46 results on '"Tu, Andrew"'
Search Results
2. What parenting practices do US and Canadian parents use to encourage or discourage healthy eating among their 5–12 year-old children?
- Author
-
Mâsse, Louise C., Tu, Andrew W., Watts, Allison, Hughes, Sheryl O., and O'Connor, Teresia M.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Longitudinal changes in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue and metabolic syndrome: Results from the Multicultural Community Health Assessment Trial (M-CHAT)
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Humphries, Karin H., and Lear, Scott A.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Development of an item bank for food parenting practices based on published instruments and reports from Canadian and US parents
- Author
-
O'Connor, Teresia M., Pham, Truc, Watts, Allison W., Tu, Andrew W., Hughes, Sheryl O., Beauchamp, Mark R., Baranowski, Tom, and Mâsse, Louise C.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Exploring the mediating roles of physical activity and television time on the relationship between the neighbourhood environment and childhood obesity
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Mâsse, Louise C., Lear, Scott A., Gotay, Carolyn C., and Richardson, Chris G.
- Published
- 2016
6. Chapter 4 - Deprescribing in school curriculums: An overview of current education standards and what should be changed
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew and Elbeddini, Ali
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Individual and Household Predictors of Adolescents’ Adherence to a Web-Based Intervention
- Author
-
Mâsse, Louise C., Watts, Allison W., Barr, Susan I., Tu, Andrew W., Panagiotopoulos, Constadina, Geller, Josie, and Chanoine, Jean-Pierre
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Estimates of Smoking-attributable Mortality and Hospitalization in BC, 2002-2007
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Buxton, Jane A., and Stockwell, Tim
- Published
- 2012
9. Method of Administration Affects Adolescent Post-immunization Survey Response Rate: Phone, Paper, Internet
- Author
-
Pielak, Karen L., Buxton, Jane, McIntyre, Cheryl, Tu, Andrew, and Botnick, Michael
- Published
- 2011
10. Factors Associated with Reluctance to Use an Emergency Department in a Multi-ethnic Community: Results of a Telephone Survey
- Author
-
Reime, Birgit, Tu, Andrew W., Tzianetas, Roula, and Ratner, Pamela A.
- Published
- 2007
11. Myocardial infarction symptom recognition by the lay public: the role of gender and ethnicity
- Author
-
Ratner, Pamela A, Tzianetas, Roula, Tu, Andrew W, Johnson, Joy L, Mackay, Martha, Buller, Christopher E, Rowlands, Maureen, and Reime, Birgit
- Published
- 2006
12. T-Cell Infiltration and Immune Checkpoint Expression Increase in Oral Cavity Premalignant and Malignant Disorders.
- Author
-
Surendran, Subin, Aboelkheir, Usama, Tu, Andrew A., Magner, William J., Sigurdson, S. Lynn, Merzianu, Mihai, Hicks Jr., Wesley L., Suresh, Amritha, Kirkwood, Keith L., and Kuriakose, Moni A.
- Subjects
IMMUNE checkpoint proteins ,REGULATORY T cells ,BIOMARKERS ,IMMUNE checkpoint inhibitors ,T cells ,TUMOR markers ,IPILIMUMAB - Abstract
The immune cell niche associated with oral dysplastic lesion progression to carcinoma is poorly understood. We identified T regulatory cells (Treg), CD8
+ effector T cells (Teff) and immune checkpoint molecules across oral dysplastic stages of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD). OPMD and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissue sections (N = 270) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for Treg (CD4, CD25 and FoxP3), Teff (CD8) and immune checkpoint molecules (PD-1 and PD-L1). The Treg marker staining intensity correlated significantly (p < 0.01) with presence of higher dysplasia grade and invasive cancer. These data suggest that Treg infiltration is relatively early in dysplasia and may be associated with disease progression. The presence of CD8+ effector T cells and the immune checkpoint markers PD-1 and PD-L1 were also associated with oral cancer progression (p < 0.01). These observations indicate the induction of an adaptive immune response with similar Treg and Teff recruitment timing and, potentially, the early induction of exhaustion. FoxP3 and PD-L1 levels were closely correlated with CD8 levels (p < 0.01). These data indicate the presence of reinforcing mechanisms contributing to the immune suppressive niche in high-risk OPMD and in OSCC. The presence of an adaptive immune response and T-cell exhaustion suggest that an effective immune response may be reactivated with targeted interventions coupled with immune checkpoint inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. The relationship between income and weight control strategies among Canadian adults
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W. and Masse, Louise C.
- Subjects
Income -- Health aspects ,Weight loss maintenance -- Methods -- Economic aspects -- Analysis ,Government ,Health ,Health care industry - Abstract
Objective: The goal of this study was to examine use of weight control strategies in Canadian adults and the role of income as a barrier to using these strategies. Methods: Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey cycle 4.1 on health behaviour change was used for this study. Analysis was restricted to adults (18+ years) residing in the 10 provinces of Canada. Respondents were categorized as having used weight control strategies in their lifestyle if they responded that they increased exercise, improved/modified their eating habits, or lost weight in the previous 12 months, as the primary means of health improvement. An adjusted household income ratio divided into deciles was used as a measure of income. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between income and weight control strategies adjusting for known confounders. Results: Of the 103,990 respondents analyzed, 60% were overweight or obese and 45% reported using weight control strategies in the previous 12 months. Age, sex, ethnicity, having a regular doctor, education, and income were all significantly associated with using weight control strategies in the multivariable model. Results that included all two- and three-way interactions between sex, weight category, and income found that lower income was significantly associated with using fewer weight control strategies - more so for obese men and normal weight women. Conclusion: Efforts must be made to create equal access to services and food products that promote weight reduction or control strategies given the rising prevalence of adult obesity in Canada. Key words: Income; weight control; barrier; Canada; adults; survey Objectif : Examiner l'utilisation des strategies de controle du poids chez les adultes canadiens et le role du revenu comme obstacle a l'utilisation de ces strategies. Methode : Pour cette etude nous avons utilise les donnees sur le changement des habitudes de sante du cycle 4.1 de l'Enquete sur la sante dans les collectivites canadiennes. Notre analyse s'est limitee aux adultes (18 ans et plus) residant dans les 10 provinces du Canada. Les repondants ont ete categorises comme ayant utilise des strategies de controle du poids dans leur mode de vie s'ils disaient avoir augmente leur niveau d'activite physique, ameliore ou modifie leurs habitudes alimentaires ou perdu du poids au cours des 12 mois precedents comme principal moyen d'ameliorer leur sante. Nous avons choisi comme indicateur du revenu un ratio de revenu du menage ajuste divise en deciles. Par regression logistique multivariee, nous avons examine la relation entre le revenu et les strategies de controle du poids en tenant compte des facteurs confusionnels connus. Resultats : Sur les 103 990 repondants analyses, 60 % etaient en surpoids ou obeses et 45 % ont declare avoir utilise des strategies de controle du poids au cours des 12 mois precedents. L'age, le sexe, l'ethnicite, le fait d'avoir un medecin regulier, la scolarite et le revenu presentaient tous une correlation significative avec l'utilisation de strategies de controle du poids dans le modele multivarie. Selon les resultats incluant toutes les interactions possibles entre le sexe, la categorie de poids et le revenu, un revenu inferieur presentait une correlation significative avec l'utilisation d'un moins grand nombre de strategies de controle du poids - davantage encore chez les hommes obeses et les femmes de poids normal. Conclusion : Etant donne la prevalence croissante de l'obesite a l'age adulte au Canada, il faut s'efforcer d'assurer un acces egal aux services et aux produits alimentaires qui favorisent les strategies de reduction ou de controle du poids. Mots cles : revenu; controle du poids; obstacle; Canada; adulte; Enquete, Globally, there has been a rise in the prevalence of obesity since the early 1980s. (1,2) In Canada, the percentage of obese adults increased from 14% in 1979 to 23% [...]
