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Data are important components of any research; however, it is often the case that the required data are not readily available. Researchers often fuse multiple datasets to obtain the data required to complete their work. In urban simulation, spatially referencing data is of paramount importance to capture local variations in travel and preferences. Data fusion typically obfuscates the spatial reference by merging records from different locations. Population synthesis is used to match these fused household records to a plausible location based on aggregate sociodemographic statistics. In some cases, researchers must also synthesize the necessary data. This paper outlines a data fusion workflow for a statistically valid synthetic population for use in urban simulation models. We develop the framework for the case of household-level expenditure and individuals' time use patterns. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Canada is used as a testbed. The results of the data fusion and synthesis are validated against statistics from a large-sample travel survey conducted in the GTA, showing a good fit with the validation dataset. Finally, we outline how the framework could be applied in other contexts where a single dataset is unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Indian Act is the default legislation governing reserves. Its provisions set out a rigid and paternalistic land use planning regime that makes it difficult for First Nations to exercise their inherent right to self-determination. While the Indian Act was the only legislation governing land use decisions on reserves for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, First Nations led-advocacy has facilitated fundamental changes to the reserve system by delivering legislative alternatives to the Indian Act regime. These alternative regimes were strengthened further in 2018 through Bill C-86, which made it easier for First Nations to control revenue derived from reserves and create or add to existing reserves. This paper considers the effect of these changes on urban reserves, that is, reserves that are adjacent to urban population centres. While the reserve system remains an imperfect settler institution, I argue that the contemporary system provides a viable means for First Nations with urban reserves to develop their land in a manner that is consistent with their right to self-determination and economic interests. Upon discussing the laws and potential benefits of developing on urban reserves under the contemporary system, I conduct a case study on Senakw to highlight how the current regime can facilitate economically advantageous developments for First Nations. I conclude with a discussion on the generalizability of the Senakw model to other urban reserves in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper furthers the development of the theory of agrarian citizenship–the bundle of rights and responsibilities underpinning the food sovereignty movement. Through interviews with 34 participants engaged with urban agriculture in Metro Vancouver, Canada, we introduce the concept of urban agrarianism, defined as an urban ethic of care for foodlands and, by extension, a relational responsibility to exercise solidarity with those who cultivate and harvest food. We argue that urban people, especially those with privilege, should recognize impacts associated with their social-ecological metabolism, and mobilize for food sovereignty struggles—including for the repatriation of lands stolen by colonial dispossession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have found that public opinion influences policy outcomes. However, the question of whether some groups have more influence than others has received very little attention in empirical work, despite its theoretical significance. This study will represent a first step in addressing this issue. Specifically, it considers three hypotheses: (1) the opinions of highly educated people will have more influence than those of less educated people, (2) The opinions of rural dwellers will have less influence than those of urbanites, and (3) The opinions of visible minority groups will have less influence than those of mainstream (whites). The paper uses a different strategy to the majority of previous studies on the influence of public opinion on policy in which measures of policy are regressed on a measure of public opinion and appropriate control variables. Instead, it employs qualitative document analysis of transcripts of face-to-face consultations as well as written submissions on the issue of bringing to balance the fiscal deficit in Nova Scotia. I find fairly strong support for the hypothesis that the opinions of educated people have more influence, as well as stronger support for the hypothesis that the opinions of urban dwellers will have more influence on the policy than those of the rural dwellers. However, there was no support for the hypothesis that the opinions of visible minority groups will have less influence than those of mainstream (whites). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous people in northern Canada have relied on sustained and safe access to traditional foods for millennia. Today, however, they experience higher rates of food insecurity than non-Indigenous people or Indigenous people living in urban settings. Changing socioeconomic and environmental conditions in the Canadian north have altered traditional food acquisition and consumption patterns, with implications for health and wellbeing, and cultural continuity. To assess the breadth and depth of scholarship on the sociocultural role of traditional foods in northern Indigenous food security, we conducted a scoping review of online peer-reviewed articles. The 22 articles selected and screened for comprehensive review affirmed that traditional foods remain vital and central to food security for northern Indigenous populations. However, our review brings to light a recurring tendency in these studies to disregard or inadequately consider the complex sociocultural dimensions of traditional foods, such as the critical role of food processing, cooking, and sharing in supporting Indigenous food security. To address this gap and ensure food security is aligned with Indigenous-defined needs and priorities, community-led research is needed, grounded in Indigenous knowledge that promotes access to traditional foods and affirms Indigenous food sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regeneration of derelict