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Introduction: This study evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on temporal trends in mental health and addiction-related inpatient hospitalization rates among youth (aged 10-17 years) in Canadian provinces and territories (excluding Quebec) from 1 April 2018 to 5 March 2022., Methods: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis across three periods: T0 (pre-pandemic: 1 April 2018 to 15 March 2020); T1 (early pandemic: 15 March 2020 to 5 July 2020); and T2 (later pandemic: 6 July 2020 to 5 March 2022)., Results: Pre-pandemic mental health and addiction-related hospitalization rates had significant regional variability, with weekly rates from 6.27 to 85.59 events per 100 000 persons in Manitoba and the territories combined, respectively. During T1, the national (excluding Quebec) weekly hospitalization rate decreased from a pre-pandemic level of 12.82 (95% CI: 12.14 to 13.50) to 5.11 (95% CI: 3.80 to 6.41) events per 100 000 persons. There was no statistically significant change in the mental health and addiction- related hospitalization rate across provinces and territories in T2 compared to T0. However, there was a significant increase in the rate of self-harm-related hospitalizations among females Canada-wide and in most provinces during this period., Conclusion: Although several Canadian studies have reported increases in mental health and addiction-related outpatient and emergency department visits among youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, this did not correspond to an increase in the inpatient hospital burden, with the notable exception of self-harm among young females., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest. Justin J. Lang is one of this journal’s Associate Scientific Editors, but has recused himself from the review process for this article.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, student services leaders needed to adapt to working entirely virtually, find creative solutions to adjust their service delivery, and change how they engaged with their teams. Before COVID-19, studies of virtual leadership focused on virtual teams developed because of the geographical distance between team members. This qualitative study investigated virtual leadership and virtual teams developed because of the move to virtual work during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examined how student services leaders changed their leadership behaviours in response to moving to the virtual work environment. Using data gathered through a questionnaire, interviews, and documentation, four themes reflecting how leaders changed their behaviours and practices were identified: reimagining communication, reconstructing work using technology, reframing team support, and reorienting toward hybrid work. Understanding how these leaders managed their virtual teams at a midsized university in southern Ontario provides insight into what practices might be helpful for teams that continue exclusively virtual work and those that transition to a hybrid work approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the resources of the world's healthcare systems. Most individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) experience significant mental health issues and face substantial barriers in accessing appropriate supports which have been exacerbated during the pandemic. It is unknown the extent to which COVID-19 impacted the demand for and effectiveness of inpatient care for those with NDDs. The impact of COVID-19 on the number of admissions of youth with NDDs to pediatric inpatient psychiatry units, as well as their functioning and length of stay during the first two years of the pandemic was analyzed using Bayesian structural time series models. Admission data of youth with NDDs from four pediatric inpatient units in Alberta, Canada (n = 2144) was examined. Inpatient admissions of youth with NDDs significantly increased following the onset of the pandemic. Compared to the period prior to the pandemic, patients with NDDs had significantly worse overall functioning and received fewer days of treatment. These findings highlight the need for increased resources to support the mental health needs of this vulnerable population and are consistent with other studies in the general population examining the utilization of inpatient psychiatric units during the pandemic.

Expectations are beliefs that someone should or will achieve something. Expectations influence performance--positive expectations improve outcomes, whereas negative expectations worsen them. This interaction is well known in the context of education and academic performance; however, we do not know how teacher expectations changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach to explore the impact of the COVID-19 public health measures on expectations in schools. Specifically, to what extent did teacher expectations for students and themselves change during this unprecedented period. In addition, to what extent did teachers' perceptions of what administrators expectated from them change during this same period. Twelve teachers were purposefully sampled across Canada and interviewed in the spring of 2021. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results generally indicated that expectations for students and for teachers (i.e., themselves) changed. Students were still expected to do their best and teachers still generally had high expectations for themselves, but their expectations were tempered depending on each group's needs. For example, if students showed significant behavioural or emotional needs, academic expectations were reduced. Administrators made some efforts to be supportive and realistic during this time; however, many participants felt it was not enough and found their administrator's expectations were unrealistically high. Furthermore, participants described greater difficulty developing relationships with students during the pandemic, which also impacted how much teachers could expect of them. The findings contribute to the literature by providing suggestions for future research and proposing an expanded version of a conceptual model for expectations in schools. More importantly, the findings can inform school leaders on how to best support teachers, and how teachers can support and advocate for themselves, during high-stress situations or extreme circumstances such as a pandemic.

Background: Many universities in Canada offer experiential education (EE) opportunities for students that are both field-based and on-campus. Despite a commitment to EE, there is a paucity of information about various stakeholder perspectives of EE and the equity implications of the different approaches to EE. Furthermore, it is unclear how EE programs at universities changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. Purpose: This study aims to explore stakeholder perspectives of EE experiences and understand the shifts to EE, perhaps towards more equitable and accessible EE opportunities, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology/Approach: We used an exploratory case study approach involving a survey with university students, interviews with university instructors and community organizations, and a document review, to understand stakeholder perspectives and shifts to EE due to COVID-19. Findings/Conclusions: Findings suggest that there are consistent benefits of EE, and barriers to EE, across student, instructor, and organization perspectives, where learning from changes prompted by the pandemic could be beneficial to increase equity in EE. Implications: We recommend that instructors and institutions continue to work in partnership with students and community organizations to build virtual, on-campus, and local field-based EE (FBEE) opportunities that aim to increase equitable access and impact.

Gender disparity persists in the personal caregiving of children and older adults, and in professional caregiving duties, with many workplace policies and cultures favoring the "ideal worker" and presenting significant and continuing barriers to female caregivers' professional success and well-being. The recent pandemic both highlighted and augmented this disparity as schools, daycares, and adult care facilities closed or implemented restrictions. This study interprets results from the July 2021 Canadian Natural Sciences & Engineering (NSE) Faculty Workplace Climate Survey by empirically assessing the impact on emotional exhaustion of the increased caregiving burden during the COVID-19 pandemic on female academics in the highly masculinized NSE fields. Results indicate that women were more likely to experience emotional exhaustion even when other factors were considered. Collegiality and inclusion were found to be protective factors, illustrating important implications for, and the retention and support of, success and well-being of female NSE academics.

This paper focuses on the experiences of ten women in Canada with refugee backgrounds from the Horn of Africa as they helped their adolescent children (ages 12-18) navigate the challenges of at-home online learning during the global COVID-19 pandemic. We situate our analysis within specific aspects of Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework to demonstrate that, while the women's efforts were hampered by online learning technologies, they were able to harness aspirational and familial capital to keep their children engaged in schoolwork. The women felt deeply involved in their children's education, particularly in terms of following up on children's homework, monitoring their activities, and providing guidance.

Purpose: Understanding the experiences of people with developmental disabilities during the initial period of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers completed baseline and up to five follow-up online surveys using the CRISIS-AFAR measures, between July 2020 and September 2021. We used qualitative (thematic analysis) and quantitative (MANOVA) analytic methods. Results: One hundred and eighteen participants (64 caregivers on individuals 6-62 years, 54 self-reporting individuals aged 17-55 years) completed baseline survey; 46 participants (23 caregivers, 23 self-reporting adults) completed [greater than or equal to] 1 follow-up. Qualitative themes included uncertainty, and negative and positive influences on behaviours and routines, daily life and mental wellness. Those experiencing positive impacts did not stably perceive so longitudinally. Conclusions: Despite both negative and positive influences on individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, the prolonged pandemic had wide-ranging repercussions. Emergency preparedness planning should consider the disruptive effects of public health measures on routine and support for this vulnerable population.

