3 research outputs found
Examining the link between education related outcomes and student health risk behaviours among Canadian youth: Data from the 2006 National Youth Smoking Survey
This study examined whether student tobacco, alcohol, marijuana use and sedentary behaviour were associated with the educational outcomes of health-related absenteeism, truancy, and academic motivation in a nationally representative sample of Canadian youth. Descriptive analyses indicate a high proportion of students missed school due to health, and skipped class in the last month. Truancy increased with age, and male students are more likely to skip class, and be less academically motivated. Logistic regression models showed significant associations exist between substance use and all three educational outcomes. These findings support the need for coordinated action and funding in student health promotion. Keywords: Adolescent, Youth, Truancy, Absenteeism, Academic Motivation, Tobacco, Marijuana, Alcohol Cette étude a examiné si le tabac, l'alcool, la consommation de marijuana, et le comportement sédentaire d'étudiants ont été associés à la réussite scolaire de l'absentéisme liés à la santé, l'absentéisme et la motivation scolaire dans un échantillon national représentatif de la jeunesse canadienne. Les analyses descriptives indiquent une forte proportion d'élèves ont manqué l'école pour raison de santé, et ont sauté de classe dans le dernier mois. L'absentéisme augmente avec l'âge, et les étudiants mâle sont plus susceptibles de manquer de classe et d'être moins motivés académiquement. Des modèles de régression logistique ont montré des associations significatives existent entre l'usage des substances et les trois résultats scolaires. Ces résultats confirment la nécessité d'une action coordonnée et de financement dans la promotion de la santé des élèves
Best Practices for Smoking Cessation Interventions in Primary Care
BACKGROUND: In Canada, smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death. Family physicians and nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned to initiate smoking cessation. Because smoking is a chronic addiction, repeated, opportunity-based interventions are most effective in addressing physical dependence and modifying deeply ingrained patterns of beliefs and behaviour. However, only a small minority of family physicians provide thorough smoking cessation counselling and less than one-half offer adjunct support to patients
National survey of indigenous primary healthcare capacity and delivery models in Canada: the TransFORmation of IndiGEnous PrimAry HEAlthcare delivery (FORGE AHEAD) community profile survey
Background: There is a significant deficiency of national health information for Indigenous peoples in Canada. This
manuscript describes the Community Profile Survey (CPS), a community-based, national-level survey designed to
identify and describe existing healthcare delivery, funding models, and diabetes specific infrastructure and
programs in Indigenous communities.
Methods: The CPS was developed collaboratively through FORGE AHEAD and the First Nations and Inuit Health
Branch of Health Canada. Regional and federal engagement and partnerships were built with Indigenous organizations
to establish regionally-tailored distribution of the 8-page CPS to 440 First Nations communities. Results were collected
(one survey per community) and reported in strata by region, with descriptive analyses performed on all variables.
Results were shared with participating communities and regional/federal partners through tailored reports.
Results: A total of 84 communities completed the survey (19% response rate). The majority of communities had a
health centre/office to provide service to their patients with diabetes, with limited on-reserve hospitals for ambulatory
or case-sensitive conditions. Few healthcare specialists were located on-site, with patients frequently travelling off-site
(> 40 km) for diabetes-related complications. The majority of healthcare professionals on-site were Health Directors,
Community Health Nurses, and Home Care Nurses. Many communities had a diabetes registry but few reported a
diabetes surveillance system. Regional variation in healthcare services, diabetes programs, and funding models were
noted, with most communities engaging in some type of innovative strategy to improve care for patients with
diabetes.
Conclusions: The CPS is the first community-based, national-level survey of its kind in Canada. Although the response
rate was low, the CPS was distributed and successfully administered across a broad range of First Nations communities,
and future considerations would benefit from a governance structure and leadership that strengthens community
engagement, and a longitudinal research approach to increase the representativeness of the data. This type of
information is important for communities and regions to inform decision making (maintain successes, and identify
areas for improvement), strengthen health service delivery and infrastructure, increase accessibility to healthcare
personnel, and allocate funding and/or resources to build capacity and foster a proactive chronic disease prevention
and management approach for Indigenous communities across Canada.
Trial registration: Current ClinicalTrial.gov protocol ID NCT02234973. Registered: September 9, 2014