neighborhoods is an objective of many (local) governments. Various approaches and actions, such as the revitalization of public spaces in residential environments, are assumed to benefit local residents. However, regeneration may attract a new population different from the local residents in socio-economic profiles and lifestyle choices. Of particular interest in this research project is the way in which the arrival of new residents influences how public spaces are used and appropriated by both new and long-time residents. Specifically, this paper explores the way long-time residents react to this form of invasion of their dwelling environment. Using a mixed-method approach, this study attempts to shed light on the possible conflicts over the sharing of a park located in the City of Montreal (Canada) and how these conflicts affect the meaning of the dwelling environment of the neighborhood's residents. Results indicate that (1) there are tensions between long-time residents and newer ones about lifestyle choices and the model of development of the neighborhood, and (2) long-time residents' reactions of what might be perceived as invasion didn't lead to a territorial redefinition of home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Canada celebrates forty years of official multiculturalism (1971), a shifting urban/rural dyad (Neal) is central to its configuration. Its urban centers are positioned as diverse racialized spaces unlike their less diverse and more white rural counterparts. In this paper, I explore the relationships between rurality, whiteness, and multiculturalism through the rise of the redneck in North America and the Canadian Redneck Games in rural Ontario. While seemingly politically incorrect, I argue that these expressions of rural whiteness provide both critique and coherence to liberal whiteness and multicultural policies. Celebrations of rural whiteness uphold the frontier narratives (Furniss), the past which helps structure multiculturalism as a contemporary form of white liberal tolerance of and benevolence toward Indigenous peoples and racialized others. These mutually sustaining narratives constitute a contemporary politics which is unable to address past colonial crimes and contemporary racial violence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: Research on the mental health and service needs of homeless seniors has been scant. This paper reviews the available literature and presents findings of a Toronto survey in an effort to describe the demographics of homeless seniors, their level of impairment, and their mental and physical health needs.Methods: We searched the Medline, AgeLine, and PsycINFO databases, using the following key words: elderly homeless, elderly hostel users, and urban geriatrics. To better describe the service needs of the elderly homeless, we obtained demographic data from the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department and distributed a survey questionnaire to 11 Toronto hostel directors. The questionnaire elicited data relating to reasons for shelter use, problem behaviours, and mental health needs of those over age 65 years.Results: Although seniors represent a small percentage of the homeless population, their numbers are growing. The available literature suggests a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders and cognitive impairment in this population, with a greater proportion of older women than men having severe mental illness. Further, our survey suggests that the service needs of elderly hostel users in Toronto differ from those of their younger counterparts.Conclusion: The homeless elderly are the most vulnerable of this impoverished population. Although more research is needed to define their mental and physical health needs and ways of meeting them, their characteristics appear to be unique. Geriatric psychiatrists could play a significant role in evaluating and treating this population more comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the experiences of Irish immigrants in Canada during the 19th century. It explains that many Irish migrants left Ireland willingly in search of religious freedom, economic stability, and better opportunities for their children. While the United States was the preferred destination for most Irish immigrants, Canada offered advantages such as religious freedom, responsible government, and publicly funded separate schools for Catholics. The Irish had a significant impact on Canadian society, particularly in areas like politics, policing, religion, and education. However, it is important to acknowledge that the Irish also faced racial prejudice and discrimination, including towards non-white groups. Overall, Irish immigrants to Canada had a reasonable chance of finding a better life. The document titled "Document No. W. S. 163" by Patrick Rankin is a valuable resource for those researching Irish military history and provides detailed information on the topic. Library patrons interested in gaining a deeper understanding of this aspect of Irish history should consider exploring this document further. [Extracted from the article]

• Epilepsy can be burdensome for patients, families, health systems, and society. • Health disparities of people with epilepsy can be worsened by living in rural areas. • Demographics and socioeconomic status drive the poor outcomes, not rurality per se. • Prospective studies with standard definitions of rural are needed. Epilepsy is a leading cause of global disease burden, with people with epilepsy (PWE) experiencing adverse health outcomes related to the psychiatric comorbidities and socioeconomic consequences of the disorder. Rural populations are more likely to be impoverished or uninsured, which could impact health outcomes for rural-dwelling PWE (RPWE). This systematic literature review identified original research studying health disparities and outcomes among RPWE in the United States and Canada to (1) characterize the disparities faced by RPWE and (2) elucidate the effects of these disparities upon clinical outcomes. We performed a systematic search of six electronic databases: Pubmed, Cochrane, PsychInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid. Articles considered were original research reports conducted in Canada or the United States before August 2020. A modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Our search returned 2093 articles that examined the health disparities of RPWE, of which six met criteria for this review. Outcome measures of health disparity included in these papers