This study applies the hermeneutical phenomenological approach, guided by Critical Race Theory, to explicate a nuanced understanding of the way Chinese international students' racial identity shapes the challenges that they faced during the pandemic and their experience of academic institutions' support during this time. The current study highlights the pervasive anti-Asian racism that directly and indirectly contributed to Chinese international students' negative experiences studying in Canada during the pandemic. The findings also highlight the lack of support from academic institutions, despite the rising anti-Asian racism faced by this group of students. Furthermore, this study calls attention to the consideration of race in developing support programs for racialized international students. Recommendations for universities to better support international students (Chinese or otherwise) are developed.

While it began with a variety of narrative representations of writing personal experiences, since Ellis (2004; Bochner & Ellis, 2016), evocative, performative, and creative nonfiction forms of storying have coalesced to form contemporary autoethnography. For over a decade, Canadian arts education researchers have blazed trails to employ those forms of autoethnography as "learning stories" (Carr, 2001; Carr & Lee, 2012) to study teaching and learning practices in a variety of school and community educational contexts. Learning stories enable educators to reveal teaching and learning experiences that cannot be represented by, or communicated through, other research forms. The present inquiry, which begins with the story of an early childhood educator, is rooted in the fusion of evocative autoethnography and learning stories with arts-based research, particularly a/r/tography.

Routine childhood vaccination is a crucial component of public health in Canada and worldwide. To facilitate catch-up from the global decline in routine vaccination caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and toward the ongoing pursuit of coverage goals, vaccination programs must understand barriers to vaccine access imposed or exacerbated by the pandemic. We conducted a regionally representative online survey in January 2023 including 2036 Canadian parents with children under the age of 18. We used the COM-B model of behaviour to examine factors influencing vaccination timeliness during the pandemic. We assessed Capability with measures of vaccine understanding and decision difficulty, and Motivation with a measure of vaccine confidence. Opportunity was assessed through parents' self-reported experience with barriers to vaccination. Twenty-four percent of surveyed parents reported having missed or delayed one of their children's scheduled routine vaccinations since the beginning of the pandemic, though most parents reported having either caught up or the intention to catch up soon. In the absence of opportunity barriers, motivation was associated with timely vaccination for children aged 0-4 years (aOR = 1.81, 95 % CI: 1.14-2.84). However, experience with one or more opportunity barriers, particularly clinic closures and difficulties getting an appointment, eliminated this relationship, suggesting perennial and new pandemic-associated barriers are a critical challenge to vaccine coverage goals in Canada., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic created conditions of scarcity that led many provinces within Canada to develop triage protocols for critical care resources. In this study, we sought to undertake a narrative synthesis and ethical analysis of early provincial pandemic triage protocols., Methods: We collected provincial triage protocols through personal correspondence with academic and political stakeholders between June and August 2020. Protocol data were extracted independently by two researchers and compared for accuracy and agreement. We separated data into three categories for comparative content analysis: protocol development, ethical framework, and protocol content. Our ethical analysis was informed by a procedural justice framework., Results: We obtained a total of eight provincial triage protocols. Protocols were similar in content, although age, physiologic scores, and functional status were variably incorporated. Most protocols were developed through a multidisciplinary, expert-driven, consensus process, and many were informed by influenza pandemic guidelines previously developed in Ontario. All protocols employed tiered morality-focused exclusion criteria to determine scarce resource allocation at the level of regional health care systems. None included a public engagement phase, although targeted consultation with public advocacy groups and relevant stakeholders was undertaken in select provinces. Most protocols were not publicly available in 2020., Conclusions: Early provincial COVID-19 triage protocols were developed by dedicated expert committees under challenging circumstances. Nonetheless, few were publicly available, and public consultation was limited. No protocols were ever implemented, including during periods of extreme critical care surge. A national approach to pandemic triage that incorporates additional aspects of procedural justice should be considered in preparation for future pandemics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To describe the personal and professional behavior and assess the perceptions of protection and fear of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among faculty, staff, and students from all 10 Canadian dental schools during the second year of the pandemic., Method: Participants from a Pan-Canadian prospective study answered monthly questionnaires about their activities between April 2021 and March 2022. In May 2022, additional questions were asked about their perception of protection, fear of infection, and instances of COVID-19 testing., Results: Six hundred participants were initially recruited. Over time, the participants spent less time at home and increased their participation in indoor social activities, a trend influenced by the fluctuations in COVID-19 cases (β = ‒0.02). Over 90% of the participants were fully vaccinated, which decreased their fear of contracting the virus (χ 2 [4, 241‒243] = 196.07, p < 0.0001). Yet, their attitude toward protective measures did not change, and they followed them within school., Conclusions: This work shows a paradoxical behavior among dental students, staff, and faculty members in Canadian dental schools. While factors such as the vaccine's limited efficacy and a desire to protect others may contribute to stringent protective behaviors within dental schools, the mandatory nature of these measures was likely the primary motivator for the compliance. Despite potential efforts to minimize exposure to the virus during risk periods and the frequent COVID-19 testing, this paradoxical behavior raises questions about professional responsibilities extending beyond the workplace. Thus, dental schools should incorporate education about the rationale behind following different protocols and the potential consequences of outside school behaviors., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Dental Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Dental Education Association.)

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant disruptions in the learning environment for many post-secondary students. While emerging evidence suggest mental health has declined during the pandemic, little is known about how the pandemic has affected students academically. This study investigates how COVID-19 psychological distress impacts academic performance among a Canadian sample of post-secondary students (n = 496). Path analysis findings suggest that greater levels of COVID-19 distress was associated with lower self-reported predicted GPA. Metacognitive, motivational, and social and emotional challenges emerged as the most salient challenge areas that fully mediated the relationship between COVID-19 psychological distress and self-reported predicted GPA. Specifically, COVID-19 distress predicted greater levels of metacognitive and motivational challenges which, in turn, predicted lower self-reported GPA. Similarly, greater levels of COVID-19 distress predicted more social and emotional challenges but these challenges were associated to higher perceived GPA. Findings warrant future research to help students manage and cope with academic challenges that may be exacerbated under stressful conditions.

Background: We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness--a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes--from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset. Methods: We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian secondary schools that participated during the 2019-2020 (T1; pre-COVID-19 onset) and 2020-2021 (T2; ongoing pandemic) school years. Fixed effects analyses tested differences in school connectedness changes by gender, race, bullying victimization, socioeconomic position, and school learning mode. Results: Relatively greater declines in school connectedness were reported by students that identified as females, were bullied, perceived their family to be less financially comfortable than their classmates, and attended schools in lower income areas. Marginally greater school connectedness declines resulted among students attending schools that were fully online at T2 than those at schools using a blended model. Conclusion: Results point to disparate school connectedness declines during the pandemic, which may exacerbate pre-existing health inequities by gender and socioeconomic position, and among bullied youth. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Effective strategies to improve school climates for equity denied groups are critical for pandemic recovery and preparedness for future related events.

