Health Reports
A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research
July 2020
Exercise and screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic
by Rachel C. Colley, Tracey Bushnik, and Kellie Langlois
Physical distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 were implemented in Canada in March 2020 and included widespread border, school and business closures. This departure from normality led to a dramatic shift in daily routines as many Canadians suddenly found themselves working from home, homeschooling their children and avoiding unnecessary trips outside their homes. While physical distancing measures are fundamental to reduce virus transmission, prolonged restrictions can lead to decreased opportunities for outdoor exercise and increased anxiety and depression. During the confinement period, fewer Canadians rated their own mental health highly when compared with a sample of Canadians in 2018. Moreover, many reported increased feelings of anxiety about their own health and that of others. Those who reported better mental health during the pandemic were more likely to report having exercised outdoors.
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Association between mothers’ postoperative opioid prescriptions and opioid-related events in their children: A population-based cohort study
by Jennifer Bethell, Mark D. Neuman, Brian T. Bateman, Karim S. Ladha, Andrea Hill, Guohua Li, Duminda N. Wijeysundera, and Hannah Wunsch
In Ontario, in 2017, there were 1,276 emergency department visits for opioid poisoning among people younger than 25. Among those aged 15 to 24, the rate more than doubled between 2013 and 2017. Both Canadian and American data suggest that people younger than 25 may be experiencing disproportionate opioid-related harms. This age group makes up roughly 1 in 10 of those who were dispensed an opioid, but accounts for 1 in 5 emergency department presentations for opioid poisoning. This difference may be related, in part, to illicit opioid use, but evidence also supports another explanation—that some youth access opioids that have been prescribed to others in the household. Survey data from both countries show that, among youth who use opioids, the most common source of these opioids was family or friends. Two case–control studies (also from Canada and the United States) have shown that opioid prescriptions to family members are associated with an increased risk of hospital-treated overdoses in children and young adults.
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