were mortality (2; 33%), use of health resources (2; 33%), and epilepsy prevalence (2; 33%). Only one paper (16%) concluded that RPWE experienced worse health outcomes relative to urban-dwelling PWE, while 5 (84%) found no difference. Our study did not find sufficient evidence that RPWE in the US and Canada experience significant health disparities compared to similar urban populations of PWE. More research using prospective studies and datasets allowing better characterization of rurality is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the probabilities of first marriage dissolution in Canada, using the marital history data collected from a national sample of women in their reproductive years. It is found that age at marriage, year of marriage, cohabitation before marriage, a premarital birth or conception, urban-rural place of residence, and religiosity are all significantly correlated with marriage dissolution. Religion and education, on the other hand, do not seem to affect the marriage dissolution probabilities when other factors are controlled. Canadian patterns are not too different from patterns in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of previous research has elucidated how involvement in drug dealing and crime among marginalized urban youth who use drugs is shaped by the imperatives of addiction and survival in the context of poverty. However, a growing body of research has examined how youth's involvement in these activities is shaped by more expansive desires and moralities. In this paper, we examine the material, moral, and affective worlds of loosely gang affiliated, street level dealing and crime among one group of young men in Vancouver, Canada. Drawing on longitudinal interviews with 44 young men from 2008 to 2016, and ethnographic fieldwork with a group of approximately 15 of those young men over the same time period, we argue that for these youth, dealing and crime were not solely about economic survival, or even the accrual of highly meaningful forms of "street capital" in the margins. Rather, as "regimes of living," dealing and crime also opened up new value systems, moral logics, and affects in relation to the tremendous risks, potential rewards, and crushing boredom of life in the margins. These activities were also understood as a way into deeply desired forms of social spatial belonging in the city, which had previously only been imagined. However, across time dealing and crime "embedded" young men in cycles of incarceration, destitution, addictions, and mental health crises that ultimately reinforced their exclusion-from legal employment, but also within the world of crime. The findings of this study underscore the importance of adopting a life course perspective in order to meaningfully address the harms associated with involvement in dealing and crime among youth in our setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban centres in the US, Britain and Canada have responded to identified visible 'social problems' such addiction, mental health and homelessness by providing some supportive housing for the urban poor and marginalized. While some critics have questioned what supportive housing specifically entails in terms of the built environment, what remains under explored, though a growing area of concern, is the relationship between surveillance and supportive housing for urban residents identified as having addiction and mental health problems - a gap addressed in this paper. Drawing upon qualitative ethnographic observational data we examine some of the measures of control and coercion that are encroaching into social housing primarily established for poor and marginalized people with addiction and mental health problems in the urban centre of Vancouver, Canada. We witnessed three modes of regulation and control, that vary widely, among the residencies observed: physical surveillance technologies; site-specific modes of coercion; police presence and staff surveillance, which all together impact the everyday lives of residents living in low-income and supportive housing. We argue that supportive housing has the potential to provide its intended commitment - safe and secure affordable housing. However, owing to an (over)emphasis on 'security', the supportive housing we observed were also sites of social control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the loss of generalism in the surgical specialties, there has been a move in Canada to train family physicians in enhanced surgical skills (FP-ESS) to address the surgical needs of rural and remote populations. This research project sought to describe one network integrating FP-ESS and specialist surgeons, focusing on the role of FP-ESS and their relationship with specialist surgeons, in the surgical care of the Beaufort Delta Region of the Northwest Territories of Canada. Methods: Using a participatory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 stakeholders within the surgical system. Interviews were transcribed and reviewed, then imported into NVivo 12 for analysis. First-level coding was performed based on both deductive and inductive reasoning in an iterative fashion during interview collection to develop and refine the codebook. This was followed by second-level categorizing. Results: The FP-ESS physicians provide cesarean section services to maintain a local obstetrics program, to provide gastrointestinal endoscopy, and to provide emergency on-call support, as described by one stakeholder. FP-ESS work together with specialist surgeons through an informal network keeping surgical care as close to home as possible. FP-ESS within this health regions were seen as "a really big gain to the system." Conclusions: This study deepens our understanding of rural surgical service delivery, in particular where FP-ESS and specialist surgeons function collaboratively. It also contributes to strengthening rural surgical systems in Canada and therefore to addressing the health gap between rural/remote/indigenous and urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For refugees who undergo permanent resettlement, characteristics of the resettlement context influence their ability to heal from pre-migration persecution and achieve a sense of wellbeing. This ethnographic study examines the impact of place-related determinants on the sense of wellbeing experienced by refugees resettled in a small urban center. The paper reports on the results of in-depth interviews that were conducted with ten former refugees in St. John's, Canada. We found that challenges and coping resources