Anxiety disorders have been on the rise among adolescents over the past decade. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have contributed to this increase, putting further pressure on often already overburdened health systems. Universal prevention programs may offer a potential solution, but few have been evaluated in the context of a pandemic. The objective of this article is to measure the impact of a universal prevention program--the HORS-PISTE program--on several anxiety-related variables in the context of a pandemic. The HORS-PISTE program consists of 10 workshops spread over the two first years of high school, secondary 1 and 2 (grade 7 and 8 equivalent). Workshops are held in a classroom setting and focus on the development of psychosocial skills. The study was conducted in Quebec with 1,202 secondary 1 and 2 students (48.7% girls, 51.3% boys) with an average age of 12.58 years ("SD" = 0.75). They completed an assessment protocol before and after participating in the HORS-PISTE program in the autumn of 2020. Their answers were subjected to descriptive analysis and multivariate analysis of variance. Results indicate a significant decrease in symptoms for several of the measured variables between the two measurement times, such as those associated with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and test anxiety. The results also show a decrease in some variables related to the interference of anxiety symptoms and the cognitive and behavioral vulnerabilities targeted by the program. The discussion highlights possible explanations for the results, as well as how universal prevention programs may contribute to the prevention of anxiety during adolescence, especially in a pandemic context.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical care shifted toward virtual and Emergency Department care. We explored the feasibility of mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimation against SARS-CoV-2-related Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations using prospectively collected Emergency Department data., Methods: We estimated two-dose VE using a test-negative design and data from 10 participating sites of the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network (CCEDRRN). We included Emergency Department patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms and nucleic acid amplification testing for SARS-CoV-2 between July 19 and December 31, 2021. We excluded patients with unclear vaccination and one or more than 2 vaccine doses by their Emergency Department visit., Results: Among 3,405 eligible patients, adjusted two-dose mRNA VE against SARS-CoV-2-related Emergency Department visits was 93.3 % (95 % CI 87.9-96.3 %) between 7-55 days, sustained over 80 % through 139 days post-vaccination. In stratified analyses, VE was similar among patients with select immune-compromising conditions, chronic kidney disease, lung disease, unstable housing, and reported illicit substance use., Conclusions: Two-dose mRNA VE against SARS-CoV-2-related Emergency Department visit was high and sustained, including among vulnerable subgroups. Compared to administrative datasets, active Emergency Department enrolment enables standardization for testing access and indication and supports separate VE assessment among special population subgroups. Compared to other active enrolment settings, Emergency Departments more consistently function during crises when alternate healthcare sectors become variably closed., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT0470294., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Corinne M. Hohl reports financial support was provided by Health Research British Columbia. Danuta M. Skowronski reports financial support to her institution was provided by BCCDC Foundation for Public Health. Danuta M. Skowronski reports financial support to her institution was provided by Public Health Agency of Canada. Christiaan H. Righolt reports a relationship with Pfizer that includes funding grants. Jeffrey C. Kwong is supported by a Clinician-Scientist Award from the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine. The other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the impact of risk factors for adolescent mental health, including financial worry. Social support has shown to protect from negative mental health during times of stress. We examined the effect of financial worry on changes in anxiety and depression symptoms among Canadian adolescents prior to and during the pandemic, and assessed whether social support from family and friends moderated any changes., Methods: We analyzed 2-year linked data from the 2018/19 (pre-pandemic) and 2020/21 (during-pandemic) waves of the COMPASS study, with reports from 12 995 Canadian secondary school students. A series of multilevel linear regressions were conducted to examine the main hypotheses under study., Results: Students scored an average (SD) of 7.2 (5.8) on the anxiety (GAD-7) and 10.0 (6.5) on the depression (CESD-10) scales; 16.1% reported they experienced financial worry during the pandemic. Financial worry was a strong and significant predictor of increased anxiety scores (+1.7 score between those reporting "true/mostly true" versus "false/mostly false") during the pandemic, but not for depression scores. Low family and friend support were associated with anxiety, and low family support was associated with depression. No significant interactions were detected between social support and financial worry., Conclusions: Pandemic-related financial worry was significantly associated with anxiety in our large sample of Canadian adolescents. Clinical and public health initiatives should be aware of adolescents' financial worry and its associations with anxiety during times of crisis., Competing Interests: Scott Leatherdale is one of this journal’s associate scientific editors, but has recused himself from the review process for this article. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Post-market surveillance of test performance is a critical function of public health agencies and clinical researchers that ensures tests maintaining diagnostic characteristics following their regulatory approval. Changes in product quality, manufacturing processes over time, or the evolution of new variants may impact product performance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a plethora of point-of-care tests (POCTs) was released onto the Canadian market. This study evaluated the performance characteristics of several of the most widely distributed POCTs in Canada, including four rapid antigen tests (Abbott Panbio, BTNX Rapid Response, SD Biosensor, and Quidel QuickVue) and two molecular tests (Abbott ID NOW and Lucira Check IT). All tests were challenged with 149 SARS-CoV-2 clinical positives, including multiple variants up to and including Omicron XBB.1.5, as well as 29 clinical negatives. Results were stratified based on whether the isolate was Omicron or pre-Omicron as well as by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR Ct value. The test performance of each POCT was consistent with the manufacturers' claims and showed no significant decline in clinical performance against any of the variants tested. These findings provide continued confidence in the results of these POCTs as they continue to be used to support decentralized COVID-19 testing. This work demonstrates the essential role of post-market surveillance in ensuring reliability in diagnostic tools.IMPORTANCEPost-market surveillance of diagnostic test performance is critical to ensure their reliability after regulatory approval. This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as the use of point-of-care tests (POCTs) became widespread. Our study focused on four rapid antigen tests (Abbott Panbio, BTNX Rapid Response, SD Biosensor, and Quidel QuickVue) and two molecular tests (Abbott ID NOW and Lucira Check IT) that were widely distributed across Canada, assessing their performance using many SARS-CoV-2 variants, including up to Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. Overall, we found no significant difference in performance against any variant, reinforcing confidence in their use. As concerns in test efficacy have been raised by news outlets, particularly regarding the BTNX Rapid Response, this work is even more timely and crucial. Our research offers insights into the performance of widely used COVID-19 POCTs but also highlights the necessity for post-market surveillance., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health inequities worldwide. Research conducted in Canada shows that Black populations were disproportionately exposed to COVID-19 and more likely than other ethnoracial groups to be infected and hospitalized. This scoping review sought to map out the nature and extent of current research on COVID-19 among Black people in Canada., Methods: Following a five-stage methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews, studies exploring the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black people in Canada, published up to May 2023, were retrieved through a systematic search of seven databases. Of 457 identified records, 124 duplicates and 279 additional records were excluded after title and abstract screening. Of the remaining 54 articles, 39 were excluded after full-text screening; 2 articles were manually picked from the reference lists of the included articles. In total, 17 articles were included in this review., Results: Our review found higher rates of COVID-19 infections and lower rates of COVID-19 screening and vaccine uptake among Black Canadians due to pre-COVID-19 experiences of institutional and structural racism, health inequities and a mistrust of health care professionals that further impeded access to health care. Misinformation about COVID-19 exacerbated mental health issues among Black Canadians., Conclusions: Our findings suggest the need to address social inequities experienced by Black Canadians, particularly those related to unequal access to employment and health care. Collecting race-based data on COVID-19 could inform policy formulation to address racial discrimination in access to health care, quality housing and employment, resolve inequities and improve the health and well-being of Black people in Canada., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Since most schools and learners had no choice but to learn online during the pandemic, online learning became the mainstream learning mode rather than a substitute for traditional face-to-face learning. Given this enormous change in online learning, we conducted a systematic review of 191 of the most recent online learning studies published during the COVID-19 era. The systematic review results indicated that the themes regarding "courses and instructors" became popular during the pandemic, whereas most online learning research has focused on "learners" pre-COVID-19. Notably, the research topics "course and instructors" and "course technology" received more attention than prior to COVID-19. We found that "engagement" remained the most common research theme even after the pandemic. New research topics included parents, technology acceptance or adoption of online learning, and learners' and instructors' perceptions of online learning.

The stay-at-home measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic led to sudden changes in the lives of individuals worldwide. For high school student-athletes, these changes meant transitioning to online schooling, heavily reducing their social activities, and enduring the cancelation of sport activities. Scholars have expressed concerns related to the potential consequences of these changes on adolescents' self-identity and psychological distress. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively explore how the changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic affected high school student-athletes' self-identity and psychological distress. Twenty-two Canadian high school student-athletes were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Transcripts were subjected to a reflexive thematic analysis, leading to the creation of four central themes: (a) Pre-COVID Identity; (b) COVID Identity Confusion; (c) COVID Psychosocial Distress; and (d) Learning to Dance in the COVID Rain. This study sheds light on the pandemic-related experiences of high school student-athletes in relation to sport cancelation measures and provides insights into how stay-at-home restrictions impacted self-identity and psychological distress levels. These results can help inform interventions aimed at supporting the well-being of high school student-athletes now that school sport programs have resumed operations.