- Published
- 2012
14. Overdose deaths and the COVID‐19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada.
- Author
-
Palis, Heather, Bélair, Marc‐André, Hu, Kevin, Tu, Andrew, Buxton, Jane, and Slaunwhite, Amanda
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,DRUG overdose ,CANADIAN provinces ,OLDER people ,AGE groups - Abstract
Introduction: British Columbia (BC) declared an overdose public health emergency in 2016. Since then, BC has consistently reported the highest overdose death rates of any province in Canada. In the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, overdose deaths in BC reached a record high in 2020. This analysis reports on changes in the profile of people who have died of overdose since BC's declaration of COVID‐19 as a public health emergency on 17 March 2020. Methods: Using BC Coroners Service data, Chi‐square tests and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to compare demographic, geographic and post‐mortem toxicology data between people who died of overdose before (17 March–31 December 2019) and after (17 March–31 December 2020) BC's declaration of COVID‐19 as a public health emergency. Results: Overdose deaths observed since 17 March 2020 (n = 1516) more than doubled those observed in the same period in 2019 (n = 744). In the adjusted logistic regression model, odds of death in the post compared to pre‐COVID‐19 period was significantly higher among males compared to females, among all older age groups compared to people aged 30–39, and was lower in public buildings compared to private residences. Discussion and Conclusions: Alongside a significant increase in overdose deaths since BC's declaration of COVID‐19 as a public health emergency, the demographic profile of people who have died of overdose has changed. Ongoing overdose prevention efforts in BC must seek to reach people who remain most isolated, including older adults, who during dual public health emergencies are facing compounded risk of preventable mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Minimum Alcohol Prices and Outlet Densities in British Columbia, Canada: Estimated Impacts on Alcohol-Attributable Hospital Admissions
- Author
-
Stockwell, Tim, Zhao, Jinhui, Martin, Gina, Macdonald, Scott, Vallance, Kate, Treno, Andrew, Ponicki, William, Tu, Andrew, and Buxton, Jane
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Misleading UK alcohol industry criticism of Canadian research on minimum pricing
- Author
-
Stockwell, Tim, Zhao, Jinhui, Martin, Gina, Macdonald, Scott, Vallance, Kate, Treno, Andrew, Ponicki, William, Tu, Andrew, and Buxton, Jane
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. The relationship between minimum alcohol prices, outlet densities and alcohol-attributable deaths in British Columbia, 2002–09
- Author
-
Zhao, Jinhui, Stockwell, Tim, Martin, Gina, Macdonald, Scott, Vallance, Kate, Treno, Andrew, Ponicki, William R., Tu, Andrew, and Buxton, Jane
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Identifying attitudes, beliefs and reported practices of nurses and doctors as immunization providers
- Author
-
Pielak, Karen L., McIntyre, Cheryl C., Tu, Andrew W., Remple, Valencia P., Halperin, Beth, and Buxton, Jane A.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. The British Columbia alcohol and other drug monitoring system: overview and early progress.
- Author
-
Stockwell, Tim, Buxton, Jane A., Duff, Cameron, Marsh, David, Macdonald, Scott, Michelow, Warren, Richard, Krista, Saewyc, Elizabeth, Hanson, Robert, Cohen, Irwin, Corrado, Ray, Chow, Clifton, Ivsins, Andrew, Nicholson, Dean, Pakula, Basia, Puri, Ajay, Rehm, Jurgen, Sturge, Jodi, Tu, Andrew W., and Zhao, Jinhui
- Subjects
Alcoholism -- Research ,Drug utilization -- Research ,Substance abuse -- Care and treatment - Abstract
This article outlines the design of a Canada-wide system that was piloted in the province of British Columbia (BC) in 2007. The impetus for the project was the perception that [...], This pilot project is a province-wide and nationally-supported collaboration intended to add value to existing monitoring and surveillance exercises that currently exist and are being developed in Canada. The fundamental aim is to create a system that generates a timely flow of data on hazardous patterns of substance use and related harms so as to inform public debate, to support effective policy, and to facilitate policy-relevant epidemiological research. Pilot and feasibiliy exercises have been conducted in relation to developing consistent questions in surveys of general and special populations, treatment system data, data on the contents of drugs seized by police, interviews with police, rates of alcohol and other drug mortality and morbidity, alcohol sales data, and data from the emergency departments. Wherever possible, links with the equivalent national data collection processes have been established to create consistencies. This article provides a general overview of the BC pilot monitoring system and discusses some potential advantages of planning and designing a comprehensive system with built-in consistencies across data collection elements. KEY WORDS: Canada, data collection, alcohol sales data, drug mortality and morbidity.
