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OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to describe results of a public health-administered, provincial dental survey of children aged 4-6 years old in British Columbia, and assess the changes in rates of dental caries geographically and by neighbourhood socio-economic status between baseline (2006/07) and follow-up data collection (2009/10). METHOD: The study design involved two retrospective cohorts of kindergarten children who received a public health-administered dental assessment in the years 2006/07 and 2009/10. Neighbourhood socio-economic status was measured by an index created from Canadian Census and Tax Filer data sets. The dental outcomes included previous decay experience, untreated visible decay, and urgent treatment needs. RESULTS: The analysis comprised dental outcomes for 35,602 kindergarten children in 2006/07 and 35,215 children in 2009/10. There was a modest decrease in dental decay rates between surveys, with rates of decay experience--previous and untreated--of 38.9% and 36.7% respectively. However, there were disparities, with almost 50% of children with dental decay in the most socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and approximately 30% with dental decay in the least disadvantaged areas. CONCLUSION: The kindergarten dental survey had extensive coverage, was at the population level, and enabled analysis of change in early childhood dental decay rates over time and by geography. Although overall rates improved, dental health inequalities persisted in both survey years at both regional and neighbourhood levels. KEY WORDS: Dental caries; oral health; child; trends; surveillance; British Columbia OBJECTIF: Decrire les resultats d'une enquete dentaire provinciale de sante publique menee aupres des enfants de 4 a 6 ans en Colombie-Britannique, et evaluer les changements dans les taux de carie dentaire sur le plan geographique et selon le statut socioeconomique du quartier entre la base de reference (2006-2007) et la collecte des donnees de suivi (2009-2010). METHOD: Le protocole d'etude comportait deux cohortes retrospectives d'enfants de la maternelle ayant recu un examen dentaire administre par la sante publique en 2006-2007 et en 2009-2010. Le statut socioeconomique du quartier a ete mesure selon un indice cree a partir du Recensement canadien et des jeux de donnees des declarants de l'impot. Les resultats dentaires etaient l'experience prealable des caries, les caries visibles non traitees et les besoins urgents de traitement. RESULTATS: L'analyse a porte sur les resultats dentaires de 35 602 enfants de la maternelle en 2006-2007 et de 35 215 enfants en 2009-2010. Il y a eu une baisse modeste des taux de carie dentaire entre les deux enquetes, avec des taux d'experience des caries--anterieures et non traitees--de 38,9 % et de 36,7 %, respectivement. Toutefois, il y a eu des disparites: pres de 50 % des enfants avaient des caries dentaires dans les quartiers les plus defavorises sur le plan socioeconomique, contre environ 30 % dans les quartiers les moins defavorises. CONCLUSION: L'enquete dentaire aupres des enfants de la maternelle avait une vaste couverture, elle a ete menee a l'echelle de la population, et elle a permis d'analyser les changements spatiotemporels dans les taux de carie dentaire des jeunes enfants. Bien que les taux globaux se soient ameliores, les inegalites sur le plan de la sante dentaire ont subsiste au cours des deux annees de l'enquete, tant a l'echelle regionale qu'a celle des quartiers. MOTS CLES: caries dentaires; sante buccodentaire; enfant; tendances; surveillance; Colombie-Britannique, doi: 10.17269/CJPH.106.4918 Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most common chronic disease in childhood--five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. (1) The etiology [...]

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that the risk of experiencing unwanted sexual advances at work (UWSA) is greater for precariously-employed workers in comparison to those in permanent or continuing employment. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based telephone survey was conducted in Victoria (66% response rate, N=1,101). Employment arrangements were analysed using eight differentiated categories, as well as a four-category collapsed measure to address small cell sizes. Self-report of unwanted sexual advances at work was modelled using multiple logistic regression in relation to employment arrangement, controlling for gender, age, and occupational skill level. Results: Forty-seven respondents reported UWSA in our sample (4.3%), mainly among women (37 of 47). Risk of UWSA was higher for younger respondents, but did not vary significantly by occupational skill level or education. In comparison to Permanent Full-Time, three employment arrangements were strongly associated with UWSA after adjustment for age, gender, and occupational skill level: Casual Full-Time OR = 7.2 (95% Confidence Interval 1.7-30.2); Fixed-Term Contract OR = 11.4 (95% CI 3.4-38.8); and Own-Account Self-Employed OR = 3.8 (95% CI 1.2-11.7). In analyses of females only, the magnitude of these associations was further increased. Conclusions: Respondents employed in precarious arrangements were more likely to report being exposed to UWSA, even after adjustment for age and gender. Implications: Greater protections from UWSA are likely needed for precariously employed workers. Key words: precarious employment, unwanted sexual advances, sexual harassment, psychosocial work environment.

Abstract Background Using a cohort of British Columbian male sawmill workers, we conducted a nested case-control study of the impact of rural compared to urban residence as well as rural/urban migration patterns in relation to hospitalization for non-work injury. We postulate that for many types of non-work injuries, rates will be higher in rural communities than in urban ones and that rates will also be higher for workers who migrate from urban to rural communities. Methods Using conditional logistic regression, univariate models were first run with each of five non-work injury outcomes. These outcomes were hospitalizations due to assault, accidental poisoning, medical mis-adventure, motor vehicle trauma, and other non-work injuries. In multivariate models marital status, ethnicity, duration of employment, and occupation were forced into the model and associations with urban, compared to rural, residence and various urban/migration patterns were tested. Results Urban or rural residence and migration status from urban to other communities, and across rural communities, were not associated with hospitalization for medical misadventure, assault, or accidental poisoning. The likelihood of a rural resident being hospitalized for motor vehicle trauma is higher than for an urban resident. The likelihood that a rural resident is hospitalized for "other" non-work injury is higher than for an urban resident. Conclusion In a relatively homogenous group of workers, and using a rigorous study design, we have demonstrated that the odds of other non-work injury are much higher for workers resident in and migrating to rural regions of Canada than they are for workers resident in or migrating to urban places.

Abstract Background The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial and other working conditions and body-mass index (BMI) in a working population. This study contributes to the approximately dozen investigations of job stress, which have demonstrated mixed positive and negative results in relation to obesity, overweight and BMI. Methods A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted among working Australians in the state of Victoria. Participants were contacted by telephone from a random sample of phone book listings. Information on body mass index was self-reported as were psychosocial work conditions assessed using the demand/control and effort/reward imbalance models. Other working conditions measured included working hours, shift work, and physical demand. Separate linear regression analyses were undertaken for males and females, with adjustment for potential confounders. Results A total of 1101 interviews (526 men and 575 women) were completed. Multivariate models (adjusted for socio-demographics) demonstrated no associations between job strain, as measured using the demand/control model, or ERI using the effort/reward imbalance model (after further adjustment for over commitment) and BMI among men and women. Multivariate models demonstrated a negative association between low reward and BMI among women. Among men, multivariate models demonstrated positive associations between high effort, high psychological demand, long working hours and BMI and a negative association between high physical demand and BMI. After controlling for the effort/reward imbalance or the demand/control model, the association between physical demand and working longer hours and BMI remained. Conclusion Among men and women the were differing patterns of both exposures to psychosocial working conditions and associations with BMI. Among men, working long hours was positively associated with higher BMI and this association was partly independent of job stress. Among men physical demand was negatively associated with BMI and this association was independent of job stress.