Background: Falls with harms (FWH) in hospitalized patients increase costs and lengths of stay. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more FWH. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased patients in isolation with fewer visitors. Their relationship with falls has not been previously studied., Methods: This is a retrospective, single-site, 12-month before pandemic-12-month after pandemic, observational study. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to model FWH outcome and associations with isolation and visitor restrictions., Results: There were 4369 isolation events and 385 FWH among 22,505 admissions during the study period. Unadjusted analysis demonstrated a FWH risk of 1.33% (95% CI 0.99, 1.67) in those who were placed in isolation compared to 1.80% (95% CI 1.60, 2.00) in those without an isolation event ( χ2 = 4.73, P = 0.03). The FWH risk during the different visitor restriction periods was significantly higher compared to the prepandemic period ( χ2 = 20.81, P < 0.001), ranging from 1.28% (95% CI 1.06, 2.50) in the prepandemic period to 2.03% (95% 1.66, 2.40) with no visitors permitted (phase A) in the pandemic period. After adjusting for potential confounders and selection bias, only phase A visitor restrictions were associated with an increased FWH risk of 0.75% (95% CI 0.32, 1.18) compared to no visitor restrictions., Interpretation: Our results suggest a moderately strong association between hospitalized patient FWH risk and severe visitor restrictions. This association was muted in phases with even minor allowances for visitation. This represents the first report of the adverse effects of visitor restriction policies on patients' FWH risks., Competing Interests: The authors disclose no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the rapid transition to online quantitative education, leading to unique challenges and opportunities in assessments for both students and instructors. Focusing on undergraduate students and teaching staff at a Canadian university, this study investigates and compares their experiences and perspectives regarding assessment in online mathematics and statistics courses during the pandemic. Framed by the theory of community of inquiry, our analysis highlights how assessment affected the cognitive, social, and teaching aspects of their learning and teaching experiences. The analysis was based on interview data from the focal student and teaching staff participants. Findings indicated that students and teaching staff had complex experiences with the assessments designed and administered in the online courses during the pandemic. Such complexity was attributed to varied factors, such as technology integration, uncertainty during the pandemic, assessment structure, alignment with course content, and connection with real-life applications. Implications for transforming the assessment practices to meet the demands of students and instructors in online mathematics and statistics education were also provided.

There is evidence of an overall decline in women's mental health, particularly those with young children, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research has also found heterogeneity in women's mental health responses. This longitudinal study sampled low-income women with young children by recruiting from the government's child care financial subsidy waitlist. To examine heterogeneity in women's mental health responses to COVID-19, a latent transition analysis was employed to identify profiles of anxiety, depression, and stress among 289 low-income mothers. Using these identified profiles, we examined the transitional patterns between profiles before and during COVID-19 and the sociodemographic and familial factors related to these profiles. A three-profile solution was identified prior to COVID-19 and a four-profile solution during COVID-19, with some profiles exhibiting qualitatively different defining characteristics. Latent transition analyses found diverse patterns of mental health changes after the onset of COVID-19. Mothers with better mental health prior to COVID-19 tended to have the most stable mental health during COVID-19. In contrast, mothers who were highly stressed prior to COVID-19 were equally likely to improve or decline after the onset of the pandemic. In addition, the relationships between race, parenting practices, child temperament, and child mental health were significantly related to mothers' mental health profiles. These findings describe mothers' experiences and areas where policymakers and practitioners can tailor support to low-income women with young children., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the temporal dynamics of multiple health behaviours (physical activity, alcohol consumption, healthy eating, cigarette consumption, recreational drug use, vaping), and pandemic-related health behaviours (e.g., hand washing, physical distancing) using network psychometrics., Design: The International COVID-19 Awareness and Responses Evaluation (iCARE) study is an international multi-wave observational cohort study of public awareness, attitudes, and responses to public health policies implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on people around the world. A sub-sample of longitudinal data from Canadians (n = 254) was analysed across four waves (February-July 2020)., Methods: We used temporal network models to fit temporal networks, contemporaneous networks, and between-subject networks from items within the iCARE survey., Results: Positive temporal associations were observed between physical activity and healthy eating, and a bidirectional relationship was evident between outdoor mask use and vaping. A contemporaneous network revealed positive associations between consumption behaviours (vaping, cigarette use, alcohol use, and recreational drug use), and negative associations between physical activity and drug use, and healthy eating and cigarette use., Conclusions: Health behaviours are interconnected and can be modelled as networks or behavioural systems. The application of temporal network analysis to the study of multiple health behaviours is well suited to address key research questions in the field such as 'how do multiple health behaviours co-vary with one another over time'. Future research using time series data and measuring affective and cognitive mediators of behaviour, in addition to health behaviours, has the potential to contribute valuable hypothesis-generating insights., (© 2024 The Author(s). British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Introduction: Limited data exists on psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among people who use drugs (PWUD). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of severe psychological distress (PD) among PWUD in Montreal around the beginning of the pandemic., Methods: We conducted a rapid assessment study from May to December 2020 among PWUD recruited via a community-based cohort of people who inject drugs in Montreal (Hepatitis C cohort [HEPCO], N = 128) and community organisations (N = 98). We analysed self-reported data on changes in drug use behaviours and social determinants since the declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency, and assessed past-month PD using the Kessler K6 scale. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to examine correlates of PD distress (score ≥13)., Results: Of 226 survey participants, a quarter (n = 56) were screened positive for severe PD. In multivariable analyses, age (1-year increment) (adjusted odds ratio = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [0.90, 0.98]) and a decrease in non-injection drug use versus no change (0.26 [0.07, 0.92]) were protective against severe PD, while positive associations were found for any alcohol use in the past 6 months (3.73 [1.42, 9.78]), increased food insecurity (2.88 [1.19, 6.93]) and both moving around between neighbourhoods more (8.71 [2.63, 28.88]) and less (3.03 [1.18, 7.74]) often compared to no change., Discussion and Conclusions: This study documented a high prevalence of severe PD among PWUD during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-COVID-19 data. Social determinants such as food insecurity and mobility issues, alongside demographic and substance use-related factors, were linked to distress. Evidence-based risk mitigation strategies for this population could reduce negative consequences in future pandemics or disruptions., (© 2024 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Background: Immune response to COVID-19 vaccine is diminished in patients with hematologic malignancy. There is limited data regarding response to vaccine doses in these patients., Purpose: To quantify the humoral immune response engendered by 4th and subsequent doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination as measured by anti-Spike (anti-S) antibody levels, based on dried blood spot (DBS) testing, in patients with hematologic malignancies. Anti-S binds to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is indicative of vaccine immunogenicity., Methods: We conducted a prospective study of hematologic malignancies between August 2021 and January 2023 at 12 sites across Canada. Participants were followed longitudinally and submitted finger-prick DBS cards at set intervals associated with vaccination. Samples were processed via high throughput ELISA assay to detect serum antibodies against nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins., Results: We obtained 3071 samples on 790 unique patients. Of these, 372 unique participants with 1840 samples had anti-S results available post-4th, 5th or 6th COVID-19 vaccine dose and were included for analysis. Three hundred thirty-three patients of the 372 participants submitted a DBS sample post 4th dose. Of these, 257 patients (77.2%) had a positive anti-S antibody. A total of 198 patients had paired samples pre- and post-dose 4, of which 59 (29.7%) had a negative anti-S antibody pre-dose 4. Of these, 20 (33.4%) developed positive anti-S antibody post-dose 4. One hundred forty-nine patients submitted a DBS sample post-dose 5. Of these, 135 patients (90.6%) had positive anti-S antibody. A total of 52 had paired samples pre- and post-dose 5. Six (8.7%) had a negative anti-S antibody pre-dose 5, of which two (33.3%) developed positive anti-S antibody post-dose 5. Of these 372 patients, 123 (34%) reported COVID-19 infection and 4 (1%) had a COVID-19 related hospitalization. There were no reported deaths from COVID-19., Conclusions: This prospective cohort study showed that humoral immune response improved with subsequent doses of COVID-19 vaccines., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: [C. Arianne Buchan reports financial support was provided by Public Health Agency of Canada - Canadian Immunization Task Force. Sita Bhella reports a relationship with Gilead Sciences Inc that includes: consulting or advisory and travel reimbursement. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with Roche that includes: funding grants. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with AbbVie Inc that includes: funding grants. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with Seattle Genetics that includes: funding grants. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with Merck that includes: funding grants. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with Janssen that includes: funding grants. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with Incyte that includes: funding grants. Annette E. Hay reports a relationship with Karyopharm that includes: funding grants. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper]., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite strong evidence supporting COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety, a proportion of the population remains hesitant to receive immunization. Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) can help assess preferences and decision-making drivers., Objective: We aim to (1) elicit preferences for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States; (2) understand which vaccine attributes people there value; and (3) gain insight into the choices that different population subgroups make regarding COVID-19 vaccines., Methods: Participants in the 2019nCoV-408 study were aged ≥18 years; self-reported antivaccinationists were excluded. A DCE with a series of 2 hypothetical vaccine options was embedded into a survey to determine participant treatment preferences (primary objective). Survey questions covered vaccine preference, previous COVID-19 experiences, and demographics, which were summarized using descriptive statistics to understand the study participants' backgrounds. In the DCE, participants were provided choice pairs: 1 set with and 1 without an "opt-out" option. Each participant viewed 11 unique vaccine profiles. Vaccine attributes consisted of type (messenger RNA or protein), level of protection against any or severe COVID-19, risk of side effects (common and serious), and potential coadministration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. Attribute level selections were included for protection and safety (degree of effectiveness and side effect risk, respectively). Participants were stratified by vaccination status (unvaccinated, or partially or fully vaccinated) and disease risk group (high-risk or non-high-risk). A conditional logit model was used to analyze DCE data to estimate preferences of vaccine attributes, with the percentage relative importance calculated to allow for its ranking. Each model was run twice to account for sets with and without the opt-out options., Results: The mean age of participants (N=2000) was 48 (SD 18.8) years, and 51.25% (1025/2000) were male. The DCE revealed that the most important COVID-19 vaccine attributes were protection against severe COVID-19 or any severity of COVID-19 and common side effects. Protection against severe COVID-19 was the most important attribute for fully vaccinated participants, which significantly differed from the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated subgroup (relative importance 34.8% vs 30.6%; P=.049). Avoiding serious vaccine side effects was a significantly higher priority for the unvaccinated or partially versus fully vaccinated subgroup (relative importance 10.7% vs 8.2%; P=.044). Attributes with significant differences in the relative importance between the high-risk versus non-high-risk subgroups were protection against severe COVID-19 (38.2% vs 31.5%; P<.000), avoiding common vaccine side effects (12% vs 20.5%; P<.000), and avoiding serious vaccine side effects (9.7% vs 7.5%; P=.002)., Conclusions: This DCE identified COVID-19 vaccine attributes, such as protection against severe COVID-19, that may influence preference and drive choice and can inform vaccine strategies. The high ranking of common and serious vaccine side effects suggests that, when the efficacy of 2 vaccines is comparable, safety is a key decision-making factor., (©David Salisbury, Jeffrey V Lazarus, Nancy Waite, Clara Lehmann, Sumitra Sri Bhashyam, Marie de la Cruz, Beth Hahn, Matthew D Rousculp, Paolo Bonanni. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 16.10.2024.)