- Published
- 2009
20. Tracking trends of alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco through morbidity data.
- Author
-
Buxton, Jane A., Tu, Andrew W., and Stockwell, Tim
- Subjects
Illegal drugs -- Analysis -- Surveys -- Research ,Morbidity -- Analysis -- Surveys -- Research ,Substance abuse -- Analysis -- Surveys -- Research - Abstract
The need to track emerging trends in the use and outcomes of alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco is important for researchers to prepare prevention and intervention programs and for policy [...], Despite various national and provincial tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug surveys in Canada, tracking trends and patterns of use is difficult. These surveys often target specific populations and are prone to sampling or respondent bias. This article describes a feasibility study to provide alcohol-, illicit drug- and tobacco-related morbidity using hospital separation data. Hospital episodes for diseases and conditions wholly or partially attributable to alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco by health authority, age group, sex, and specific ICD-IO codes for British Columbia (BC) were obtained. The most responsible diagnosis statistics were combined with aetiologic fractions for each ICD-IO code to estimate the total burden of substance use by health authority. Hospital admissions attributable to alcohol and tobacco each cause approximately 3 and 5 times respectively, that attributable to illicit drugs. The ongoing analysis of morbidity data will be used to inform the health authorities, and to assist policy makers in creating and evaluating policies. KEY WORDS: Tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, Canada, moridity, policy.
- Published
- 2009
21. Local drug use epidemiology: lessons learned and implications for broader comparisons.
- Author
-
Buxton, Jane A., Mehrabadi, Azar, Preston, Emma, and Tu, Andrew W.
- Subjects
Drug abuse -- Research - Abstract
Background The Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (CCENDU) was established in 1996 to monitor drug use and its adverse consequences at the community level. Each site collects, collates [...], The Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (CCENDU) Vancouver-site committee is comprised of representatives from national/provincial/local health and enforcement agencies. It collects, collates and interprets recent local data relating to major drug use to produce regular reports exploring Vancouver data with provincial and national comparisons. Meetings of committee members allow identification of current concerns, inform the data and broaden the context for the members. The seventh Vancouver site report since 1996 was published in July 2007. Data trends are explored with input from committee members; changes in data collection and definitions are clarified. The committee strives to share the knowledge with health authorities, policy makers, agencies and the public. KEY WORDS: Canada, drug use, data collection, policy.
- Published
- 2009
22. Treatment differences between Aboriginal and white infants admitted to Canadian neonatal intensive care units
- Author
-
Reime, Birgit, Tu, Andrew W., and Lee, Shoo K.
- Published
- 2007
23. Are the Physical Activity Parenting Practices Reported by US and Canadian Parents Captured in Currently Published Instruments?
- Author
-
Mâsse, Louise C., O'Connor, Teresia M., Tu, Andrew W., Watts, Allison W., Beauchamp, Mark R., Hughes, Sheryl O., and Baranowski, Tom
- Subjects
PHYSICAL activity ,PARENTING ,PSYCHOMETRICS ,CHILD behavior ,QUESTIONNAIRES - Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the physical activity parenting practices (PAPPs) parents report using with the PAPPs incorporated in the published literature. Methods: PAPPs in the literature were identified by reviewing the content of 74 published PAPP measures obtained from current systematic reviews supplemented with a literature search. The types of PAPPs used by parents were identified by surveying a stratified sample of 134 Canadian and US parents of 5- to 12 year-old children. Items from the literature and parent responses were coded using the same coding scheme. Differences between the PAPPs emphasized by the parents and the literature were examined. Results: Parents significantly emphasized different issues than what is measured in the literature (P < .001). Parents emphasized more control (13.6% vs. 6.9%), modeling and teaching (13.2% vs. 9.2%), and structural strategies (32.2% vs. 28.6%) and less autonomy support (11.8% vs. 14.0%), logistical support (9.9% vs. 12.8%), and responsiveness strategies (19.3% vs. 28.5%). Conclusions: Physical activity practices most often employed by parents are not the ones emphasized in current measures. The extent to which putting more emphasis on the areas identified by parents will increase the predictive validity of the measures warrants further examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Parent-Adolescent Patterns of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors and Sleep Among a Sample of Overweight and Obese Ad.
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Watts, Allison W., and Masse, Louise C.
- Subjects
PHYSICAL activity ,SEDENTARY behavior ,HEALTH ,SLEEP ,PARENTING ,OVERWEIGHT persons ,ADOLESCENT obesity ,ACCELEROMETERS - Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between parent and adolescent levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep among a group of overweight and obese adolescents. Methods: Baseline data of parent-adolescent pairs who enrolled in a lifestyle modification intervention were analyzed for this study (n = 176). Participants completed questionnaires about their screen time (TV, video game, and computer time), wore an accelerometer for 8 days, and completed a sleep diary for 1 week. In total, 98 parent-adolescent dyads provided valid data for the analyses. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between parent and adolescent's moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA), step counts, sedentary behaviors, and sleep duration. Analyses were split by weekday, weekday evening and weekend. Results: Parent-adolescent MVPA was significantly associated on weekdays (b = 0.18; SE = 0.08; β = 0.26), weekday evenings (b = 0.21; SE = 0.08; β = 0.28), and weekends (b = 0.29; SE = 0.12; β = 0.27). This study found associations between parent-child video game time on weekends (b = 1.10; SE = 0.49; β = 0.24) and computer time on weekdays (b = 0.42; SE = 0.19; β = 0.23). Adolescent sleep was associated with parental sleep on weekdays only (b = 0.38; SE = 0.09; β = 0.46). Conclusion: The findings warrant further investigation into the direction and mechanism of the relationship between parent and adolescent weight related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. The context of illicit drug overdose deaths in British Columbia, 2006
- Author
-
Waheed Bilal, Tu Andrew W, Skutezky Trevor, Buxton Jane A, Wallace Alex, and Mak Sunny
- Subjects
Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Abstract Background Illicit drug overdose deaths (IDD) relate to individual drug dose and context of use, including use with other drugs and alcohol. IDD peaked in British Columbia (BC) in 1998 with 417 deaths, and continues to be a public health problem. The objective of this study was to examine IDD in 2006 in BC by place of residence, injury and death, decedents' age and sex and substances identified. Methods IDD data was obtained through the BC Coroners Office and entered into SPSS (version 14). Fisher's exact and Pearson's χ2 were used for categorical data; Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables. Rates were calculated using 2006 population estimates. Results We identified 223 IDD in BC; 54 (24%) occurred in Vancouver. Vancouver decedents (compared to those occurring outside Vancouver) were older (mean age 43.9 vs. 39.2 years; p < 0.01) and more likely to be male (90.7% vs. 77.5%; p = 0.03). Provincially Aboriginal ethnicity was reported for 19 deaths; 13 (30.2%) of 43 females and 6 (3.3%) of 180 males (p = < 0.001). Cocaine was identified in 80.3%, opiates 59.6%, methadone 13.9%, methamphetamine/amphetamine 6.3%, and alcohol in 22.9% of deaths. Poly-substance use was common, 2 substances were identified in 43.8% and 3 or more in 34.5% of deaths. Opiates were more frequently identified in Vancouver compared to outside Vancouver (74.1% vs. 55.0%) p = 0.015. Conclusion Collaboration with the Coroner's office allowed us to analyze IDD in detail including place of death; cocaine, opiates and poly-substance use were commonly identified. Poly-substance use should be explored further to inform public health interventions.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Increasing toxicity of the illicit drug supply during COVID-19: the need for an accessible and acceptable safe supply.