both emerged from the same aspects of the city, including its built environment, natural environment, history, culture, and low ethnic diversity. Future research should attend to how aspects of the resettlement context can simultaneously challenge and support refugees' sense of wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of physical distance, language, and religion on Law of One Price (LOP) deviations across interwar Canadian and modern Nigerian cities. The data comprise monthly average retail prices for narrowly defined goods collected by national statistical agencies. We find that differences in the fraction of the city population sharing a common language and religion have a significant impact on LOP deviations. The impact of language differences is consistent with a recently developed theory in which both trade costs and differences in signal-noise ratios contribute to LOP deviations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, a vast majority of urban Indigenous people face distinct challenges accessing and connecting to Indigenous cultural practices. Research has found that colonial policies and practices continue to disrupt and fracture traditional methods of passing down cultural teachings, including dispossession from traditional lands in which cultural practices are rooted. This disruption continues to affect the availability of educational programming by and with Indigenous people and in Indigenous languages. This research involves a multi-method approach to observe and engage with a land-based traditional drum-making program for Indigenous men in an urban center in Southwestern Manitoba. By participating, watching, and listening to the men within the workshops through unstructured observation, Sharing Circles, individual interviews, and photovoice, we aim to understand the impacts of land-based learning on Indigenous men's well-being. The study is designed in accordance with University and Tri-Agency ethical guidelines, integrating ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP), as well as the principles of respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility within all phases of the research. The research is co-created by the university researchers, community collaborators, and other relevant stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several highly publicized incidents have drawn the public's attention to the problem of rural crime in Canada, and this focus is appropriate given that rates of rural crime in most provinces are higher than in urban areas. This study reports the results of an examination of urban and rural residents' perceptions of the police in Saskatchewan, Canada. Controlling for their socio-demographic characteristics, prior victimization, perceptions of crime, and contact with the police, the results of 1,791 phone surveys reveal that rural residents are less likely than their urban counterparts to indicate their police do a good job of enforcing the laws, promptly responding to calls for service, providing them with crime prevention information, ensuring their safety, or cooperating with them to address their concerns. We also found that both urban and rural residents who felt their communities were unsafe or neutral (neither safe nor unsafe) were less likely to indicate the police did a good job in all the seven categories of police performance examined in this research. Implications for rural policing practice and research are identified considering these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite early reports of social determinants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) burden, national Canadian reporting on COVID-19 inequalities has been limited. The objective of this study is to describe inequalities in COVID-19 mortality in Canada using preliminary data, as part of the Pan-Canadian Health Inequalities Reporting Initiative. Methods: Two provisional Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database integrations were used. Data concerning deaths between January 1 and July 4, 2020, among private-dwelling residents were linked to individual-level data from the 2016 short-form Census, and disaggregated by sex and low-income status, dwelling type, household type and size. Data concerning deaths between January 1 and August 31, 2020 linked to 2016 Census area data were disaggregated by sex and neighbourhood ethno-cultural composition quintiles (based on the proportion of residents who are recent immigrants, visible minorities, born outside of Canada, with no knowledge of English or French), income quintiles and urban residence. The COVID-19 age-standardized mortality rate (per 100,000 population) differences and ratios between groups were estimated. Results: As of July/August 2020, apartment dwellers, residents of urban centres, neighbourhoods with the highest ethno-cultural composition or lowest income experienced 14 to 30 more COVID-19-related deaths/100,000 compared with reference groups (residents of single-detached homes, outside of urban centres, with lowest ethno-cultural concentration or highest income, respectively). Per 100,000 population, sex/gender inequalities were also larger in these four groups (11 to 18 more male than female deaths) than in the reference groups (two to four more male than female deaths). Conclusion: These findings highlight how populations facing socioeconomic disadvantage have experienced a higher overall burden of deaths. Areas for future research are discussed to guide health equity-informed pandemic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban History Review / Revue d'Histoire Urbaine is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The territory of the Tlowitsis Nation spans the coastal area of Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Seasonal travel routes, food processing spots, burial and cultural sites and other named places extend across the entire territory. Since the turn of the 20th Century Karlukwees, located on remote Turnour Island, became a central settlement for the Tlowitsis Nation. In the early 1960s the Nation was displaced from Karlukwees; this has led to community members becoming culturally, as well as physically, removed from their traditional territories. A rising urban population with little attachment to these lands has reduced the opportunity and ability for members to take an active and informed role in their community. This paper describes the Tlowitsis relationship to its island based homeland. Further, it explores how contemporary efforts to reclaim territories and mobilise