Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
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Can J Public Health · Mar 2017
Promoting children's health: Toward a consensus statement on food literacy.
This consensus statement reflects the views of a diverse group of stakeholders convened to explore the concept of "food literacy" as it relates to children's health. Evidence-based conceptions of food literacy are needed in light of the term's popularity in health promotion and educational interventions designed to increase food skills and knowledge that contribute to overall health. ⋯ From these discussions, meeting participants created two working definitions of food literacy, as well as the alternative conception of "radical food literacy". We conclude that multiple literacies in relation to food skills and knowledge are needed, and underline the importance of ongoing dialogue in this emergent area of research.
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Can J Public Health · Oct 2015
Major urban road characteristics and injured pedestrians: A representative survey of intersections in Montréal, Quebec.
In urban settings, pedestrian fatalities and injuries are concentrated on major roads. This study aims to describe urban intersections with major roads (arterials and collector roads) and explore the association between intersection characteristics and injured pedestrians. ⋯ The results show that besides traffic and pedestrian volumes, intersection characteristics contribute to pedestrian injuries. The reduction of traffic lanes, parking prohibition near intersections and implementation of appropriate pedestrian refuge areas would improve pedestrian safety.
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Can J Public Health · Jul 2015
Population health promotion 2.0: An eco-social approach to public health in the Anthropocene.
Humanity is both an animal species that evolved within and is dependent upon natural ecosystems and a social animal that exists within the social systems we have created. Our health is dependent upon both these systems - natural and social - functioning well, and indeed upon their interactions. Yet our approach to improving the health of the population over the past few decades has been largely, if not exclusively, focused on the social determinants of health. ⋯ Second, they identify the underlying social, cultural and economic forces that are driving these changes. Third, they argue that we need to take an eco-social approach in population health promotion, recognizing the interactions between the ecological and social determinants of health. Such an approach could be considered to be 'Population health promotion 2.0', and it has profound implications for the practice of public health.
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There has been much recent discussion and debate surrounding cannabis in Canada, including the prescribing of medical cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Certain commentators - including the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) - have denounced the prescribing of cannabis for medical purposes due to a perceived lack of evidence related to the drug's efficacy, harms, and mechanism of action. In this commentary, we present arguments in favour of prescribing medical cannabis in Canada. ⋯ Using the example of neuropathic pain, we present and summarize the clinical evidence surrounding smoked or vapourized cannabis, including recent evidence pertaining to the effectiveness of cannabis in comparison to existing standard pharmacotherapies for neuropathy. Further, we outline how the concerns expressed regarding cannabis' mechanism of action are inconsistent with current decision-making processes related to the prescribing of many common pharmaceuticals. Finally, we discuss potential secondary public health benefits of prescribing cannabis for pain-related disorders in Canada and North America.
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Can J Public Health · Jun 2015
Mental health and substance use in an urban First Nations population in Hamilton, Ontario.
Mental health and substance use have been identified as health priorities currently facing Indigenous peoples in Canada; however, accessible and culturally relevant population health data for this group are almost non-existent. The aim of the Our Health Counts study was to generate First Nations adult population health data in partnership with the De dwa da dehs ney>s Aboriginal Health Access Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. ⋯ First Nations adults living in Hamilton experience a disproportionate burden of mental health and addictions. By working in partnership with urban Aboriginal organizations, it is possible to produce policy- and service-relevant data and address the current deficiency in appropriate mental health and substance use services for urban Aboriginal people.