- Author
-
Palis, Heather, Tu, Andrew, Scow, Marnie, Young, Pam, Wood, Shawn, Hu, Kevin, Lock, Kurt, Shapiro, Aaron, Buxton, Jane, and Slaunwhite, Amanda K.
- Subjects
- *
DRUGS of abuse , *DRUG toxicity , *COVID-19 , *HARM reduction , *DRUG overdose - Abstract
Illicit drug toxicity (i.e. overdose) is the leading cause of unnatural death in British Columbia, with 2021 recording a 26% increase since 2020, and more deaths than recorded in any prior year. This rise has been largely driven by the increased toxicity of the illicit drug supply. While harm reduction and treatment interventions have reduced deaths, these services alone are insufficient to stop the illicit drug toxicity crisis. Calls are mounting to provide access to a "safe supply" of drugs. One size does not fit all, and a diverse range of substances must be made widely available to separate British Columbians from the illicit drug supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
27. Contributors
- Author
-
Auwal, Fatima, Awaisu, Ahmed, Elbeddini, Ali, Gazarin, Mohamed, Jatau, Abubakar Ibrahim, Karaye, Ibraheem M., Lau, Stephanie, Sha’aban, Abubakar, Tu, Andrew, Yeats, Aniko, and Yunusa, Ismaeel
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Developmental growth patterns of Canadian children and the effect of the neighbourhood environment on growth
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew
- Abstract
Background: Efforts are needed to identify individuals at risk of becoming obese to facilitate the development and implementation of targeted prevention strategies. The objective of this dissertation was to identify the developmental trajectories of body mass index (BMI) among children as they age into adulthood and examine how the neighbourhood environment influences childhood obesity rates and BMI development. Methods: Data from Canada’s National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth was used for this dissertation. Group based trajectory modeling was used to examine eight waves (14 years) of data to identify distinct trajectories of BMI. Neighbourhood types were defined by grouping neighbourhoods with similar attributes using latent class analysis. A mediation analysis was then conducted to assess the mediating role of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on the cross-sectional relationship between neighbourhood type and obesity. The relationship between neighbourhood type and obesity was examined longitudinally using both variable- and person-centred approaches. Results: This study identified four distinct BMI trajectories among children: low, decreasing, medium, and high. Born large for gestational age, living in a rural area, and maternal smoking were associated with the high trajectory. Children were found to live within one of five neighbourhood types. Compared with children living in an affluent urban type neighbourhood, higher rates of obesity were observed in the remaining four neighbourhood types. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were found to partially mediate the relationship between neighbourhood type and obesity; however, not among children living in predominantly rural neighbourhoods. Children living in predominantly rural neighbourhoods were found to have a significantly higher BMI trajectory and were more likely to be on a BMI trajectory leading to obesity by adulthood. Conclusions: This dissertation identified children at risk of becoming obese by adulthood and neighbourhood types that are most conducive of children developing obesity. The results suggest that prevention efforts should be targeted to children living in rural areas and that these efforts should differ from those applied in urban settings. Physical activity explains a small proportion of obesity risk suggesting that other factors (e.g., diet) may play an important role in obesity risk associated with neighbourhood factors.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Patterns of health care utilization among people who overdosed from illegal drugs: a descriptive analysis using the BC Provincial Overdose Cohort.
- Author
-
Otterstatter, Michael C., Crabtree, Alexis, Dobrer, Sabina, Kinniburgh, Brooke, Klar, Salman, Leamon, Anthony, May-Hadford, Jennifer, Mill, Christopher, Park, Mina, Tu, Andrew W., and Lu Zheng
- Subjects
MEDICAL care use ,DRUG overdose ,PUBLIC health ,AMBULANCE service - Abstract
Introduction: British Columbia (BC) declared a public health emergency in April 2016 in response to a rapid rise in overdose deaths. Further understanding of health care utilization is needed to inform prevention strategies for individuals who overdose from illegal drugs. Methods: The Provincial Overdose Cohort includes linked administrative data on health care utilization by individuals who experienced an illegal drug overdose event in BC between 1 January 2015 and 30 November 2016. Overdose cases were identified using data from ambulance services, coroners' investigations, poison control centre calls and hospital, emergency department and physician administrative records. In total, 10 455 overdose cases were identified and compared with 52 275 controls matched on age, sex and area of residence for a descriptive analysis of health care utilization. Results: Two-thirds (66%) of overdose cases were male and about half (49%) were 20-39 years old. Over half of the cases (54%) visited the emergency department and about one-quarter (26%) were admitted to hospital in the year before the overdose event, compared with 17% and 9% of controls, respectively. Nevertheless, nearly onefifth (19%) of cases were recorded leaving the emergency department without being seen or against medical advice. High proportions of both cases (75%) and controls (72%) visited community-based physicians. Substance use and mental health-related concerns were the most common diagnoses among people who went on to overdose. Conclusion: People who overdosed frequently accessed the health care system in the year before the overdose event. In light of the high rates of health care use, there may be opportunities to identify at-risk individuals before they overdose and connect them with targeted programs and evidence-based interventions. Further work using the BC Provincial Overdose Cohort will focus on identifying risk factors for overdose events and death by overdose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. What do US and Canadian parents do to encourage or discourage physical activity among their 5-12 Year old children?
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., O'Connor, Teresia M., Beauchamp, Mark R., Hughes, Sheryl O., Baranowski, Tom, and Mâsse, Louise C.
