Student Blog
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2019
Do You Trust Me? How Changing Public Perceptions Might Influence Public Health in Canada
January 10, 2019
In a recent public opinion survey conducted by the Ontario Science Centre in August 2017,1 it was revealed that, amongst a representative sample of 1,514 Canadians, just under half (43%) agreed with the statement that “scientific findings are a matter of opinion”, and 31% agreed that “because scientific ideas are fluid and subject to change, they cannot be trusted”. In addition, only 43% of participants agreed that they trust the government for “accurate, fact-based information”.1
Given that overall, public trust in science seems to be decreasing, it is…
2018
An Uphill Trek
August 28, 2018
Before beginning my career in public health, I worked in acute medicine as a Registered Nurse. I enjoyed being on the front lines. I monitored fevers, mixed antibiotics and reoriented confused patients. I can still hear the beeps of IV pumps and call bells ringing in my sleep. A noise with the same pitch can make me jump up, look around and imagine the worst. I enjoyed this work because I helped people at their worst. I've been at the patient’s side when they are taking their last breath. I've helped a patient take their first steps after recovering from a stroke. I've comforted family…
The marathon of health equity and public health: My journey as an undergrad
July 9, 2018
I have always been passionate about promoting social justice. Growing up in Tanzania, I witnessed equity imbalances and was part of the United Nations (UN) Youth Clubs working to raise awareness and support UN goals and initiatives at the ground level. Although there has been positive progress in health care delivery in Tanzania, much remains to be done to improve overall living conditions of all citizens. Health equity and social justice are being addressed in many countries all over the world, and being an equity champion or change agent means having the sheer will to act and develop a…
Health Literacy and Public Health
June 4, 2018
Increasingly complex health care systems require individuals to assume a high degree of autonomy and employ self-management strategies to achieve their best health. Health literacy is one primary skill useful in navigating such complex systems. To date, there is no commonly accepted definition of health literacy in either academic or grey literature. It is a relatively new concept and ambiguities prevail. Originally defined as literacy skills such as reading, writing and numeracy in the health domain, some sources claim that health literacy has evolved into a more fluid…
Towards Reconciliation Efforts: The Need for Indigenous Voices in Indigenous Health Strategies
April 30, 2018
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released its Calls to Action to “redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation” (TRC, 2015, p.1). Many of the calls are applicable to universities and researchers because institutions of higher learning have the resources and influence to enable change in education, health and reconciliation. This article is a precursor to the emerging literature on institutional best practices of answering the calls. The purpose is to encourage individuals who are involved and capable of being…
Wisdom2Action: Mobilizing youths' lived-experience knowledge to inform mental health services
February 22, 2018
Many young people under the age of 25 in Canada struggle with mental health issues. Overall, 75% of ongoing mental health issues develop during adolescence, with 10-20% of youth affected by some kind of mental illness, while suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15–24 year olds. As our current healthcare system transforms to…
Why are students using study drugs, and what can we do about it?
January 24, 2018
Student use of off-counter stimulants for studying purposes is becoming an increasingly challenging issue as more students use them to study and negative health effects becoming increasingly reported. Recent studies suggest that more than 1 in 20 North American university students have engaged in the use of ADHD treatment drugs such as Alprostadil, Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, or Focalin for studying purposes in the past year [Non-medical use of prescription…
2017
Can you imagine a public health response without signs telling people what to do?
December 20, 2017
On 9 September 2017, following an emotional fact-finding mission on tuberculosis [TB] in Igloolik and Iqaluit, Stephen Lewis concluded: “There is a TB crisis in Nunavut at this very moment…” TB is preventable and Canada is among the countries with the lowest incidence in the world. Higher rates of TB in the North are largely driven by social determinants of health, including a devastating housing crisis and chronic overcrowding, food insecurity, and a perpetual shortage of specialized nursing services. Persistent rates of infection are also fueled by a deep and long-standing mistrust of Canadian government officials in northern communities complicated by the forced removal of many Inuit from their homelands in the name of public health in the 1950’s and 60’s.Three degrees of social influence: the catchy idea of social contagion in public health
November 6, 2017
Social contagion is catching on, with no vaccine in sight! But don’t panic: exposure to this concept may be beneficial for public health. For one thing, viewing certain harmful social phenomena with public health impacts – such as gun violence, teen suicide, drug use, or obesity – as having epidemic-like features may help fight these otherwise difficult-to-treat problems. Many public health campaigns aim to embed new and positive social norms in a population – such as covering a sneeze with your elbow instead of your…
Physician-assisted death
July 26, 2017
“If you don’t have liberty and self-determination, you’ve got nothing… and this is the ultimate self-determination, when you determine how and when you’re going to die when you’re suffering (People v. Kevorkian, 2001).” Nearly 15 years after Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s infamously spoken words, physician-assisted dying remains a controversial issue in Canadian society. In 2013, polls demonstrated that 32% of Canadians were either ‘somewhat opposed’ or ‘strongly opposed’ to physician-assisted death (PAD), and only 29% ‘strongly supported’ PAD (Environics Research Group, 2013). However, in…