Background: The severity of COVID-19 outbreaks is disproportionate across settings (e.g., long-term care facilities (LTCF), schools) across Canada. Few studies have examined factors associated with outbreak severity to inform prevention and response. Our study objective was to assess how outbreak severity, as measured using outbreak intensity and defined as number of outbreak-associated cases divided by outbreak duration, differed by setting and factors known to influence SARS-CoV-2 transmission., Methods: We described outbreak intensity trends in 2021 using data from the Canadian COVID-19 Outbreak Surveillance System from seven provinces/territories, representing 93% of the Canadian population. A negative binomial fixed-effects model was used to assess for associations between the outcome, outbreak intensity, and characteristics of outbreaks: setting type, median age of cases, number at risk, and vaccination coverage of at least 1 dose. Also included were variables previously reported to influence SARS-CoV-2 transmission: stringency of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) and the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant detected by surveillance., Results: The longest outbreaks occurred in LTCF (mean = 25.4 days) and correctional facilities (mean = 20.6 days) which also reported the largest outbreaks (mean = 29.6 cases per outbreak). Model results indicated that outbreak intensity was highest in correctional facilities. Relative to correctional facilities (referent), the second highest adjusted intensity ratio was in childcare centres (intensity ratio = 0.58 [95% CI: 0.51-0.66]), followed by LTCF (0.56 [95% CI: 0.51-0.66]). Schools had the lowest adjusted intensity ratio (0.46 [95% CI: 0.40-0.53]) despite having the highest proportion of outbreaks (37.5%). An increase in outbreak intensity was associated with increases in median age, the number at risk, and stringency of NPI. Greater vaccination coverage with at least 1 dose was associated with reduced outbreak intensity., Conclusion: Descriptive and multivariable model results indicated that in Canada during 2021, outbreak intensity was greatest in closed congregate living facilities: correctional facilities and LTCF. Findings from this study support the importance of vaccination in reducing outbreak intensity when vaccines are effective against infection with circulating variants, which is especially important for closed congregate living facilities where NPIs are more challenging to implement., (© 2024. Crown.)

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of major racial discrimination (MRD) in healthcare services and its association with COVID-19 vaccine mistrust and uptake, conspiracy theories, COVID-19-related stressors, community resilience, anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms., Study Design: The study used a population-based cross-sectional design., Methods: Data from the BlackVax dataset on COVID-19 vaccination in Black individuals in Canada was analyzed (n = 2002, 51.66% women). Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between MRD and independent variables., Results: 32.55% of participants declared having experienced MRD in healthcare services. Participants with MRD were less vaccinated against COVID-19, presented higher scores of vaccine mistrust, conspiracy beliefs, COVID-19 related stressors, depression, anxiety, and stress, and had lower scores of community resilience. They were more likely to experience depression (AOR = 2.13, P < 0.001), anxiety (AOR = 2.00, P < 0.001), and stress symptoms (AOR = 2.15, P < 0.001). Participants who experienced MRD were more likely to be unvaccinated (AOR = 1.35, P = 0.009)., Conclusions: Racial discrimination experienced by Black individuals in health services is a major public health concern and threat to population health in Canada. Federal, provincial, and municipal public health agencies should adapt their programs, strategies, tools, and campaigns to address the mistrust created by racial discrimination., (Copyright © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The degree to which Universities could nimbly and effectively respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on their local communities depended upon the structure and orientation of their community engagement infrastructure. Institutions that support a hyperlocal form of place-based engagement were uniquely positioned to harness their extensive place-based organizational networks, intimate knowledge of community assets, and existing paths to leverage institutional resources to work alongside neighbors, residents, organizational leaders, elected officials, elders, youth and families committed to everyone's thriving through the COVID-19 crises. Hyperlocal, place-based engagement describes an engagement approach within higher education in which a university's community engagement efforts are focused on a bounded area, such as a neighborhood, within a larger city or metropolitan region, and are aligned with that community's development goals (Dostilio, Ohmer, McFadden, Mathew, & Finkelstein, 2019). These efforts typically advance two goals: to (1) position the institution to partner with, and add value to, community building efforts undertaken by the neighborhood being engaged; and (2) to enhance and accelerate the institution's ability to forge mutually-beneficial alliances and mobilize knowledge production. Because these efforts are long-term, they create unique conditions for engagement that proved to accelerate community-campus engagements to address COVID-19 impacts. The Community Engagement Professionals (Dostilio, 2017) who lead hyperlocal engagement activities were particularly crucial to their institution's COVID-19 community responses. At the time of the pandemic, a group of such professionals had been meeting as a learning community to exchange promising practices of hyperlocal engagement. This article is written from the perspective of these professionals, endeavoring to reflect on how their work to steward hyperlocal approaches was challenged and affirmed through the COVID-19 pandemic. As a group of directors committed to social change, we share a common desire to make a difference by acknowledging the power and privilege of the universities we represent. Making evident the expressed commitments of each CUMU member institution who contributed to this article, we aim to share insight into our unique position within the university and community which permitted us to be responsive during COVID in ways that both strengthen our relationships and challenged them. We pivoted and found new ways to remain impactful as neighbors supporting neighbors. We acted to steer partners through institutional systems to access resources. Dedicated program staff remained familiar faces who were able to identify needs and mobilize quickly to address them. Hyperlocal, neighborhood-based centers remained trusted pipelines to partners interested in finding ways to support residents, and more. As this new reality shaped by COVID-19 emerges, we reflect on how the pandemic affected, refined, and changed the way we carry out our missions, recognizing through this experience that the real work exists beyond our centers' walls.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated school closures across Quebec. Educators shifted to online learning and complied with COVID-19 safety measures for in-person teaching, impacting the implementation of Quebec's Sexuality Education program. Drawing on responses from a sample of 165 inservice teachers working in English school boards across Quebec, this study discusses the challenges that characterized teaching sexual health education (SHE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data analyzed in this study consist of teachers' responses to one qualitative question: How has the COVID-19 situation affected your teaching and incorporation of Quebec's comprehensive sexual health education curriculum in your classroom? The results indicate that educators taught less SHE during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a lack of time and other core curriculum subjects taking precedence. Other challenges were present, including a lack of clarity from school administrators on how SHE should be implemented, reduced ability to supplement SHE classes with guest speakers, difficulty facilitating discussions due to students' home environments, and decreased student engagement. Despite these barriers, teachers felt that teaching SHE during the COVID-19 pandemic was important and expressed the need for more pedagogical development and training opportunities to improve SHE both online and in person.