- Subjects
- *
PARENT-child relationships , *CHILDREN'S health , *PHYSICAL activity , *INCOME , *LINEAR statistical models , *PSYCHOLOGY , *EXERCISE , *PARENTING , *PSYCHOLOGY of parents , *RESEARCH funding - Abstract
Background: Parents have the potential to substantively influence their child's physical activity. This study identified the parenting practices of US and Canadian parents to encourage or discourage their 5-12 year-old child's physical activity and to examine differences in parenting practices by country, parental sex, age of child, and income.Methods: The sample consisted of 134 US and Canadian parents (54.5% US; 60.4% female) recruited from a web-based panel by a polling firm. The parents answered open-ended questions about what they and other parents do to encourage or discourage their child to be active. Responses were coded using a scheme previously developed to code items used in the published literature. Coded responses were summarized by domain and dimension with differences in responses by country, parental sex, age of child, or household income assessed with a log-linear analysis.Results: The 134 parents provided 649 and 397 responses to ways that parents encourage or discourage their child's physical activity, respectively. Over 70% of responses for practices that encourage physical activity were related to structure of the environment, parental encouragement, and co-participation. The most common response was co-participation in activity with the child. Of the practices that discourage physical activity, 67% were related to structure of the environment, lack of parental control, and modeling poor behaviors. The most common response was allowing screen time. There were no differences in response by country, parental sex, child age, or household income.Conclusions: Parents most often encouraged physical activity through structure and emotional support and discouraged physical activity through lack of structure and control. Understanding how parents influence their child's physical activity may help improve intervention strategies. The current results will inform the development of a physical activity parenting practices instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Eating Away from Home: Influences on the Dietary Quality of Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity.
- Author
-
WATTS, ALLISON W., VALENTE, MARIA, TU, ANDREW, and MÂSSE, LOUISE C.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Testbed-based performance evaluation of handshake-free MAC protocols for underwater acoustic sensor networks.
- Author
-
Aval, Yashar M., Han, Yu, Tu, Andrew, Basagni, Stefano, Stojanovic, Milica, and Fei, Yunsi
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Food parenting practices for 5 to 12 year old children: a concept map analysis of parenting and nutrition experts input.
- Author
-
O'Connor, Teresia M., Mâsse, Louise C., Tu, Andrew W., Watts, Allison W., Hughes, Sheryl O., Beauchamp, Mark R., Baranowski, Tom, Pham, Truc, Berge, Jerica M., Fiese, Barbara, Golley, Rebecca, Hingle, Melanie, Kremers, Stef P. J., Rhee, Kyung E., Skouteris, Helen, and Vaughn, Amber
- Subjects
CLUSTER analysis (Statistics) ,CONCEPTUAL structures ,EXPERIMENTAL design ,FOOD ,FOOD habits ,LONGITUDINAL method ,RESEARCH methodology ,PARENT-child relationships ,PARENTING ,RESEARCH funding ,CONCEPT mapping - Abstract
Background: Parents are an important influence on children's dietary intake and eating behaviors. However, the lack of a conceptual framework and inconsistent assessment of food parenting practices limits our understanding of which food parenting practices are most influential on children. The aim of this study was to develop a food parenting practice conceptual framework using systematic approaches of literature reviews and expert input. Method: A previously completed systematic review of food parenting practice instruments and a qualitative study of parents informed the development of a food parenting practice item bank consisting of 3632 food parenting practice items. The original item bank was further reduced to 110 key food parenting concepts using binning and winnowing techniques. A panel of 32 experts in parenting and nutrition were invited to sort the food parenting practice concepts into categories that reflected their perceptions of a food parenting practice conceptual framework. Multi-dimensional scaling produced a point map of the sorted concepts and hierarchical cluster analysis identified potential solutions. Subjective modifications were used to identify two potential solutions, with additional feedback from the expert panel requested. Results: The experts came from 8 countries and 25 participated in the sorting and 23 provided additional feedback. A parsimonious and a comprehensive concept map were developed based on the clustering of the food parenting practice constructs. The parsimonious concept map contained 7 constructs, while the comprehensive concept map contained 17 constructs and was informed by a previously published content map for food parenting practices. Most of the experts (52%) preferred the comprehensive concept map, while 35% preferred to present both solutions. Conclusion: The comprehensive food parenting practice conceptual map will provide the basis for developing a calibrated Item Response Modeling (IRM) item bank that can be used with computerized adaptive testing. Such an item bank will allow for more consistency in measuring food parenting practices across studies to better assess the impact of food parenting practices on child outcomes and the effect of interventions that target parents as agents of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Conceptualizing physical activity parenting practices using expert informed concept mapping analysis.
- Author
-
Mâsse, Louise C., O'Connor, Teresia M., Tu, Andrew W., Hughes, Sheryl O., Beauchamp, Mark R., Baranowski, Tom, and Physical Activity Parenting Expert Group
- Subjects
CHILD psychology ,PHYSICAL activity ,CONCEPT mapping ,HEALTH surveys ,LITERATURE reviews - Abstract
Background: Parents are widely recognized as playing a central role in the development of child behaviors such as physical activity. As there is little agreement as to the dimensions of physical activity-related parenting practices that should be measured or how they should be operationalized, this study engaged experts to develop an integrated conceptual framework for assessing parenting practices that influence multiple aspects of 5 to 12 year old children's participation in physical activity. The ultimate goal of this study is to inform the development of an item bank (repository of calibrated items) aimed at measuring physical activity parenting practices.Methods: Twenty four experts from 6 countries (Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, & United States (US)) sorted 77 physical activity parenting practice concepts identified from our previously published synthesis of the literature (74 measures) and survey of Canadian and US parents. Concept Mapping software was used to conduct the multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) analysis and a cluster analysis of the MDS solution of the Expert's sorting which was qualitatively reviewed and commented on by the Experts.Results: The conceptual framework includes 12 constructs which are presented using three main domains of parenting practices (neglect/control, autonomy support, and structure). The neglect/control domain includes two constructs: permissive and pressuring parenting practices. The autonomy supportive domain includes four constructs: encouragement, guided choice, involvement in child physical activities, and praises/rewards for their child's physical activity. Finally, the structure domain includes six constructs: co-participation, expectations, facilitation, modeling, monitoring, and restricting physical activity for safety or academic concerns.Conclusion: The concept mapping analysis provided a useful process to engage experts in re-conceptualizing physical activity parenting practices and identified key constructs to include in measures of physical activity parenting. While the constructs identified ought to be included in measures of physical activity parenting practices, it will be important to collect data among parents to further validate the content of these constructs. In conclusion, the method provided a roadmap for developing an item bank that captures key facets of physical activity parenting and ultimately serves to standardize how we operationalize measures of physical activity parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Does parental and adolescent participation in an e-health lifestyle modification intervention improves weight outcomes?