the community within the context of the Canadian government land claims negotiations help to shape the ideal of what their island's past means for the future of the Nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence distance traveled by individuals in Canadian urban areas, with a particular focus on three population segments thought to face the risk of mobility challenges: the elderly, low-income people, and members of single-parent households. Data obtained for three large urban centers – Hamilton, Toronto, and Montreal – are analyzed using spatial expansion models, a technique used to obtain spatially-varying coefficients that help to tease out contextual person-location variations in travel behavior. Detailed geographical results help to enhance our understanding of the spatiality of travel behavior of the population segments of interest. Substantively, the results provide evidence of significant interactions between location, various demographic factors, and mobility tools. More specifically, the results evince patterns of mobility that are significantly different from the mainstream population, particularly in suburban settings, in ways that are indicative of mobility challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban Indigenous populations face significant health and social disparities across Canada. With high rates of homelessness and substance use, there are often few options for urban Indigenous Peoples to access land-based healing programs despite the increasingly known and appreciated benefits. In May 2018, the first urban land-based healing camp opened in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, one of the first to our knowledge in Canada or the United States. This camp may serve as a potential model for an Indigenous-led and Indigenous-based healing camp in an urban setting. We present preliminary outcome data from the healing camp in a setting with a high-risk population struggling with substance use and homelessness. Reflections are presented for challenging logistical and methodological considerations for applications elsewhere. This northern effort affords us ample opportunity for expanding the existing knowledge base for landbased healing applied to an urban Indigenous high-risk setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents and young adults are the main perpetrators and victims of violence in almost all parts of the world. Theories of human behavior predict that the intention to behave violently is formed in part by the individual's attitude toward violent behavior. The purpose of this study was thus to investigate factors which both promote and protect against violent youth attitudes in Toronto, Canada's largest urban center. Multinomial logit models were fit separately for males and females in Grades 7 to 9 using cross-sectional data from the 2006 International Youth Survey. Odds ratios were estimated for the associations between levels of attitude toward violence and select factors in each of the biological, familial, peer-related, school and community domains. A graded effect of school attachment on violent attitude was observed for both sexes; male and female students who do not like school at all are 9.89 (3.15-31.0) and 6.49 (2.19-19.2) times as likely as those who like school a lot to have the "most" versus "least" violent attitude, respectively. For every one-unit increase in (negative) perception of neighborhood score, male and female students are 1.15 (1.07-1.23) and 1.20 (1.12-1.28) times as likely to have the "most" versus "least" violent attitude. The number of victimization events was associated with attitude toward violence in males but not females, while the reverse was true for academic performance and exposure to prejudice. Our findings highlight the important relationships between connections to social environments and youth attitudes toward violence, and identify modifiable factors which may be amenable to intervention. Sex-specific differences in the predictors of violent youth attitudes warrant additional investigation and have implications for policy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Studies in Population is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The relationship between cultural attachment and mental wellbeing among Canada's Indigenous population is explored with data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. Cultural attachment is assessed by involvement in traditional activities and Indigenous language. Ordered probit models are used to determine the factors associated with wellbeing. The results suggest an urban–rural divide with cultural attachment associated with higher levels of wellbeing for Indigenous Canadians living in rural areas. The results are expected to be of interest to policy makers in countries with significant Indigenous populations whom tend to have higher frequencies of psychological wellbeing issues, such as Canada, Australia and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indigenous women in Canada have been hyper-visible in research, policy and intervention related to substance use during pregnancy; however, little is known about how the social determinants of health and substance use prior to, during, and after pregnancy intersect. The objectives of this study were to describe the social contexts of pregnant-involved young Indigenous women who use substances and to explore if an Indigenous-Specific Determinants of Health Model can predict substance use among this population.Methods: Using descriptive statistics and hierarchical logistic regression guided by mediation analysis, the social contexts of pregnant-involved young Indigenous women who use illicit drugs' lives were explored and the Integrated Life Course and Social Determinants Model of Aboriginal Health's ability to predict heavy versus light substance use in this group was tested (N = 291).Results: Important distal determinants of substance use were identified including residential school histories, as well as protective factors, such as sex abuse reporting and empirical evidence for including Indigenous-specific determinants of health as important considerations in understanding young Indigenous women's experiences with pregnancy and substance use was provided.Conclusions: This analysis provided important insight into the social contexts of women who have experiences with pregnancy as well as drug and/or alcohol use and highlighted the need to include Indigenous-specific determinants of health when examining young Indigenous women's social, political and historical