Canada

Predicting time to serologic diagnosis of AQP4+NMOSD based on clinical factors and social determinants of health

December 27, 2023

Background: Early serologic diagnosis and initiation of targeted therapy are associated with better outcomes in aquaporin-4 IgG positive (AQP4+) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Objective: To determine predictors of time to serologic diagnosis of AQP4+NMOSD. Methods: In CANOPTICS, a multi-centre, Canadian cohort study of NMOSD, we retrospectively evaluated time from the first clinical attack to…
Read more
“It’s like We’re Still in Slavery”: Stress as Distress and Discourse among Jamaican Farm Workers in Ontario, Canada

December 25, 2023

For more than fifty years, Jamaican farm workers have been seasonally employed in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). In Canada, these workers live and work in conditions that make them vulnerable to various health issues, including poor mental health. This ethnographic study investigated Jamaican SAWP workers’ mental health experiences in Southern Ontario.…
Read more
Increasing access to palliative care for patients with advanced cancer of African and Latin American descent: a patient-oriented community-based study protocol

December 20, 2023

Cancer disparities are a major public health concern in Canada, affecting racialized communities of Latin American and African descent, among others. This is evident in lower screening rates, lower access to curative, and palliative-intent treatments, higher rates of late cancer diagnoses and lower survival rates than the general Cana ‑ dian population. We will develop…
Read more
Impact of the 2021 CKD-EPI eGFR Equation on Kidney Care Referral Criteria in Ontario, Canada: A Population-based Cross-sectional Study.

December 4, 2023

Background: In some jurisdictions, individuals become eligible or recommended for referral for different types of kidney care using criteria based on their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Historically, GFR was estimated with an equation developed in 2009, which included a Black race term. An updated, race-free equation was developed in 2021. It is unclear how…
Read more
COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Vaccine Hesitancy among Black People in Canada

November 28, 2023

Objectives: COVID-19 vaccine mandates increased vaccination rates globally. Implemented as a one-size-fits-all policy, these mandates have unintended harmful consequences for many, including Black Canadians. This article reports findings on the interconnectedness of vaccine mandates and vaccine hesitancy by describing a range of responses to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies among Black people in Canada. Methods: Using…
Read more
Looking at Diabetes Through Different Lenses: Focus Groups Conducted With Somali Canadian Families and Their Health-care Providers

November 25, 2023

Objectives : In Toronto, many families with Somali backgrounds have children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). At our clinic, children with African and Caribbean backgrounds have higher glycated hemoglobin than children from European backgrounds. In this study, we explored the experiences and perspectives of Somali Canadian families with children living with T1D, as well…
Read more
COVID-19 vaccine uptake among people with HIV: identifying characteristics associated with vaccine hesitancy

November 23, 2023

People with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection. Both Canadian (NACI) and US (CDC) guidelines recommend that all PWH receive at least 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and a booster. We examined vaccination uptake among PWH in Southern Alberta, Canada. Among adult PWH, we evaluated COVID-19 vaccination uptake between December 2020 and…
Read more
Mental Health of Immigrant Children and Adolescents (6–17 Years) in Canada: Evidence from the Canadian Health Measures Survey

October 30, 2023

Background: Studies indicate a higher prevalence of mental health problems among immigrants, but findings on immigrant children and adolescents are mixed. We sought to understand the magnitude of differences in mental health indicators between immigrant and non-immigrant children and adolescents in Canada and the influence of age, sex, household income, and household education. Methods: We…
Read more
Opioid toxicity deaths in Black persons who experienced provincial incarceration in Ontario, Canada 2015–2020: A population-based study

October 17, 2023

Objective: In the context of mass incarceration and the opioid toxicity crisis in North America, there is a lack of data on the burden of opioid toxicity deaths in Black persons who experience incarceration. We aimed to describe absolute and relative opioid toxicity mortality for Black persons who experienced incarceration in Ontario, Canada between 2015…
Read more
The state of COVID-19 vaccine confidence and need in Black individuals in Canada: Understanding the role of sociodemographic factors, health literacy, conspiracy theories, traumatic stressors and racial discrimination

October 17, 2023

Background: Black communities in Canada have been among the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of number of infections and deaths. They are also among those most hesitant about vaccination against COVID-19. However, while a few studies have documented the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, those related to vaccine confidence remain unknown.…
Read more

Canada

Partners and Funders