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Watts, Allison W., Chanoine, Jean-Pierre, Panagiotopoulos, Constadina, Geller, Josie, Brant, Rollin, Barr, Susan I., and Mâsse, Louise
- Subjects
- *
LIFESTYLES & health , *BODY mass index , *WAIST circumference , *PATIENT compliance , *PHYSICAL activity , *SEDENTARY behavior , *OBESITY treatment , *BEHAVIOR therapy , *DIET , *EXERCISE , *INTERNET , *PARENTS , *PATIENT education , *RESEARCH funding , *TELEMEDICINE , *WEIGHT loss , *LIFESTYLES - Abstract
Background: Few studies have evaluated the effect of adherence to a lifestyle intervention on adolescent health outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine whether adolescent and parental adherence to components of an e-health intervention resulted in change in adolescent body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) z-scores in a sample of overweight/obese adolescents.Methods: In total, 159 overweight/obese adolescents and their parents participated in an 8-month e-health lifestyle intervention. Each week, adolescents and their parents were asked to login to their respective website and to monitor their dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours. We examined participation (percentage of webpages viewed [adolescents]; number of weeks logged in [parents]) and self-monitoring (number of weeks behaviors were tracked) rates. Linear mixed models and multiple regressions were used to examine change in adolescent BMI and WC z-scores and predictors of adolescent participation and self-monitoring, respectively.Results: Adolescents and parents completed 28% and 23%, respectively, of the online component of the intervention. Higher adolescent participation rate was associated with a decrease in the slope of BMI z-score but not with change in WC z-score. No association was found between self-monitoring rate and change in adolescent BMI or WC z-scores. Parent participation was not found to moderate the relationship between adolescent participation and weight outcomes.Conclusions: Developing strategies for engaging and promoting supportive interactions between adolescents and parents are needed in the e-health context. Findings demonstrate that improving adolescents' adherence to e-health lifestyle intervention can effectively alter the weight trajectory of overweight/obese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Body mass index trajectories from ages 1 to 20: Results from two nationally representative canadian longitudinal cohorts.
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Mâsse, Louise C., Lear, Scott A., Gotay, Carolyn C., and Richardson, Chris G.
- Subjects
BODY mass index ,ADOLESCENT obesity ,CHILDHOOD obesity ,GESTATIONAL age ,SMOKING - Abstract
Objective In this study, unique body mass index (BMI) trajectories from ages 1 to 20 years were identified; each trajectory according to socio demographic and family characteristics was described. Methods Participants came from two national population surveys ( n = 7,253; n = 901) and were aged 1-6 years at baseline. Children were surveyed biennially over eight waves up to 14-20 years of age. BMI trajectories by sex and survey cohort were identified by group-based trajectory modeling. After crossvalidating trajectories between survey cohorts, the characteristics of trajectory membership were assessed by multinomial regression. Results Four BMI trajectories were found: low, decreasing, medium, and high. The decreasing trajectory was characterized by an overweight or obese childhood followed by a normal-weight adolescence. The low, medium, and high trajectories were characterized by growth curves culminating, by age 20, to BMI 22.6, 29.3, and 34.9 kg/m
2 , respectively, for males and 20.6, 24.5, and 32.0 kg/m2 , respectively, for females. Factors associated with the high trajectory included ethnicity and paternal education (female only), large for gestational age, rural area residence, and maternal smoking. Conclusions The identification and validation of four major trajectories reflect the heterogeneity in patterns of BMI development from 1 to 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Identifying Risk Factors Associated With Trajectories of Body Mass Index (BMI) Growth from Infancy to Adulthood in Two Nationally Representative Samples of Canadians
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew, Masse, Louise, Lear, Scott, and Richardson, Chris
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. The context of illicit drug overdose deaths in British Columbia, 2006.
- Author
-
Buxton, Jane A., Skutezky, Trevor, Tu, Andrew W., Waheed, Bilal, Wallace, Alex, and Mak, Sunny
- Subjects
DRUGS of abuse ,DRUG overdose ,DEATH ,NARCOTICS - Abstract
Background: Illicit drug overdose deaths (IDD) relate to individual drug dose and context of use, including use with other drugs and alcohol. IDD peaked in British Columbia (BC) in 1998 with 417 deaths, and continues to be a public health problem. The objective of this study was to examine IDD in 2006 in BC by place of residence, injury and death, decedents' age and sex and substances identified. Methods: IDD data was obtained through the BC Coroners Office and entered into SPSS (version 14). Fisher's exact and Pearson's ?2 were used for categorical data; Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables. Rates were calculated using 2006 population estimates. Results: We identified 223 IDD in BC; 54 (24%) occurred in Vancouver. Vancouver decedents (compared to those occurring outside Vancouver) were older (mean age 43.9 vs. 39.2 years; p < 0.01) and more likely to be male (90.7% vs. 77.5%; p = 0.03). Provincially Aboriginal ethnicity was reported for 19 deaths; 13 (30.2%) of 43 females and 6 (3.3%) of 180 males (p = < 0.001). Cocaine was identified in 80.3%, opiates 59.6%, methadone 13.9%, methamphetamine/ amphetamine 6.3%, and alcohol in 22.9% of deaths. Poly-substance use was common, 2 substances were identified in 43.8% and 3 or more in 34.5% of deaths. Opiates were more frequently identified in Vancouver compared to outside Vancouver (74.1% vs. 55.0%) p = 0.015. Conclusion: Collaboration with the Coroner's office allowed us to analyze IDD in detail including place of death; cocaine, opiates and poly-substance use were commonly identified. Poly-substance use should be explored further to inform public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Gender Differences in the Correlates of Adolescents' Cannabis Use.
- Author
-
Tu, Andrew W., Ratner, Pamela A., and Johnson, Joy L.