contexts in relation to their experiences with pregnancy and substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sharing of previously used syringes is associated with the transmission of Hepatitis C and HIV. This longitudinal study examines syringe borrowing and syringe lending within a prospective cohort of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada. From September 2005 to May 2014, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study, a cohort of street-involved youth age 14-26 at enrollment, and analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Among 505 participants, 142 (28.1%) reported syringe borrowing and 132 (26.1%) reported syringe lending during the study period. In separate multivariable analyses, having difficulty finding clean needles and homelessness were significantly associated with syringe borrowing (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.28, 95% CI 1.66-3.12 and AOR = 1.52, CI 1.05-2.21, respectively) and syringe lending (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.32-2.71 and AOR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.11-2.44, respectively) (all p values < 0.05). Findings highlight gaps in syringe access for vulnerable young injectors and suggest that service delivery for youth may be suboptimal. Further examination of how needle distribution efforts might be improved to better meet the needs of young people is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are the most common and costly condition of childhood. Low vitamin D levels have been hypothesized as a risk factor for URTI. The primary objective was to determine if serum vitamin D levels were associated with health-service utilization (HSU) for URTI including hospital admission, emergency department visits and outpatient sick visits. The secondary objectives were to determine whether oral vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy or childhood was associated with HSU for URTI.Design: Cohort study. HSU was determined by linking each child's provincial health insurance number to health administrative databases. Multivariable quasi Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D supplementation and HSU for URTI.Setting: Toronto, Canada.Subjects: Children participating in the TARGet Kids! network between 2008 and 2013.Results: Healthy children aged 0-5 years (n 4962) were included; 52 % were male and mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 84 nmol/l (range 11-355 nmol/l). There were 105 (2 %), 721 (15 %) and 3218 (65 %) children with at least one hospital admission, emergency department visit or outpatient sick visit for URTI, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D or vitamin D supplementation and HSU for URTI.Conclusions: A clinically meaningful association between vitamin D (continuously and dichotomized at <50 and <75 nmol/l) and HSU for URTI was not identified. While vitamin D may have other benefits for health, reducing HSU for URTI does not appear to be one of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Brewed tea from Canadian brands was analyzed for fluorine content using neutron activation analysis. Black tea contained (mean ± SEM) 5.4 ± 0.2 µg F/ml, while green tea contained less, 3.7 ± 0.5 µg F/ml. Using the numbers from black tea, and our unique data from non-invasive measurements of fluoride in bone, we estimate that tea drinkers in Hamilton are consuming, on average, 25 µg F/kg bw per day, the equivalent of approximately 1.5 cups of tea per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood risk is a growing concern in Canada's cities. Residents of these cities have differential risk according to their unique vulnerability and exposure to flood hazards. Factors related to societal structural forces, human agency, and place interact to produce vulnerability to hazards. Analysis of the factors that influence vulnerability will lead to a better understanding of how unequal vulnerability to hazards is produced among residents of cities in Canada. This article provides a critical synthesis of the hazards and political ecology literatures and then draws upon it to develop a conceptual framework for looking across scales and across actors to identify and situate the factors that influence vulnerability. The framework centres on what are referred to as indicators and determinants of vulnerability, and how they interact to produce unequal vulnerability. The framework can be used to gain insights to what produces vulnerability and how, or whether, policy measures can address these factors to equitably reduce risk. La source de l'inégalité face à la vulnérabilité aux risques d'inondation : un cadre conceptuel pour la recherche sur les dangers dans les villes canadiennes Les inondations représentent un risque pour les villes du Canada qui suscite de plus en plus d'inquiétude. Le risque auquel les résidents de ces villes sont confrontés varie selon leur propre niveau de vulnérabilité et d'exposition aux dangers d'inondation. Les facteurs liés aux forces structurelles de la société, à l'action humaine et au lieu interagissent pour engendrer la vulnérabilité aux dangers. L'analyse des facteurs qui influent sur la vulnérabilité conduira à une meilleure compréhension des différentes manières dont l'inégalité face à la vulnérabilité aux dangers est engendrée entre les résidents des villes canadiennes. Cet article présente une synthèse critique des corpus de textes scientifiques sur les dangers et l'écologie politique à partir de laquelle a été élaboré un cadre conceptuel permettant d'identifier et de situer les facteurs qui influent sur la vulnérabilité en transcendant les échelles et les acteurs. Le cadre conceptuel est axé sur ce que l'on désigne par indicateurs et déterminants de la vulnérabilité, et sur la façon dont ils interagissent pour engendrer l'inégalité face à la vulnérabilité. Le cadre conceptuel permet d'améliorer la connaissance de ce qui peut engendrer la vulnérabilité et comment, ou si, des actions politiques peuvent mieux tenir compte de ces facteurs en vue de réduire le risque de façon équitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript explores predictors of access to sexual health services among urban immigrant adolescents who live in Toronto, Canada. Surveys (n = 1216) were collected from pre-existing youth groups in community settings. A binary logistic multivariate model was developed to examine associations between access to sexual health services and a series of individual, interpersonal, and structural variables. Sexual activity, age, race, and social resources each had significant partial impact on access to sexual health services. Among young women, those with more social resources had significantly accessed services more often than those with fewer resources, but among men there was no difference as a function of social resources. Although immigration predicted access to sexual health services on its own, it was not statistically significant in this model when other variables were included. Immigration status, in and of itself, was not a predictor of youth's access to sexual health services. The impact of immigration status appears to occur because of its association with other variables, such as race. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to describe ways that successful culture-based Aboriginal preventive family service agencies offer employment and education opportunities for staff. Staff in three inner-city, culture-based Aboriginal family agencies were asked about their employment and educational opportunities. Forty-four individuals were asked the question: 'what employment and education opportunities have you had while in this job?' A total of 81 unique responses were received. Participants grouped the responses into eight themes including: planning for services, promotion within the agency, specific skill development, enhanced self-confidence, cultural awareness, teaching others, workshops as well as certified training. Differences between the experiences of study participants and the existing literature indicate that practices within culture-based Aboriginal family agencies are distinct in relation to funding, staff mobility, strengths-base, practical training and cultural knowledge, and that these should be understood and recognized formally in funding decisions and in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective The goal of the study was to systematically review available evidence regarding differences in injury incidence between rural and urban paediatric populations in Canada and the USA. Data source Eight electronic databases, institutional websites and reference lists of relevant studies including published and unpublished reports. Selection criteria Population-based observational studies or surveys published from 1970 to February 2011 that compared injury incidence or injury-related healthcare outcomes between rural and urban children (<18) living in Canada or the USA. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers independently applied selection criteria and assessed methodological quality of studies. Data were extracted by one author and independently verified by the second author. Injury rate ratios for rural and urban children were extracted or calculated. Data were synthesised descriptively due to substantial heterogeneity among studies. Results A total of 41 studies were included for this review (seven surveys and 34 studies using administrative health databases). Internal validity of included studies was moderate. Rural children were at higher risk of overall injury, motor vehicle crash injury and suicide, whereas urban children in the USA experienced higher rates of firearm-related homicides. Greater rural-urban injury disparities were likely to be found between more extreme rural and urban areas. In particular, children in remote rural areas are at increased risk of severe injuries than urban counterparts. Overall, healthcare costs per child for injury were higher for rural children. Conclusion These findings indicate the need of developing geographic area-specific injury-prevention strategies. Future research is required to investigate rural-urban disparity for less-studied injuries and related health outcomes (eg, disability). Systematic review registration number CRD42011001244 (PROSPERO 2011). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looks at the changes in 10 Canadian CMAs between 1981 and 2001 and builds on the work of other Canadian researchers to show how the extent, location and nature of gentrification processes have continued since the 1970s. The analysis of census data from 1981 and 2001 identifies gentrifying tracts and compares them with the neighbourhoods that are recognised by local housing market analysts as gentrifying and with the neighbourhoods that are clearly not gentrifying. Gentrification between 1981 and 2001 involves between 5 and 12 per cent of all tracts in the CMAs and about 25 per cent of inner-city tracts depending on the CMA examined and the definition of gentrification used. The spatial pattern of tracts gentrifying between 1981 and 2001 is more extensive than areas known to have gentrified during the 1970s. The extent of gentrification does not vary by city size. The profiles of gentrifying tracts show large increases in their proportion of young adult households, dramatic reductions in household size, rapid increases in university educated population, and had more mobile populations between 1981 and 2001. The gentrification of the inner city reduces population density while increasing dwelling unit density. Gentrification in Canada is changing the composition of the inner city but is not repopulating the inner city and it is contributing to the overall decentralisation process in Canadian cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1953 and 1994, the National Film Board (NFB) of Canada produced two documentary films about Toronto' s Regent Park, the country' s first and largest low- income housing project. Farewell to Oak Street charted the dramatic 'before' and 'after' effects of public housing on the family, social and cultural life of the inner- city dwellers whose 'slum housing' was demolished in the 1940s and early 1950s to make way for the pioneering housing scheme. In 1994 the NFB made Return to Regent Park. This time round, the film centred on the abject failure of Toronto's steamrolling urban renewal plans and the efforts of activists to combat drugs, crime and the physical/social stigma of the project. This article argues that both NEB portrayals of the project contributed to the powerful moral and territorial stigmatization of inner-city workers and public housing tenants in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify and describe barriers to access to mental health services encountered by ethnoracial seniors.Method: A multiracial, multicultural, and multidisciplinary team including a community workgroup worked in partnership with seniors, families, and service providers in urban Toronto Chinese and Tamil communities to develop a broad, stratified sample of participants and to guide the