Like many services globally, the sudden work-from-home mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted research at Canadian post-secondary and affiliated organizations. Research administration professionals, who are an integral part of the research enterprise at these organizations, and who support and manage research activities were no exception and struggled to keep up with this challenging and unexpected situation. Not only adjusting in-house policies and procedures but research administrators were also swamped with distilling information received from external funders who were likewise adjusting their guidelines and policies for current and future funding programs. Moreover, the priority was to keep up with the COVID-19 special calls for funding that usually provided shorter response times. At the same time, research administrators were grappling with adapting to new online communication technology and finding the best ways to maintain work-life synergy. In this chaotic period of uncertainty, emotions were high, and communication was key. This study explores how research administration professionals in Canada adapted to this new reality and what lessons were learned. Through a national survey, the research administration community reflected on the following themes: i) Challenges experienced in setting up the new working environment; ii) Technostress; iii) Workload, productivity, and work-life balance; iv) Relationships among colleagues and with faculty, and v) Adaptability to the reality and future work culture desire. Results of the survey indicate that although Canadian research administration professionals experienced challenges due to abrupt shifts in their workplace, they were creative, resilient, and flexible enough to steer through this testing period. The inherent/acquired technological capabilities, efficient communications among coworkers and with faculty, and strategies they used during this time to stay productive and efficient helped most of them to adapt well to this situation. Some of them struggled to keep a work-life balance, especially those with young children, however, flexibility, control over their time, and proven productivity during this time inspired them to desire a remote and/or hybrid work culture even after the pandemic is over.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses financial challenges for students worldwide, especially for those in higher education where free and universal access is not guaranteed. Students in developed economies, a long-neglected group for pandemic studies, are not exceptions. The motivation of this study is to examine subjective financial well-being of undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, we conducted a self-administered survey composed of 31 questions that assesses students' demographic information and impact of COVID-19 on their financial status. The sample includes 655 students enrolled at the University of Toronto Mississauga during the academic year 2020-2021.The survey results show that most students are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the ability to meet overall financial obligations or essential needs. Using factor analysis, we further identified relevant matters of subject associated with this concern on subjective financial well-being: (1) concern on tuition costs and financial obligation; and (2) concern on living and traveling costs. The result clearly identifies the associations between university students' perceptions of financial well-being and its associated matters, and how these relations differ by students' demographic information. We conclude that educational leadership, local community, and the government should use their judgement to reduce students' financial distress by offering different types of financial supports with regards to student demographics.

This paper focuses on the experiences of Indigenous learners at Athabasca University. Having access to online education provided a sense of normalcy for students during the global pandemic while many post-secondary institutions and Indigenous communities were closed. The purpose of the research was two-fold: (1) to determine the dynamics of reaching Indigenous learners and measuring their adaptability in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) to understand the effects of the pandemic on the mind, body, spirit, and social environment of Indigenous distance education learners and their families. This research included qualitative and quantitative methods, specifically, a survey, focus group, and individual interviews. We share the results of online research involving Indigenous students during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We concluded that listening to Indigenous students supported their online education while giving them an outlet to express their experiences. This research identified Indigenous student adaptations towards their spirituality in specific ways inherent to their culture given the reactions to COVID-19, their responses, and reflections.

The COVID-19 pandemic globally impacted teachers' wellbeing as they adjusted their practices to accommodate physical distancing, online learning, and hybrid models. Coinciding these changes, music teachers were impacted by local health regulations and school divisional policy revisions prohibiting singing and playing wind instruments indoors. Consequently, music teachers were required to abruptly change their practice, were displaced to alternative locations (e.g., gymnasiums), and/or were required to use travelling carts to teach. Research into the impacts that COVID-19 policy changes had on school music remains limited in Canadian contexts. To provide insight into this phenomenon, the research question was formulated: "What are music teachers' perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their sense of wellbeing?" To facilitate the inquiry, a mixed-methods approach was utilized via an online attitudinal survey, a questionnaire, and focus group discussions. In total, 218 music teachers across Manitoba, Canada participated in the online survey and completed the questionnaire while 21 music teachers participated in focus group discussions. Findings demonstrated that music teachers experienced significantly strenuous working conditions throughout the pandemic, resulting in many teachers considering early retirement or resignation. Despite these challenges, music teachers demonstrated considerable resilience as they navigated the educational landscape in the province.

What lives amongst loss? This study employs spectral reading practice to thematically analyze the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) produced within the Canadian blogosphere during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the extent of loss that the pandemic brought, the findings of this study reveal that SoTL practitioners continued to embrace positive affectivities and "what works" in their reflective research about the experience of teaching and learning during crisis times. The four revealed themes--endless possibilities, teaching as care, care ethics, and community awe--point towards a hardening disciplinary and methodological characterization of SoTL (or what I refer to as a "SoTL attitude") that is rooted in qualities of appreciation, generosity, and reparation. Overall, this work contributes to examinations of SoTL as an evolving disciplinary area, providing unique insights into its surprisingly cohesive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Canadian higher education institutions shifted to online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While many instructors were unfamiliar with online teaching, this transition resulted in widespread innovation in the use of digital technologies and pedagogical practices. This research study focused on the significant impact of the shift to online teaching on three areas: digital tools use, immediate teaching practice, and future teaching practice. Data from 35 survey respondents and six focus group participants indicated that most instructors were comfortable with the new tools they used online, but experienced specific challenges with breakout rooms and students understanding their role in the learning process. Specific changes in immediate teaching practice included co-creating learning spaces, different ways of connecting with students, and the democratization of learning. Perhaps the most significant impact of the COVID-19 transition period was on future in-person teaching including increased use of digital tools, structural reorganization of classes, enthusiasm for teaching, and an increased appreciation for in-person environments. [The published year on the .pdf is incorrect. The correct published year is 2023.]