- Subjects
- *
PSYCHOLOGY , *CANNABIS (Genus) , *GENDER differences (Psychology) in adolescence , *TOBACCO use , *SMOKABLE plants , *CROSS-sectional method - Abstract
Adolescents' gender-specific cannabis use rates and their correlates were examined. Data were obtained via a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2004 in British Columbia, Canada, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. School districts were invited to participate, and schools within consenting districts were recruited. In total, 8,225 students (50% male) from Grades 7 to 12 participated. About 73% were “White,” and 47% had used cannabis in their lifetime. Cannabis users were grouped according to their frequency of use: “never users,” “frequent users,” or “heavy users.” Male heavy cannabis users (14.3% of boys) were more likely to be in Grade 9 or higher; be Aboriginal; report poorer economic status; never feel like an outsider; frequently use alcohol and tobacco; and have lower satisfaction with family, friends, and school compared with boys that never used. Female heavy users (8.7% of girls) were more likely to be in a higher grade; report poorer economic status, mental health, and academic performance; frequently use alcohol and tobacco; and have lower satisfaction with their school compared with female never users. Three important gender differences in the multivariate analysis of the correlates of cannabis use were noted: school grade (for boys only), Aboriginal status (for boys only), and mental health (for girls only). Despite the limitations of relying on self-reports, a subset of youth appears to be at risk for excessive cannabis use that may impair life opportunities and health. The gender differences may be important in the design and implementation of prevention or treatment programs for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Knowledge of "Heart Attack" Symptoms in a Canadian Urban Community.
- Author
-
Ratner, Pamela A., Johnson, Joy L., Mackay, Martha, Tu, Andrew W., and Hossain, Shahadut
- Published
- 2008
41. Myocardial infarction symptom recognition by the lay public: the role of gender and ethnicity.
- Author
-
Rather, Pamela A., Tzianetas, Roula, Tu, Andrew W., Johnson, Joy L., Mackay, Martha, Buller, Christopher E., Rowlands, Maureen, and Reime, Birgit
- Subjects
MYOCARDIAL infarction ,EMERGENCY medical services ,STATISTICAL sampling ,ETHNICITY ,MEDICAL personnel ,SYMPTOMS - Abstract
Study objective: To find out if gender and ethnicity are associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) symptom recognition and the recommendation of enlisting emergency medical services. Design: In an experiment, a random sample of the public was provided a scenario of a person experiencing symptoms of AMI; the gender of the character (male, female, or indeterminate) was manipulated. Setting: Vancouver, Canada Participants: 976 people from a population based random sample of 3419 people, 40 years of age and older, participated in a telephone survey given in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi. Main results: 78% of the respondents identified the symptoms as heart related. Unadjusted analyses showed that ethnicity, education, income, and AMI knowledge were significantly associated with symptom recognition (Chinese respondents were least likely to identify the symptoms as heart related). Thirty seven per cent recommended calling emergency services, which was associated with symptom recognition, ethnicity (Chinese respondents were least likely to make the recommendation), AMI knowledge, having an immediate family member with AMI, and having talked with a health professional about the signs and symptoms of AMI. Neither the gender of the respondent nor of the affected person in the scenario was associated with symptom recognition. Conclusions: Heart health education must be targeted to and tailored for ethnic communities. Health professionals must discuss the signs and symptoms of AMI, and the correct course of action, with their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Food parenting practices for 5 to 12 year old children: a concept map analysis of parenting and nutrition experts input
- Author
-
O’Connor, Teresia M, Mâsse, Louise C, Tu, Andrew W, Watts, Allison W, Hughes, Sheryl O, Beauchamp, Mark R, Baranowski, Tom, Pham, Truc, Berge, Jerica M, Fiese, Barbara, Golley, Rebecca, Hingle, Melanie, Kremers, Stef P J, Rhee, Kyung E, Skouteris, Helen, and Vaughn, Amber
- Subjects
2. Zero hunger - Abstract
Background: Parents are an important influence on children’s dietary intake and eating behaviors. However, the lack of a conceptual framework and inconsistent assessment of food parenting practices limits our understanding of which food parenting practices are most influential on children. The aim of this study was to develop a food parenting practice conceptual framework using systematic approaches of literature reviews and expert input. Method: A previously completed systematic review of food parenting practice instruments and a qualitative study of parents informed the development of a food parenting practice item bank consisting of 3632 food parenting practice items. The original item bank was further reduced to 110 key food parenting concepts using binning and winnowing techniques. A panel of 32 experts in parenting and nutrition were invited to sort the food parenting practice concepts into categories that reflected their perceptions of a food parenting practice conceptual framework. Multi-dimensional scaling produced a point map of the sorted concepts and hierarchical cluster analysis identified potential solutions. Subjective modifications were used to identify two potential solutions, with additional feedback from the expert panel requested. Results: The experts came from 8 countries and 25 participated in the sorting and 23 provided additional feedback. A parsimonious and a comprehensive concept map were developed based on the clustering of the food parenting practice constructs. The parsimonious concept map contained 7 constructs, while the comprehensive concept map contained 17 constructs and was informed by a previously published content map for food parenting practices. Most of the experts (52%) preferred the comprehensive concept map, while 35% preferred to present both solutions. Conclusion: The comprehensive food parenting practice conceptual map will provide the basis for developing a calibrated Item Response Modeling (IRM) item bank that can be used with computerized adaptive testing. Such an item bank will allow for more consistency in measuring food parenting practices across studies to better assess the impact of food parenting practices on child outcomes and the effect of interventions that target parents as agents of change.
43. Patterns of health care utilization among people who overdosed from illegal drugs: a descriptive analysis using the BC Provincial Overdose Cohort.
- Author
-
Otterstatter MC, Crabtree A, Dobrer S, Kinniburgh B, Klar S, Leamon A, May-Hadford J, Mill C, Park M, Tu AW, and Zheng L
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, British Columbia, Case-Control Studies, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, Substance-Related Disorders diagnosis, Treatment Refusal statistics & numerical data, Young Adult, Community Health Services statistics & numerical data, Drug Overdose therapy, Emergency Service, Hospital statistics & numerical data, Hospitalization statistics & numerical data, Illicit Drugs poisoning
- Abstract
Introduction: British Columbia (BC) declared a public health emergency in April 2016 in response to a rapid rise in overdose deaths. Further understanding of health care utilization is needed to inform prevention strategies for individuals who overdose from illegal drugs., Methods: The Provincial Overdose Cohort includes linked administrative data on health care utilization by individuals who experienced an illegal drug overdose event in BC between 1 January 2015 and 30 November 2016. Overdose cases were identified using data from ambulance services, coroners' investigations, poison control centre calls and hospital, emergency department and physician administrative records. In total, 10 455 overdose cases were identified and compared with 52 275 controls matched on age, sex and area of residence for a descriptive analysis of health care utilization., Results: Two-thirds (66%) of overdose cases were male and about half (49%) were 20-39 years old. Over half of the cases (54%) visited the emergency department and about one-quarter (26%) were admitted to hospital in the year before the overdose event, compared with 17% and 9% of controls, respectively. Nevertheless, nearly onefifth (19%) of cases were recorded leaving the emergency department without being seen or against medical advice. High proportions of both cases (75%) and controls (72%) visited community-based physicians. Substance use and mental health-related concerns were the most common diagnoses among people who went on to overdose., Conclusion: People who overdosed frequently accessed the health care system in the year before the overdose event. In light of the high rates of health care use, there may be opportunities to identify at-risk individuals before they overdose and connect them with targeted programs and evidence-based interventions. Further work using the BC Provincial Overdose Cohort will focus on identifying risk factors for overdose events and death by overdose., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Who knows more about immunization?: Survey of public health nurses and physicians.
