 3.42 percent for females. The ASMRs were plotted for three time periods; the rates increased with each successive age group and decreased with each consecutive time period for both sexes. A significant decline in the IHD mortality rate was found i... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799716 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799715&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16867244%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Walter SD PMID: 16867244 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799715 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799713&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17073023%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ashbury FD, Kirsh VA, Kreiger N, Leatherdale ST, McLaughlin JR PMID: 17073023 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799713 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799712&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17306061%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this project was to explore the use of telephone surveys as a means of collecting supplementary surveillance information. A computer-assisted telephone interview was administered to 5,400 subjects in Alberta. The interview included a set of brief, validated measures for evaluating mental disorder prevalence and related variables. The individual subject response rate was 78 percent, but a substantial number of refusals occurred at the initial household contact. The age and sex distribution of the study sample differed from that of the provincial population prior to weighting. Prevalence proportions did not vary substantially across administrative health regions. There is a potential role for telephone data collection in mental health surveillance, but these results highligh... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799712 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799711&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17306062%26dopt%3DAbstract This study's objective was to estimate five-year prevalence of tumours from 1989 to 1999 and ten-year prevalence of tumours from 1994 to 1999 in the Province of Quebec (Canada). Five-year prevalence was used to represent tumours for which people are more likely to obtain primary treatment; ten-year prevalence included those tumours in addition to tumours that can be considered cured but still need follow-up. Information was extracted from the Quebec Cancer Registry. Prostate cancer was the most prevalent malignancy among males (25 percent, five-year prevalent tumours), while breast cancer was most prevalent among females (38 percent, five-year prevalent tumours). For both sexes, the greatest observed prevalence increase was for endocrine glands. On average, five-year prevalence proportions... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799711 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799710&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17306063%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this study were 1) to assess the validity of different databases which identify neural tube defect (NTD) cases in the population, and 2) to examine the temporal trends in NTD rates and the impact of prenatal diagnoses among pregnancies referred to a tertiary care hospital in Quebec City, Canada, from 1993 to 2002. Infant death and stillbirth certificates were a highly reliable source for ascertaining NTD cases, but their overall sensitivity was poor (13 percent). Med-Echo had very good sensitivity (92 percent), but there were many coding errors in the database and some diagnostic categories were not specific for NTD. The average NTD prevalence proportion was 6.5/1,000 births during the entire study period, decreasing from 12.2/1,000 in 1993 to 3.9/1,000 in 2002. Overall, ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799710 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799709&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17306064%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: ElSaadany S, Giulivi A A descriptive analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) deaths in Canada for 1995 was undertaken. Cases (ICD-9 155.0) were identified from the Statistics Canada annual mortality file; age-adjusted death rates by age, sex and province were calculated. Antecedent causes and conditions leading to death listed on the death certificate, including viral hepatitis infection and cirrhosis, were examined, in addition to birthplace information. The 403 cases identified resulted in an annual age-standardized mortality rate of 2.11 deaths per 100,000 persons among men and 0.64 deaths per 100,000 persons among women. Mean age at death was 65.5 years with male-to-female ratio approximately 3:1. Compared to the age-standardized rate for birthplace of Canada of 0.96 pe... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799709 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799708&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17306065%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Van Walleghem N, MacDonald CA, Dean HJ During the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care there is often a high rate of medical dropout and increased rates of acute and chronic complications. Building Connections: The Maestro Project was initiated in September 2002 by the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents and the City of Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in Manitoba, Canada to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an administrative support and systems navigation service for young adults with type 1 diabetes. The participation rate on February 28, 2005 was 78.9 percent (373/473). Of the 323 young adult participants 18 to 30 years of age, 127 requested 230 community contacts for access care and education. Specifically, 46 re-referrals were... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799708 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1799708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799742&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16117839%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Macnab JJ, Koval JJ, Speechley KN, Campbell MK This paper highlights the impact of survey weights on model fit in multiple linear regression with specific reference to the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and provides recommendations for the treatment of influential observations. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the association between child and family factors in the preschool years and vocabulary development at school age. Analyses were performed with and without survey weights. The model fit was assessed by examining the distribution of the studentized residuals and the change in the regression coefficients that would occur if an observation were removed. Two summary measures of influence, Dffits and Cook's D are reported. The models ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799742 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799741&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16117840%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tan H, Walker M, Gagnon F, Wen SW Heritability is an important measure in chronic disease epidemiology. Almost all developed methods of heritability estimation for dichotomous outcomes in twin data are based on concordance of monozygous (MZ) and dizygous (DZ) twins. However, most existing twin registries, which provide a unique and efficient opportunity to assess the putative genetic basis of diseases, do not have zygosity information. We developed a method that can be used to estimate the heritability for twin data with no information on zygosity. The only conditions on using this method are that the studied disease incidence is not strongly related to sex, and the distribution of zygosity is in accordance with Weinberg's rule. Using asthma twin data which has histological co... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799741 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799740&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16117841%26dopt%3DAbstract This study reports a comprehensive array of breast cancer statistics for Manitoba for a 40-year period. Data from the Manitoba Cancer Registry were combined with the provincial population-based registration file to determine trends in breast cancer incidence, prevalence and mortality rates, as well as survival and the probability of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the next 10 years. The age-standardized incidence rate of breast cancer increased by 0.99/100,000 women per year over the 40 years of follow-up (69.6/100,000 women in 1960, 109.9/100,000 women in 1999). Mortality rates peaked in 1986 (35.7/100,000 women), while the 1999 mortality rate (26.0/100,000 women) was almost comparable to the 1960 rate (22.4/100,000 women). No significant trend in mortality rate was observed over th... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799740 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799739&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16117842%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chaiton MO, Collinshaw NE, Callard AJ Elastic cigarettes are characterized by yields of constituents that increase proportionally faster than smoke volume as cigarettes are smoked more intensely. Elasticity may function to overcome physical limitations in increasing puff volume during nicotine-seeking behaviour. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are elastic cigarettes in the Canadian cigarette market and to determine smoker preference for elastic cigarettes. Elasticity was calculated for 115 brands in the Canadian filtered cigarette market for puff volumes of 44 and 56 ml. Puff volumes, nicotine and tar deliveries were obtained from earlier published documents. Sales data were used as a proxy for smoker preference. Ordinary least squares regression was used t... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799739 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799738&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16117843%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hu J, Robbins G, Ugnat AM, Waters C The purpose of this study was to examine trends in diabetes mellitus (DM) mortality rates in Canada, including analysis at the provincial level, during the period 1986-2000. The study population included Canadians aged 35 and over. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were computed. Linear regression was used to calculate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) by age, sex and province. The results showed a substantial increase in DM mortality rates among those aged 35 and over, particularly for men; the AAPC indicated an increase of 2.4% for men and 0.7% for women. When the mortality rates were plotted for three time periods, the rates increased with each successive age group and period for both sexes. Mortality from DM increased si... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799738 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799737&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16117844%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ambika D, Tonmyr L PMID: 16117844 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799737 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799730&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16390626%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Østbye T, Kristjansson B, Hill G, Newman SC, Brouwer RN, McDowell I Depression in elderly Canadians is an important but often unrecognized public health problem. Numerous studies have examined depression in the general community, but studies of depression in the elderly have generally been small and limited. The Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA) includes a large and national representation of both the cognitively intact and the cognitively impaired elderly. The current analyses of 2,341 participants from the CSHA who completed a clinical rating scale for depression have two objectives: 1) to determine the prevalence of minor and major depression and 2) to examine the importance of several risk factors. The prevalences of major and minor depression were 2.6 percent... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799730 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799729&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16390627%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Patten SB, Wang JL, Beck CA, Maxwell CJ Monitoring major depression prevalence is important because of the substantial impact of this condition on population health. Local or regional surveys using cost-efficient methods (e.g. data collection by telephone interview) may provide useful epidemiological data, as may the inclusion of brief diagnostic modules for major depression in general health surveys. In Canada, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form for Major Depression (CIDI-SFMD) has been widely employed for both purposes. The recent Canadian Community Health Survey 1.2 (2002), which employed a more detailed diagnostic interview (the World Mental Health 2000 CIDI), provides a standard against which to evaluate the performance of the CIDI-SFMD. A tendenc... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799729 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799728&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16390628%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lipskie T, Breslin FC Because labour laws and regulations protect minors by preventing them from working, this population is often excluded from labour data. However, work is common among Canadian youth. Young teens, and especially pre-teens, have informal employment arrangements such as odd jobs, yard work, babysitting and deliveries. Work injuries occurring in these informal employment arrangements are surprisingly frequent and not usually captured by traditional occupational health and safety data sources (e.g. workers' compensation claims). We analyzed data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) and found 999 youths (5 to 17 years) who had suffered a work-related injury between 1995 and 1998. They were concentrated in two main areas: c... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799728 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799727&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16390629%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this study were to determine the acceptability and safety of microencapsulated-iron sprinkles, a new powdered form of iron packaged in a single-serving sachet for prevention of IDA. A total of 102 non-anemic children aged 4 to 18 months from three communities were randomized to receive sprinkles containing 30 mg Fe/day (NR = 49) or placebo (NR = 53) for six months. To assess acceptability, adherence and side effects were monitored bi-weekly. To assess safety, serum ferritin (SF) concentration and anthropometry were measured at baseline and end. Mean adherence was 59.6 +/- 27.7 percent. There were no differences in adherence, SF, anthropometric status or side effects between groups. Although there were no differences in hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and anemia prevalence f... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799727 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799714&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16886302%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mage DT PMID: 16886302 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799714 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1799714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799760&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15298482%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the postneonatal rate of mortality due to SIDS and to other causes in relation to the initial risk reduction campaign. The postneonatal mortality rate due to SIDS decreased from 0.97 to 0.54 per 1,000 neonatal survivors between 1985-1989 and 1994-1998 (relative risk [RR] = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51-0.62). The rate of postneonatal mortality due to other causes also decreased during the same period, though to a smaller extent, from 1.19 to 0.86 (RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.66-0.78). With the exception of seasonality, established risk factors for SIDS remained essentially unchanged between the two time periods. The observed reduction in postneonatal SIDS is consistent with a positive impact of the initial recommendations regarding risk reduction. However, the lack of reliabl... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799760 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799759&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15298483%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: James RC, Blanchard JF, Campbell D, Clottey C, Osei W, Svenson LW, Noseworthy TW The Prairie Pilot Diabetes Surveillance Project was organized to design and test a prototype population-based surveillance system, using administrative data, for a chronic disease exemplar - diabetes mellitus. The Canadian model of a public health surveillance system for chronic conditions described here specifies a process by which administrative and claims data arising from provincial health insurance programs are merged into an annual person-level summary file (APLSF), yielding one summary record for each person insured within each province. The APLSF is the basis for a variety of estimates, including incidence, prevalence, mortality, complication rates and health services utilization. The mode... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799759 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799758&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15298484%26dopt%3DAbstract This article presents an analysis of the economic burden of a number of chronic diseases in Canada. In the analysis, we adjusted our measure of utilization of physician and hospital services for co-existing chronic diseases, which we found to be widely prevalent and to have an impact on resource use. Using data from the 1999 National Population Health Survey, we developed resource use rankings for several chronic conditions and decomposed these measures into prevalence and per-person utilization components. Our results indicate that, for the diseases with the greatest impact, resource use measures are driven more by disease prevalence than intensity of resource use. The diseases with the highest overall degree of resource use are back pain, arthritis or rheumatism, high blood pressure and ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799758 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799757&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15298485%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zakaria D, Robertson J, Koval J, MacDermid J, Hartford K Surveillance of work-related cumulative trauma disorder of the upper extremity (CTDUE) requires valid and reliable claim extraction strategies and should examine for confounding and interaction. This research estimated crude and specific rates of CTDUE claims in Ontario workers during 1997 while acknowledging misclassification and testing for confounding and interaction. Lower and upper limit event estimates were obtained by means of an algorithm applied to the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (OWSIB) database and were combined with "at-risk" estimates obtained from the Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS). Poisson regression was used to evaluate confounding and interaction. The method used to identify CTDUE cl... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799757 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799756&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15298486%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pickett W, Simpson K, Brison RJ Contemporary studies of blunt head trauma and its determinants are important for prevention. It is also important to understand the strengths and limitations of the common sources of data used for the ongoing study of these injuries. Using the Ontario Trauma Registry, we described frequent patterns of blunt head trauma and identified priorities for prevention and research. A review of methodological issues that arose during the analysis of these trauma registry data is also provided. Blunt head trauma cases were identified within two data sets of the Ontario Trauma Registry. The Minimal Data Set is population-based and contains acute care injury hospitalizations, and the Comprehensive Data Set contains "major injuries" treated at a lead trauma h... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799756 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799755&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15554605%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Grunfeld E, Zitzelsberger L, Hayter C, Berman N, Cameron R, Evans WK, Stern H The definition and scope of cancer control has been evolving since its inception. The most recent model of cancer control in Canada has acknowledged the importance of knowledge translation to ensure that research results are implemented in practice and will be used to inform policy. However, without effort, the process of translation does not happen on a consistent basis. Knowledge translation focusses on improving the adoption of an innovation, e.g., research results. A number of health organizations in Canada have identified knowledge translation as an important activity and have begun to develop departments or initiatives dedicated to its achievement. As the emphasis in cancer control is on the ap... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799755 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799754&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15554606%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ugnat AM, Luo W, Semenciw R, Mao Y, Occupational factors have been proposed to play a critical role in bladder cancer. This population-based case-control study was conducted to confirm the association between selected occupational and non-occupational risk factors and risk of bladder cancer using data collected from the four western Canadian provinces. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were based on 549 histologically confirmed bladder cancer cases and 1099 controls. Bladder cancer risk was found to increase with increasing pack-years of cigarette smoking with an odds ratio (OR) in the highest quartile of 3.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.28-4.82). A dose-response relationship was demonstrated between bladder cancer and pack-years of smoking (p < 0.0001). A po... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799754 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799753&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15554607%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Broers T, King WD, Arbuckle TE, Liu S Abruptio placentae is a serious obstetric condition associated with an increased incidence of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Despite this, there is little information on the occurrence of abruptio placentae in Canada. The Discharge Abstract Database from the Canadian Institute for Health Information was used to identify a cohort of women who had singleton live or stillbirth deliveries in Canada between 1990 and 1997 (n = 2,162,815). Rates of abruptio placentae and abruptio placentae ending in stillbirth were examined by calendar year, province, maternal age and urban/rural status. There is a trend towards an increasing rate of abruptio placentae by year, from 10.9 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 10.5-11.3) cases/1000 deliveries in 1990 ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799753 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799752&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15554608%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes methodological issues, challenges, and a vision for using computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) in a comprehensive public health surveillance system in the 21st century. Methodological issues include funding of surveys, survey frequency, sample size considerations, response rates, and types of bias to be considered in questionnaire design. Challenges include the recognition of the merits and limitations of CATI, and the potential for greater use in surveillance of public health issues in health regions requiring rapid and regular data. The vision of a CATI survey-based, rapid, flexible, cost-effective public health surveillance system is described. It is concluded that further discussion and views on improvements with regard to CATI methodological and pract... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799752 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799751&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15554609%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nadalin V, Bentvelsen K, Kreiger N Reliable questions enhance study design. We assessed the reliability of questions that gather demographic, sun exposure, reproductive history, and physical activity information. Subjects were participants in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos), a cohort study of Canadian adults recruited January 1996 to September 1997 in nine cities, stratified by sex, age, and location. Following personal interviews, 367 subjects were re-administered part of the questionnaire by telephone. Reliability was assessed using kappa and intra-class correlation. Reliability was excellent for employment status, reproductive history, weight and height (0.91 to 0.97), not differing greatly when stratified by age group or sex. Physical activity and sun e... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799751 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799750&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15554610%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zakaria D The primary objective of this research was the calculation of crude and specific rates of first-allowed, lost-time carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), epicondylitis, and rotator cuff syndrome/tear (RCS/RCT) claims in Ontario workers during 1997. A secondary objective was to determine if results related to these diagnoses were consistent with findings for all cumulative trauma disorders affecting the specific part of upper extremity region. Rates were calculated by combining claim counts and population "at-risk" estimates derived from the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board databases and Canadian Labour Force Survey, respectively. The prevention index was used to prioritize occupations for intervention. Gender-specific rates declined as one moved proximally along t... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799750 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1799750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799777&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12757630%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nadalin V, Cotterchio M, McKeown-Eyssen G, Gallinger S Case-control studies of fatal cancers often rely on proxy respondents. Therefore, it is important to determine the completeness and accuracy of proxy-reported information. We evaluated proxy reports using the Ontario Familial Colon Cancer Registry epidemiology questionnaire. A proxy questionnaire was completed by spouses or relatives identified by a sample of participating cases. Item non-response and percentage agreement (between case and proxy reports) were assessed. More than 30% of proxies were unable to report on physical activity, gynecological surgery, alcohol intake, weight 20 years ago, and oral contraceptive use. Proxy reports of medical history and bowel screening varied, the percentage missing ranging from 5% f... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799777 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799776&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12757631%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined how diagnoses for CBVD in hospital inpatient and outpatient facilities vary between rural and urban areas and among the 16 administrative health regions. Our analysis revealed differences in diagnostic patterns between the two sources of data, differences between rural and urban areas, and variation across most of the regions. Geographic variation in health service utilization, diagnostic practices, specialty of the physician making the diagnosis, and disease burden may explain our findings. Our results suggest that the diagnosis of patients attending rural facilities are either coded differently (and less precisely) than those of urban residents or are coded more precisely only after the patients attend urban facilities. Regional differences in coding practices show that any C... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799776 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799775&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12757632%26dopt%3DAbstract This study determined whether workplaces in northeastern Ontario currently collect and retain demographic information, medical history, work history, and information on occupational exposure. Surveys were mailed to 434 northeastern Ontario workplaces with 50 or more employees, and a telephone follow-up was conducted. The response rate was 42.6% (185/434). Over 97% of workplaces reported that they always collect surnames and first names of employees, 13.5% reported collecting maiden names (and 70.8% never collect maiden names), 85.4% collect date of birth, 55.7% next of kin, 97.8% current address, 21.6% medical history, and 31.9% collect the health insurance number. Job titles were routinely recorded by 79.5%. Start and end dates for each job were always recorded by 68.1%, and 70.3% reporte... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799775 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799774&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12757633%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Marrett LD, Broadhurst D, Charron S, Fraser L, From L, Hunter W, Payne P, Yarema ML, Rosen C PMID: 12757633 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799774 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799773&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12757634%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Manske S, Maule C, O'Connor S, Lovato C, Harvey D, The National Tobacco Control Best Practices Working Group convened a two-day workshop to support best practices in evaluation of comprehensive tobacco control strategies. A Better Practices Model, aimed at developing a self-correcting system for best practices, guided the workshop content and process. Organizers intended to identify a common surveillance and monitoring framework for tobacco control strategies in Canada by first building strong working relationships between 44 decision-makers, practitioners and researchers from 12 Canadian jurisdictions. Participants identified needs and recommendations related to increased understanding and use of uniform evaluation strategies, building capacity, and recognition of the comple... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799773 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799767&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733756%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Flanagan WM, Le Petit C, Berthelot JM, White KJ, Coombs BA, Jones-McLean E Randomized controlled trials (RCT) have shown the efficacy of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) using the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) with follow-up by colonoscopy. We evaluated the potential impact of population-based screening by FOBT followed by colonoscopy in Canada: mortality reduction, cost-effectiveness, and resource requirements. The microsimulation model POHEM was adapted to simulate CRC screening using Canadian data and RCT results about test sensitivity and specificity, participation, incidence, staging, progression, mortality and direct health care costs. In Canada, biennial screening of 67% of individuals aged 50-74 in the year 2000 resulted in an estimated 10-year CRC mortality red... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799767 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799766&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733757%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hill G, Groome P PMID: 14733757 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799766 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799765&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733758%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Maroun J, Ng E, Berthelot JM, Le Petit C, Dahrouge S, Flanagan WM, Walker H, Evans WK Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among Canadians. We derived the direct health care costs associated with the lifetime management of an estimated 16,856 patients with a diagnosis of colon and rectal cancer in Canada in 2000. Information on diagnostic approaches, treatment algorithms, follow-up and care at disease progression was obtained from various databases and was integrated into Statistics Canada's Population Health Model (POHEM) to estimate lifetime costs. The average lifetime cost (in Canadian dollars) of managing patients with colorectal cancer ranged from $20,319 per case for TNM stage I colon cancer to $39,182 per case for stage III rectal ca... