Background: Calgary, Alberta has the fourth highest immigrant population in Canada and ethnic minorities comprise 28 % of its total population. Previous studies have found correlations between minority status and poor pregnancy outcomes. One explanation for this phenomenon is that minority status increases the levels of stress experienced during pregnancy. The aim of the present…
Background: International migration and the number of migrant women who experience pregnancy and childbirth in receiving countries have significantly increased in the last two decades. Migrant women often have unmet social and economic needs during pregnancy, and are more likely to have problems unaddressed by health care systems. In this qualitative study, we explored migrant…
Purpose – Canadian epidemiological data suggest an increasing number of HIV infections among people from HIV-endemic countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, there are few studies that focus on the lived experience of HIV illness among Canadian residents of African ancestry. The purpose of this paper is to study the lived experiences of African immigrants living…
Background: Hemoglobinopathies are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Accurate epidemiologic data reflecting the number of hemoglobinopathy patients are lacking in Canada. Immigration patterns are shifting such that regions where these diseases were rare are seeing a rapid population expansion, revealing a gap in the health care system and the need for a public health…
Objectives: There are conflicting recommendations regarding the use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a screening test. Integral to this debate is an understanding of who is currently being tested. The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed account of PSA testing practices in a major Canadian city (Calgary, Alberta) and to identify…
Background: HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) share transmission routes, and coinfection is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. To date, no Canadian studies have examined HIV-HBV coinfection. Objectives: To examine the prevalence and correlates of HIV and HBV coinfections in Northern Alberta. Methods: The present study was a retrospective database review of all HIV-infected…
Objective: With the aim of optimizing diabetes education, type 2 diabetes awareness, primary prevention and secondary prevention, we studied how African Canadians experience type 2 diabetes. Specifically, we studied stories told by African Canadians living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, about significant events and experiences at the time of their diagnosis with type 2 diabetes. Methods:…
Introduction : Women account for a growing proportion of HIV infections in Canada. This has implications with respect to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. obJeCTIVe: To describe the female population presenting for HIV care in southern Alberta and to examine the impact of opt-out pregnancy screening. Methods : A retrospective review of demographic and clinical characteristics…