- Author
-
Buxton JA, McIntyre CC, Tu AW, Eadie BD, Remple VP, Halperin B, and Pielak KL
- Subjects
- Adult, British Columbia, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pediatrics, Physicians statistics & numerical data, Public Health Practice statistics & numerical data, Young Adult, Clinical Competence statistics & numerical data, General Practitioners statistics & numerical data, Immunization, Nurses, Public Health statistics & numerical data, Physicians, Family statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objective: To report the findings of a knowledge survey of nurse and physician immunization providers., Design: Cross-sectional postal survey assessing demographic characteristics and vaccine knowledge., Setting: British Columbia (BC)., Participants: Nurse and physician immunization providers in BC., Main Outcome Measures: Knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccines in general, and vaccine administration and handling practices., Results: Survey responses were received from 256 nurses and 292 physicians (response rates of 48.6% and 18.3%, respectively). Most nurses (98.4%) reported receiving immunization training outside of the academic setting compared with 55.6% of physicians. Overall, nurse immunizers scored significantly higher than physician immunizers on all 3 domains of immunization knowledge (83.7% vs 72.8%, respectively; P < .001). Physicians scored highest on the vaccine-preventable disease domain and least well on the general vaccine domain. Nurses with more experience as health care providers scored higher. Physicians scored higher if they were female, served patient populations predominantly younger than 5 years, or received immunization training outside of academic settings., Conclusion: In BC, nurse immunizers appear to have higher overall immunization knowledge than physicians and are more likely to receive immunization training when in practice. Physician immunizers might benefit most from further training on vaccines and vaccine administration and handling.
- Published
- 2013
45. Prevalence and incidence of hepatitis C virus in hemodialysis patients in British Columbia: Follow-up after a possible breach in hemodialysis machines.
- Author
-
Tu AW, Buxton JA, Whitlock M, Djurdjev O, Chong M, Krajden M, Beaulieu M, and Levin A
- Abstract
Background: A possible breach of the transducer protector in specific dialysis machines was reported in June 2004 in British Columbia (BC), which led to testing of hemodialysis patients for hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV. This testing provided an opportunity to examine HCV incidence, prevalence and coinfection with HBV and HIV, and to compare anti-HCV and HCV polymerase chain reaction (PCR)., Methods: The results of hemodialysis patients who were dialyzed on the implicated machines (65% of BC dialysis patients), and tested for HCV, HBV and HIV, between June 1, 2004, and December 31, 2004, were reviewed and compared with available previous results., Results: Of 1286 hemodialysis patients with anti-HCV and/or HCV-PCR testing, 69 (5.4%) tested positive. Two HCV genotype 4 seroconversions were identified. HCV incidence rate on dialysis was 78.8 cases per 100,000 person-years. Younger age, history of renal transplant and past HBV infection were associated with HCV infection. No occult infection was identified using HCV-PCR., Interpretation: Hemodialysis patients had three times the HCV prevalence rate of the general BC population, and more than 20 times the incident rate of the general Canadian population. One of the two seroconversions occurred before the testing campaign; the patient was likely infected during hemodialysis in South Asia. The other was plausibly a late seroconversion following renal transplant in South Asia. Nosocomial transmission cannot be ruled out because both patients were dialyzed in the same centre. Baseline and annual anti-HCV testing is recommended. HCV-PCR should be considered at baseline for persons with HCV risk factors, and for returning travellers who received dialysis in HCV-endemic countries to identify HCV infection occurring outside the hemodialysis unit.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Publicly funded pegylated interferon-alpha treatment in British Columbia: disparities in treatment patterns for people with hepatitis C.
- Author
-
Hsu PC, Buxton JA, Tu AW, Hill WD, Yu A, and Krajden M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, British Columbia epidemiology, Demography, Drug Utilization, Female, Hepatitis C diagnosis, Hepatitis C epidemiology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Program Evaluation, Public Health Practice, Sex Factors, Antiviral Agents therapeutic use, Health Services Accessibility economics, Hepatitis C drug therapy, Interferons therapeutic use, Ribavirin therapeutic use
- Abstract
Background: An estimated 60,000 British Columbians are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV); 10% to 20% will develop cirrhosis after 20 years and 5% to 10% of these will develop hepatocellular carcinoma. Although treatment may prevent cirrhosis and liver cancer, and improve quality of life, availability is limited., Methods: Individuals with HCV genotypes 1, 4, 5 and 6 who underwent baseline HCV-RNA tests between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2005, and were eligible for publicly funded treatment through PharmaCare were linked to British Columbia's reportable disease database. Patterns in treatment were examined, including age at treatment, sex, location, time to treatment from HCV diagnosis and seasonality of treatment., Results: When corrected for HCV prevalence, men were more likely to receive treatment than women (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31). Patients aged 35 to 54 years and 55 years or older were 3.45 times (95% CI 2.80 to 4.26 times) and 4.49 times (95% CI 3.55 to 5.69 times), respectively, more likely to initiate treatment than 15- to 34-year-olds. Differences were noted between health authorities. Patients in rural health service delivery areas (HSDAs) were 1.25 times (95% CI 1.10 to 1.42 times) more likely to receive treatment than those in urban HSDAs. Patients had an average lapse of four years between HCV diagnosis and receiving treatment. The highest proportion of patients initiated therapy between January and March (36.5%), with the lowest between October and December (less than 14%)., Conclusions: This data linkage enabled us to identify populations less likely to receive publicly funded treatment. Rural HSDAs have higher rates of therapy initiation; this pattern merits further research but may be a result of integrated prevention and care projects in rural areas. Policy changes to the current PharmaCare funding co-payment schedules could reduce seasonal variability of treatment initiations throughout the year.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Catalog
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.