Background: The demand for COVID-19 vaccines has diminished as the pandemic lingers. Understanding vaccine hesitancy among essential workers is important in reducing the impact of future pandemics by providing effective immunization programs delivered expeditiously., Method: Two surveys exploring COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in 2021 and 2022 were conducted in cohorts of health care providers (HCP) and education workers participating in prospective studies of COVID-19 illnesses and vaccine uptake. Demographic factors and opinions about vaccines (monovalent and bivalent) and public health measures were collected in these self-reported surveys. Modified multivariable Poisson regression was used to determine factors associated with hesitancy., Results: In 2021, 3 % of 2061 HCP and 6 % of 3417 education workers reported hesitancy (p < 0.001). In December 2022, 21 % of 868 HCP and 24 % of 1457 education workers reported being hesitant to receive a bivalent vaccine (p = 0.09). Hesitance to be vaccinated with the monovalent vaccines was associated with earlier date of survey completion, later receipt of first COVID-19 vaccine dose, no influenza vaccination, and less worry about becoming ill with COVID-19. Factors associated with hesitance to be vaccinated with a bivalent vaccine that were common to both cohorts were receipt of two or fewer previous COVID-19 doses and lower certainty that the vaccines were safe and effective., Conclusion: Education workers were somewhat more likely than HCP to report being hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccines but reasons for hesitancy were similar. Hesitancy was associated with non-receipt of previous vaccines (i.e., previous behaviour), less concern about being infected with SARS-CoV-2, and concerns about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for both cohorts. Maintaining inter-pandemic trust in vaccines, ensuring rapid data generation during pandemics regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness, and effective and transparent communication about these data are all needed to support pandemic vaccination programs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Brenda L Coleman reports financial support was provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Allison McGeer reports financial support was provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Allison McGeer reports financial support was provided by Physicians' Services Inc. Foundation. Dawn Bowdish reports financial support was provided by Weston Family Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Numerous reports have described the clinical presentation of cardiac adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with COVID-19 vaccines but long-term outcome studies are limited, especially in the pediatric population., Methods: This is a single center retrospective case series of pediatric patients with cardiac AEFI following the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA COVID-19, diagnosed between May 2021 and May 2022, and managed following a standardized protocol. Follow up information is presented up to 12 months post diagnosis. The incidence rate of cardiac AEFI was estimated for Ottawa residents., Results: All cases were male (N = 17) with an average age of 16 years (range = 12-17). The majority of cases occurred after the 2nd (12/17) or 3rd vaccine dose (4/17) and were manifested mostly as myopericarditis (15/17). Average interval between the 1st and 2nd vaccine (n = 12) doses was 38 days (21-69 days). All patients improved promptly on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without recurrence. Five patients reported negative impact on quality of life and mental health, including 2 cases that led to new vaccine hesitancy, not only to COVID-19 vaccine, but also to other routine vaccines. The rate of cardiac AEFI was estimated for residents of the city of Ottawa and found to be 12.01 cases (CI 90 5.98-21.68) per 100,000 doses following the 2nd dose and 16.56 cases (CI 90 5.66-37.90) per 100,000 doses following the 3rd dose for males aged 12 to 17 years., Conclusions: Twelve months following the AEFI, all patients clinically recovered from their myopericarditis, but some reported negative impact on quality of life and mental health, including new vaccine hesitancy. This highlights the importance for timely and systematic evaluation of AEFI and the need to provide support, follow up and vaccine counseling in individuals experiencing an AEFI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Younger adults, aged 18-39 years, exhibit low COVID-19 additional vaccine (i.e., vaccination beyond the original 2-dose series) uptake recommended in Canada. No study has examined how altruistic and individualistic messaging can influence COVID-19 additional dose intentions. The present study aimed to estimate the efficacy of altruism and individualism-based videos on vaccine intentions and to explore the multivariable associations between vaccine related individual psychosocial factors and intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Using a web-based survey in a three-arm, pre-post randomized control trial design, we recruited Canadians aged 18-39 years in both English and French. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive the active control (COVID-19 general information), control + altruism or control + altruism + individualism. The video interventions were developed with a media company, based on results of a focus group study conducted previously. The measurement of COVID-19 additional dosage intentions before and after completing the interventions was informed by the multistage Precaution Adoption Process Model. The McNemar Chi-square was used to evaluate within-group changes, and the Pearson Chi-square test was used to evaluate between-group changes post-intervention. The measurement of various psychosocial factors was informed by use of validated scale and self-report questions. We employed a generalized Structural Equation Model to evaluate the associations between COVID-19 vaccine intentions and the psychosocial factors. Analyses were performed on 3,431 participants (control: n  = 1,149, control + altruism: n  = 1,142, control + altruism + individualism: n  = 1,140). Within-group results showed that participants transitioned significantly in all three groups in the direction of higher intentions for receiving additional COVID-19 vaccine doses. The between-group differences in post intervention vaccine intentions were not significant. We found that psychosocial factors that include, collectivism, intellectual humility, intolerance to uncertainty, religiosity, identifying as gender diverse, and being indigenous were associated with higher vaccine intentions, whereas pandemic fatigue was associated with lower vaccine intentions. Our study highlighted that a short video that includes altruism and individualism messaging or general COVID-19 information can increase intentions to vaccine among young adults. Furthermore, we gained a comprehensive understanding of various psychosocial factors that influence ongoing COVID-19 vaccination. Our findings can be used to influence public health messaging around COVID-19 vaccination., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Batra, Tatar, Zhu, Perez, Haward, Zimet and Rosberger.)

The emergence of the novel COVID-19 disease and the social distancing measures implemented to curb its spread affected most aspects of daily life. Past work suggests that during times of more severe stress, people respond to daily stressors with relatively higher negative affect. However, little is known about how people responded to daily stressors and positive events at different moments in time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we examined longitudinal changes in daily event-related affect (covariation of daily stressors or positive events with same-day affect) from Spring 2020 (wave 1) to 2022 (wave 2). The sample consisted of 324 adults aged 18-80 (mean = 52 years; 89% women) from the US and Canada who completed weeklong daily diaries at both waves. The results revealed improvements in affective well-being, stressor-related affect (i.e., smaller fluctuations in affect on stressor days vs. nonstressor days), and positive event-related affect (i.e., lower negative affect on days with vs. without positive events). Furthermore, as people gradually resumed their social activities from 2020 to 2022, people reported being exposed to an increased frequency of both stressors and positive events. This study highlights the potential influence of socio-historical phenomena, such as an ongoing pandemic, on the events that people encounter and how they emotionally respond to them., (© 2024 The Author(s). Stress and Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Across the globe, racial and ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 with increased risk of infection and burden from disease. Vaccine hesitancy has contributed to variation in vaccine uptake and compromised population-based vaccination programs in many countries. Connect, Collaborate and Tailor (CCT) is a Public Health Agency of Canada funded project to make new connections between public health, healthcare professionals and underserved communities in order to create culturally adapted communication about COVID-19 vaccines. This paper describes the CCT process and outcomes as a community engagement model that identified information gaps and created tailored tools to address misinformation and improve vaccine acceptance., Methods: Semi-structured interviews with CCT participants were undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of CCT in identifying and addressing topics of concern to underserved and ethnic minority communities. Interviews also explored CCT participants' experiences of collaboration through the development of new partnerships between ethnic minority communities, public health and academic researchers, and the evolution of co-operation sharing ideas and creating infographics. Thematic analysis was used to produce representative themes. The activities described were aligned with the levels of public engagement described in the IAP2 spectrum (International Association for Public Participation)., Results: Analysis of interviews (n = 14) revealed that shared purpose and urgency in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic motivated co-operation among CCT participants. Acknowledgement of past harm, present health, and impact of social inequities on public service access was an essential first step in establishing trust. Creating safe spaces for open dialogue led to successful, iterative cycles of consultation and feedback between participants; a process that not only helped create tailored infographics but also deepened engagement and collaboration. Over time, the infographic material development was increasingly directed by community representatives' commentary on their groups' real-time needs and communication preferences. This feedback noticeably guided the choice, style, and presentation of infographic content while also directing dissemination strategies and vaccine confidence building activities., Conclusions: The CCT process to create COVID-19 vaccine communication materials led to evolving co-operation between groups who had not routinely worked together before; strong community engagement was a key driver of change. Ensuring a respectful environment for open dialogue and visibly using feedback to create information products provided a foundation for building relationships. Finally, our data indicate participants sought reinforcement of close cooperative ties and continued investment in shared responsibility for community partnership-based public health., (© 2024. Crown.)