study. This participatory, action-research project used qualitative methodology based on grounded theory to generate areas of inquiry. Each of 17 focus groups applied the same semistructured format and sequence of inquiry.Results: Key barriers to adequate care include inadequate numbers of trained and acceptable mental health workers, especially psychiatrists; limited awareness of mental disorders among all participants: limited understanding and capacity to negotiate the current system because of systemic barriers and lack of information; disturbance of family support structures; decline in individual self-worth; reliance on ethnospecific social agencies that are not designed or funded for formal mental health care; lack of services that combine ethnoracial, geriatric, and psychiatric care; inadequacy and unacceptability of interpreter services; reluctance of seniors and families to acknowledge mental health problems for fear of rejection and stigma; lack of appropriate professional responses; and inappropriate referral patterns.Conclusions: There is a clear need for more mental health workers from ethnic backgrounds, especially appropriately trained psychiatrists, and for upgrading the mental health service capacity of frontline agencies through training and core funding. Active community education programs are necessary to counter stigma and improve knowledge of mental disorders and available services. Mainstream services require acceptable and appropriate entry points. Mental health services need to be flexible enough to serve changing populations and to include services specific to ethnic groups, such as providing comprehensive care for seniors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies of veterans have linked posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after combat-related trauma to increased reports of health problems. It is unclear whether this association between PTSD and increased health problems generalizes to civilians who are exposed to a broader array of traumatic events. We also do not know whether trauma exposure is associated with increased health problems in individuals who do not develop PTSD. Using a non-treatment-seeking civilian sample, we examined whether lifetime PTSD or trauma exposure by itself was associated with current health problems.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design and self-report measures, we evaluated urban Canadian bus drivers (n = 342) on trauma exposure, lifetime PTSD, and current health problems. Based on their responses, we divided our sample into individuals who had never experienced trauma (n = 91), trauma-exposed individuals who had never developed PTSD (n = 218), and persons who developed PTSD at some point after trauma (n = 33). We compared these groups on health problems, treatment service use, and health assessment measures.Results: The PTSD group reported increased health complaints, more frequent use of health treatments, and poorer health self-ratings compared with the exposed non-PTSD and nonexposed groups. Trauma-exposed drivers without PTSD did not differ from unexposed drivers on any health measure. Controlling for sex and trauma frequency did not alter our findings.Conclusions: Trauma exposure that leads to PTSD is associated with increased health problems, while trauma exposure alone is not. Our results extend previous findings to a broader civilian context and clarify associations between trauma exposure and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine changes in prevalence rates of treated schizophrenia over 10 years in a small urban teaching centre using data from the Kingston Psychiatric Record Linkage System (KPRLS).Method: The KPRLS, a psychiatric case register established in 1984, collects and links demographic, diagnostic, and service use information for all psychiatric inpatients, outpatients and emergency contacts at the 3 hospitals in Kingston, Ontario. A preliminary comparison of first admissions for schizophrenia used chart review (1976-1978) and KPRLS data (1996-1998). The KPRLS data were used to calculate population-based prevalence rates of treated schizophrenia in 3 census years (1986, 1991, 1996) for patients in the 2 counties closest to Kingston.Results: The preliminary comparison showed a 42% decrease in the number of first-admission schizophrenia cases over 20 years. In the main study, the annual inpatient prevalence rates decreased significantly (52%) from 1986 to 1996 with no corresponding change in outpatient rates, regardless of sex. Although total major affective disorders increased, this was due to an increase in major depression, not bipolar disorder.Conclusions: This is the first Canadian case-register study to support the widely reported falling rates of schizophrenia in other parts of the world over the last 40 years. Since this is a geographically limited prevalence study based on only 10 years of data, further research over longer periods of time in other regions of the country is required to support or refute these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the 12-month period prevalence of major depression in Calgary.Methods: Subjects (n = 2542) were selected using random digit dialing (RDD) and interviewed by telephone using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form for Major Depression (CIDI-SFMD). A subset of this sample was recontacted and administered the full mood disorders section of the CIDI.Results: The weighted proportion of the sample scoring in the positive range on the major depression predictor was 14.7%. Validation data determined that approximately three-quarters of these subjects would be expected to have major depression according to the CIDI. Hence, the estimated 12-month period prevalence of major depression was approximately 11.0%.Conclusions: This prevalence estimate is higher than most, but not all, previous Canadian estimates and resembles that of the American National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). Calgary may have a high prevalence of major depression; however, because methodologically comparable studies are not available, to conclude this would be premature. Selection bias due to the RDD sampling (and the associated relatively high rate of nonresponse) may have led to an inflated prevalence estimate. Alternatively, because it allows increased anonymity and emotional "distance" from the nonprofessional interviewers, telephone-based data collection may be more sensitive to psychopathology than face-to-face interviewing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]