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Background: Chronic diseases are responsible for over 70% of all deaths globally. While some self-management programs have been shown to be efficacious in preventing or altering trajectories for some chronic conditions, scaling-up and sustaining such programs beyond tightly-controlled study conditions remain a major challenge. CISSS-Laval partnered with the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program team to co-develop Cible-santé/prévention and evaluate the first cohort of participants enrolled in the program, in order to better understand the program's implementation and scope. The objective of the current study was to describe the profile of attendees and the level of engagement of participants in a new, region-wide cardiometabolic disease self-management program offered in Laval, Canada.Methods: This was a prospective study with no comparison group. Potential participants were identified and referred to the program from April to December 2015 by their primary care health professional practicing in one of the city's interdisciplinary primary care clinics. They had their blood pressure, waist circumference and body mass index measured by trained volunteers, and completed a questionnaire on health habits, level of activation and the risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes over the next 10 years.Results: A descriptive analysis of the first cohort of 141 Cible-Santé/prévention participants showed very low attendance. Furthermore, only 1 in 10 of enrolled participants completed the full program. The program typically attracted adults with some risk factors associated with their conditions (high waist circumference, obesity), but with an already high level of knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in self-management activities.Conclusion: This study provides a portrait of new participants to a self-management cardiometabolic disease program, which highlights the potential of supporting patients ready to make changes but also exposes the difficulty of attracting a larger number and diversity of participants and in encouraging completion of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and health profile among urban versus rural continuing care aides (CCAs) in Canada. This cross-sectional study of 42 urban and rural CCAs assessed WMSDs and health profiles using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), and a health background questionnaire. CCAs were generally unhealthy, with rural CCAs somewhat healthier. Greatest WMSD complaint was reported at the neck. Urban CCAs were more likely to report foot complaints (p < .05). No other statistically significant differences were found. Back and shoulder scores were correlated with poorer nutrition status, higher body mass index, and more years worked. Workplace wellness programs should address the health issues faced by CCAs through active surveillance and practical interventions to improve CCAs’ health status, prevent and manage WMSDs, and lost workdays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]