Health Reports
A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research
April 2022
Changes in chronic disease risk factors and current exercise habits among Canadian adults living with and without a child during the COVID-19 pandemic
by Alessandra T. Andreacchi, Yulika Yoshida-Montezuma, Rachel C. Colley, Brendan T. Smith, Leigh M. Vanderloo and Laura N. Anderson
Beginning in March 2020, a phased approach to public health preventive measures was implemented to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. The daily lives of individuals living in Canada changed significantly, with restrictions on travel and public gatherings, closures of schools, outdoor recreation spaces and nonessential businesses (including fitness centres), as well as increased teleworking. These restrictions were necessary to control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the consequences of the pandemic, but they may have adversely impacted the health behaviours of Canadians. In particular, many parents and caregivers were required to fulfill multiple responsibilities, including working at home while providing child care or supporting virtual learning, which may have impeded their ability to maintain healthy lifestyle behaviours and routines. Adults living with children are a high-risk group, as family-level stress has been shown to impact health behaviours and outcomes of parents. It is important to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the lifestyle behaviours and routines of adults living with children.
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Changes in chronic disease risk factors and current exercise habits among Canadian adults living with and without a child during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Self-reported eye health in Canada: 20 years of data
Eye health is an indicator of health in general and of quality of life in particular. For example, diabetes, hypertension or neurological disease can be detected based on eye health. A comprehensive eye examination, with the advantage of being non-invasive, may therefore suggest diseases that might later be confirmed through a more specific examination. It is also known that there is a correlation between eye health and income, as they share a two-way relationship: bad eye health impacts economic status and vice versa.
Full article PDF versionCOVID-19 infection in the Canadian household population
by Tracey Bushnik, Steven Earl, Jonathan Cabot and Janine Clarke
Since the onset of the pandemic, studies worldwide have found that certain population groups face a disproportionate burden of exposure to COVID-19. These include people of working age, people in racially marginalized groups or who are at a social disadvantage and health care workers. Not only are these groups at increased risk of infection, but some may also experience barriers to COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Gender and sex differences in exposure and susceptibility have also been reported, but results have varied across countries.
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