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on the health, social and economic well-being of people in Canada and around the world. To address vaccine disparity among vulnerable populations facing social-structural challenges, it is crucial to provide evidence-based information on the importance of completion of the recommended vaccination schedule. In this study, we investigated vaccination rates and variables as facilitators or barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among vulnerable populations living in Vancouver's inner-city residents. On a weekly basis, a team (including health care providers [HCPs] and support staff) conducts a Community Pop-up Clinic (CPC) event at single room occupancy dwellings in Vancouver's inner city to provide COVID-19 vaccine and/or related information. Participants also completed a survey about their COVID-19 vaccination status and COVID knowledge, including knowledge about COVID vaccination. We collected data from 892 CPC participants between January 2021-August 2023. The median age at baseline was 45 (IQR 36-55) years, with 317 (35.5 %) female and 285 (31.9 %) self-identified as Indigenous. Within the population, 512 (57.4 %) reported unstable housing and 441 (49.5 %) were active injection drug users. Regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, 235 (26.3 %) were unvaccinated, 119 (13.3 %) had received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 432 (48.4 %) had received 2 doses, and 106 (11.8 %) had received at least 3 doses. Variables such as age (AOR 2.28, 95 % CI 1.37-3.80, p < 0.001) and HCV seropositivity (AOR 1.91, 95 % CI 1.20-3.04, p = 0.005) were significantly associated with higher odds of vaccination uptake. Conversely, unstable housing was significantly associated with a lower odds of vaccination uptake (AOR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.35-0.79, p = 0.002). Results from this study suggest that targeted community focused initiatives are crucial to address vaccine disparity among vulnerable populations living in Vancouver's inner city facing unstable housing and drug use injection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: BC has received research grants, honoraria and/or acted as a remunerated advisor for AbbVie, Astra Zeneca, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Indivior Canada, Merck, Moderna, Sanofi Pasteur, Seqirus, and ViiV Healthcare. In particular, AbbVie and Gilead Sciences have funded the community pop-up clinic program in a direct way. SB, SY, SS, and RY has no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Amid the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a notable increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression has become a pressing concern. This study examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Canada from September to December 2020, assessing demographic and socioeconomic influences, as well as the potential role of COVID-19 diagnoses and related negative experiences., Methods: Data were drawn from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health by Statistics Canada, which used a two-stage sample design to gather responses from 14 689 adults across ten provinces and three territorial capitals, excluding less than 2% of the population. Data were collected through self-administered electronic questionnaires or phone interviews. Analytical techniques, such as frequencies, cross-tabulation and logistic regression, were used to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms, the demographic characteristics of Canadians with increased anxiety and depression symptoms and the association of these symptoms with COVID-19 diagnoses and negative experiences during the pandemic., Results: The study found that 14.62% (95% CI: 13.72%-15.51%) of respondents exhibited symptoms of depression, while 12.89% (95% CI: 12.04%-13.74%) reported anxiety symptoms. No clear differences in symptom prevalence were observed between those infected by COVID-19, or those close to someone infected, compared to those without these experiences. However, there were strong associations between traditional risk factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms and negative experiences during the pandemic, such as physical health problems, loneliness and personal relationship challenges in the household., Conclusion: This study provides insight into the relationship between COVID-19 and Canadians' mental health, demonstrating an increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms associated with COVID-19-related adversities and common prepandemic determinants of these symptoms. The findings suggest that mental health during the pandemic was primarily shaped by traditional determinants of depression and anxiety symptoms and also by negative experiences during the pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Introduction: The perceived mental health of individuals in Canada who faced health care barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic is underexplored., Methods: We analyzed data collected March to June 2021 from adults who reported needing health care services within the past 12 months in the Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals during the Pandemic. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses examined the associations between health care barriers (appointment scheduling problems, delaying contacting health care) and high self-rated mental health and perceived worsening mental health compared to before the pandemic, overall and stratified by gender, age group, number of chronic health conditions and household income tertile., Results: Individuals who experienced pandemic-related appointment changes or had appointments not yet scheduled were less likely to have high self-rated mental health (aOR = 0.81 and 0.64, respectively) and more likely to have perceived worsening mental health (aOR = 1.50 and 1.94, respectively) than those with no scheduling problems. Adults who delayed contacting health care for pandemic-related reasons (e.g. fear of infection) or other reasons were less likely to have high self-rated mental health (aOR = 0.52 and 0.45, respectively) and more likely to have perceived worsening mental health (aOR = 2.31 and 2.43, respectively) than those who did not delay. Delaying contacting health care for pandemic-related reasons was associated with less favourable perceived mental health in all subgroups, while the association between perceived mental health and pandemic-related appointment changes was significant in some groups., Conclusion: Health care barriers during the pandemic were associated with less favourable perceived mental health. These findings could inform health care resource allocation and public health messaging., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: More than 3 years into the pandemic, there is persisting uncertainty as to the etiology, biomarkers, and risk factors of Post COVID-19 Condition (PCC). Serological research data remain a largely untapped resource. Few studies have investigated the potential relationships between post-acute serology and PCC, while accounting for clinical covariates., Methods: We compared clinical and serological predictors among COVID-19 survivors with ( n  = 102 cases) and without ( n  = 122 controls) persistent symptoms ≥12 weeks post-infection. We selected four primary serological predictors (anti-nucleocapsid (N), anti-Spike, and anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG titres, and neutralization efficiency), and specified clinical covariates a priori ., Results: Similar proportions of PCC-cases (66.7%, n  = 68) and infected-controls (71.3%, n  = 87) tested positive for anti-N IgG. More cases tested positive for anti-Spike (94.1%, n  = 96) and anti-RBD (95.1%, n  = 97) IgG, as compared with controls (anti-Spike: 89.3%, n  = 109; anti-RBD: 84.4%, n  = 103). Similar trends were observed among unvaccinated participants. Effects of IgG titres on PCC status were non-significant in univariate and multivariate analyses. Adjusting for age and sex, PCC-cases were more likely to be efficient neutralizers (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.11-4.49), and odds was further increased among cases to report deterioration in quality of life (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.64-7.31). Clinical covariates found to be significantly related to PCC included obesity (OR 2.3, p  = 0.02), number of months post COVID-19 (OR 1.1, p  < 0.01), allergies (OR 1.8, p  = 0.04), and need for medical support (OR 4.1, p  < 0.01)., Conclusion: Despite past COVID-19 infection, approximately one third of PCC-cases and infected-controls were seronegative for anti-N IgG. Findings suggest higher neutralization efficiency among cases as compared with controls, and that this relationship is stronger among cases with more severe PCC. Cases also required more medical support for COVID-19 symptoms, and described complex, ongoing health sequelae. More data from larger cohorts are needed to substantiate results, permit subgroup analyses of IgG titres, and explore for differences between clusters of PCC symptoms. Future assessment of IgG subtypes may also elucidate new findings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Collins, Galipeau, Arnold, Bhéreur, Booth, Buchan, Cooper, Crawley, McCluskie, McGuinty, Pelchat, Rocheleau, Saginur, Gravel, Hawken, Langlois and Little.)