Black Health

  • The impact of everyday racism on the occupations of African Canadian women

    Background: Occupational therapy has increasingly explored the impact of cultural differences on occupations but has not yet begun to explore the impact of racism on human occupation. Purpose: This study with 50 African Canadian women used mixed methods to explore the effects of racism on their occupational experiences. Methods: Women aged 40–65 were interviewed in-depth…

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  • Racial variability of glaucoma risk factors between African Caribbeans and Caucasians in a Canadian urban screening population.

    Background: The significance of race in the development and progression of glaucoma remains controversial, although in most cases the evidence shows greater prevalence and progression of the disease in African American populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the African Caribbean race on the variability of risk factors for glaucoma…

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  • HIV prevention risks for Black women in Canada.

    The future availability of HIV vaccines can increase options available to Canadian Black women for risk reduction. However, current conceptual frameworks do not adequately address barriers to HIV prevention for this population, and may be inadequate to address challenges with vaccines. This study explored knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV vaccines and associated prevention methods to…

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  • Ethnic diversity and pathways to care for a first episode of psychosis in Ontario

    To examine ethnic variations in the pathways to care for persons accessing early intervention (EI) services in Ontario. Method: The pathways to care and the duration of untreated psychosis were assessed for first-episode psychosis patients who entered specialized EI services in Ontario. The sample was assigned to the following ethnic classifications: the White (Caucasian), Black…

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  • A comparison of foetal and infant mortality in the United States and Canada.

    Background: Infant mortality rates are higher in the United States than in Canada. We explored this difference by comparing gestational age distributions and gestational age-specific mortality rates in the two countries. Methods: Stillbirth and infant mortality rates were compared for singleton births at 522 weeks and newborns weighing 5500g in the United States and Canada…

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  • A novel CYP2A6 allele, CYP2A6*23, impairs enzyme function in vitro and in vivo and decreases smoking in a population of Black-African descent

    Objectives: CYP2A6 is the main enzyme involved in nicotine metabolism in humans. We have identified a novel allele, CYP2A6*23 (2161C>T, R203C), in individuals of Black-African descent and investigated its impact on enzyme activity and association with smoking status. Methods: Wild-type and variant enzymes containing amino acid changes R203C (CYP2A6*23), R203S (CYP2A6*16) and V365M (CYP2A6*17) were…

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  • Experiences of and responses to HIV among African and Caribbean communities in Toronto, Canada

    African and Caribbean communities in Canada and other developed countries are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. This qualitative study of African and Caribbean communities in Toronto sought to understand HIV-related stigma, discrimination, denial and fear, and the effects of multiple intersecting factors that influence responses to the disease, prevention practices and access to treatment and support…

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  • Towards a global citizenship education for Caribbean Canadian youth

    The number of people living in Canada of Caribbean heritage has increased substantially over the past forty years. This paper examines aspects of Caribbean culture and Caribbean education culture to explore if Caribbean Canadians can claim a Caribbean education philosophy. The research claims there is one. The article suggests that this philosophy should be recognized…

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  • A population-based analysis of the health experience of African Nova Scotians

    Background: People of African descent living in Britain and the United States have higher rates of morbidity from chronic disease than among the general population. We investigated whether the same applied to people of African descent living in a Canadian province. Methods: We used administrative data to calculate 10-year cumulative incidence rate ratios for the…

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