Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
-
Can J Public Health · Mar 2010
ReviewA review of Aboriginal infant mortality rates in Canada: striking and persistent Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal inequities.
The Joint Working Group on First Nations, Indian, Inuit, and Métis Infant Mortality of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System is a collaboration of national Aboriginal organizations and federal and provincial/territorial stakeholders. Our objective was to better understand what is currently known about Aboriginal infant mortality rates (IMR) in Canada. ⋯ Striking and persistent disparities persist in the IMRs for Status Indians and in communities with a high proportion of Inuit residents, compared to the general Canadian population. There is an urgent need to work in partnership with First Nations, Indian, Inuit, and Métis stakeholder groups to improve the quality and coverage of Aboriginal IMR information and to acquire information that would help to better understand and address the underlying causes of disparities in infant mortality between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population in Canada.
-
Can J Public Health · Nov 2008
ReviewApplying the lessons of SARS to pandemic influenza: an evidence-based approach to mitigating the stress experienced by healthcare workers.
We describe an evidence-based approach to enhancing the resilience of healthcare workers in preparation for an influenza pandemic, based on evidence about the stress associated with working in healthcare during the SARS outbreak. SARS was associated with significant long-term stress in healthcare workers, but not with increased mental illness. Reducing pandemic-related stress may best be accomplished through interventions designed to enhance resilience in psychologically healthy people. ⋯ Evidence supports the goal of developing and maintaining an organizational culture of resilience in order to reduce the expected stress of an influenza pandemic on healthcare workers. This recommendation goes well beyond the provision of adequate training and counseling. Although the severity of a pandemic is unpredictable, this effort is not likely to be wasted because it will also support the health of both patients and staff in normal times.
-
A recent paper asserted that despite difficulties of measurement, the evidence suggests that the prevalence of dementia may be lower than is generally realized. However, this paper neglected the information provided by other recent studies which show relatively high values for the prevalence of dementia. On the basis of these latter studies and considering non-response, it is here suggested that, in fact, there is no good reason to suspect that the prevalence of dementia is lower than is generally believed.