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799765 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799764&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733759%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes the WGEA's recommendations on which trials should be considered for concurrent analysis of economic, as well as related issues, such as the number of patients required for an economic analysis within a prospective clinical trial and the selection of participating centres. The recommendations in this document are meant to be pragmatic, as the WGEA recognizes that both the research funds and human resource capacity for this type of research in Canada are limited. These recommendations are currently guiding priority setting with regard to trials for economic evaluation in NCIC trials. Examples of how these recommendations have been applied to actual trials are presented. PMID: 14733759 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799764 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799763&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733760%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Manuel DG, Luo W, Ugnat AM, Mao Y Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) is life expectancy weighted or adjusted for the level of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Cause-deleted probabilities of dying were derived using the cause-eliminated life table technique and death data from vital statistics for Canada in 1998/99. Life expectancy for men and women in Canada was 76.0 and 81.5 years respectively; HALE was 67.9 years for men and 71.1 years for women. Cancer represented the greatest burden of disease in the population, and eliminating it would increase men's life expectancy to 79.6 years and women's to 85.1 years. HALE would rise to 70.7 years for men and 73.6 for women. The gain in life expectancy would be very small if osteoarthritis were eliminated, but there would ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799763 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799762&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733761%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Veugelers PJ, Yip AM, Elliott DC To further our understanding of factors underlying geographic variation in health and the potential role of availability of and access to health services, we sought to quantify the geographic variation in health services use in the province of Nova Scotia. For the period 1996 to 1999 we examined the variation in the use of health services across 64 geographic areas in conjunction with health and socio-economic factors, using multilevel methods and empirical Bayesian estimates based on provincial physician billings and hospital separation records. We revealed moderate geographic variation in the use of family physician services and large variation in specialist and hospital services. In the two urban centres, Metropolitan Halifax and the Cape Br... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799762 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799761&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14733762%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Iron KS, Manuel DG, Williams J Evidence-based health care planning for persons with chronic conditions is difficult. Routinely collected data are not specific enough to obtain prevalence estimates for chronic conditions and accompanying health determinants, whereas available survey data do not provide accurate utilization and/or cost information. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of self- reported demographic factors (age, sex), access (having a regular doctor), socio-economic factors (education/income) and need (comorbidity) with actual family physician costs for persons with arthritis/rheumatism, asthma, back pain, high blood pressure and migraines. Data from consenting Ontario respondents to the 1994 Canadian National Population Health Survey were l... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799761 Wed, 01 Jan 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1799761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799788&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12095458%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes SPHERU's research model and the Unit's approach to research and summarizes each of its current research programs and projects. PMID: 12095458 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799788 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799787&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12095459%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hill G, Paine B PMID: 12095459 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799787 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799786&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12443564%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Luo W, Lane R, Stobart K, Morrison H, Schanzer D, Barr R, Greenberg M The main purpose of this study is to estimate the medical care costs of childhood and adolescent cancer in Manitoba, and to determine the elements that influence these costs. Retrospective chart reviews were done to obtain all the information. A total of 118 childhood (age 0-14 years) and 41 adolescent (age 15-19 years) cancer patients were included. For childhood cancer, in-patient hospitalizations accounted for 59% of the total cost, followed by bone marrow transplant (BMT) (9%), medications (8%), laboratory investigations (7%) and physician fees (7%). For adolescent cancer, in-patient hospitalization accounted for 37% of the total cost, followed by bone marrow transplant (BMT) (25%), physicians' fees (11%... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799786 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799785&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12443565%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined such relationships using a structural equation modelling approach with data on adult, working Canadians who participated in the first wave of the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Work stressors formed a composite construct with paths from psychological demands, decision latitude, work social support and job insecurity, each measured through a reduced version of the Job Content Questionnaire. Life stressors also formed a composite construct composed of chronic stressors and recent life events. Psychological distress was the outcome, mediated by the latent effect constructs of mastery and self-esteem. Work stressors had consistently positive total effects on distress (sum of standardized path coefficients from 0.004 to 0.153 across gender-occupation strata), with all of ... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799785 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799784&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12443566%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we pursued small area comparisons on a scale that is smaller than is currently available on a province-wide basis. We visualized Nova Scotia's provincial variation in health and identified the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Halifax's disadvantaged "North End" neighbourhood as areas with major health concerns. The observed health differences are only partially explained by socioeconomic factors such as income and unemployment. The study also demonstrated the feasibility of small area comparisons at the level of census consolidated subdivisions and neighbourhoods. There are various methodological challenges for researchers, however: allocation procedures such as the postal code-conversion-file may introduce substantial error; the application of appropriate spatial smoot... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799784 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799783&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12443567%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McGregor SE, Bryant HE, Brant RF, Corbett PJ An age-stratified population-based random digit dial (RDD) telephone survey determined awareness and prevalence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing among Alberta men aged 40 74 years, and assessed the role of indications for PSA testing in explaining patterns of PSA testing. The sample of 1984 men (participation rate 65%) with no history of prostate cancer was divided into three age strata: 40-49, 50-59, and 60-74 years. Awareness of PSA tests was low with fewer than half of the men indicating they had ever heard of PSA tests. The percentage of men who had ever had PSA testing was 4.5%, 13.1%, and 22.2% in the three age strata respectively. PSA testing was strongly associated with having at least one clinical indication for P... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799783 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799782&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12517319%26dopt%3DAbstract This article examines the strengths and limitations of the perspective. The determinants of health that are an integral part of the PHP are used as a framework in considering the range of outcomes associated with exposure to child maltreatment. Directions for further research are outlined. PMID: 12517319 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799782 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799781&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12517320%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Daniel M, Messer LC The Health Belief Model (HBM) was evaluated for secondary prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in an Aboriginal population in British Columbia. Glycemic markers (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]), insulin and post-load glucose), diabetes health beliefs (susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers), knowledge and behaviour were measured for 16 men and 18 women with diabetes (age [SD]=57.7 [11.6]). Eighteen months later, HbA1c and behaviour were measured for all participants, and health beliefs obtained for 17 of them. Perceived severity and perceived barriers were related to glycemic status at baseline and follow up, and predicted reduction in HbA1c (b[SE] |0.40| [0.18], p <0.05). The results support a therapeutic emphasis on belief in the severity of d... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799781 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799780&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12517321%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rhodes AE, Links PS, Streiner DL, Dawe I, Cass D, Janes S Hospital separation data are used to study suicidal behaviour; however, there is little information about the appropriateness of these data for research and planning activities. The study purpose is to examine how consistently hospital separation E-code data reflect suicidal behaviours. Expert clinicians reviewed medical records of individuals who had a separation for self-poisoning to determine whether the self-poisoning was deliberate. Agreement among clinicians was evaluated and latent class analysis performed to derive a summary estimate of the prevalence of deliberate self-poisoning. This estimate was then compared to the prevalence of deliberate self-poisoning based on the external cause of injury (E-codes). Clini... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799780 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799779&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12517322%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wen SW, Chen LM, Li CY, Kramer MS, Allen AC, Birth weight-specific is preferred to crude feto-infant mortality in epidemiologic studies comparing rates across jurisdictions, because it can help limit the bias arising from regional differences in the completeness of reporting of vital events and in classification of live versus stillbirth among extremely small and immature infants. The potential impact of missing birth weight information in deceased versus surviving fetuses and infants in the comparison of birth weight-specific feto-infant mortality has been seldom examined, however. The authors investigated this issue, using data collected from two nationwide surveys of all pregnancy outcomes occurring 15 17 May 1989 and 12 16 February 1996, respectively, in Taiwan and the 19... Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799779 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1799778&cid=s_38024_54_f&fid=38024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12517323%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes the development of the program, including the evolution of the administrative mechanisms necessary to manage the program and the decisions of the Policy Advisory Committee that shape provincial funding policies. In fiscal year 2000/2001, the Program made 14 drugs available for 24 indications for a total provincial expenditure of approximately $37.7 million. These intravenous drugs can now be accessed through nine Regional Cancer Centres, the province's only cancer hospital (Princess Margaret Hospital) and 80 community hospitals and will directly benefit more than 8,700 patients. PMID: 12517323 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Chronic Diseases in Canada) Chronic Diseases in Canada journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1799778 Tue, 01 Jan 2002 05:00:00 +0100 1799778