The 2014 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada on Mood and Anxiety Disorders: a methodological overview. / Enquête sur les personnes ayant une maladie chronique au Canada ­ Composante des troubles de l'humeur et d'anxiété, 2014 : aperçu de la méthodologie.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of information about the impact of mood and anxiety disorders on Canadians and the approaches used to manage them. To address this gap, the 2014 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada-Mood and Anxiety Disorders Component (SLCDC-MA) was developed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology of the 2014 SLCDC-MA and examine the sociodemographic characteristics of the final sample. METHODS: The 2014 SLCDC-MA is a cross-sectional follow-up survey that includes Canadians from the 10 provinces aged 18 years and older with mood and/or anxiety disorders diagnosed by a health professional that are expected to last, or have already lasted, six months or more. The survey was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) through an iterative, consultative process with Statistics Canada and external experts. Statistics Canada performed content testing, designed the sampling frame and strategies and collected and processed the data. PHAC used descriptive analyses to describe the respondents' sociodemographic characteristics, produced nationally representative estimates using survey weights provided by Statistics Canada, and generated variance estimates using bootstrap methodology. RESULTS: The final 2014 SLCDC-MA sample consists of a total of 3361 respondents (68.9% response rate). Among Canadian adults with mood and/or anxiety disorders, close to twothirds (64%) were female, over half (56%) were married/in a common-law relationship and 60% obtained a post-secondary education. Most were young or middle-aged (85%), Canadian born (88%), of non-Aboriginal status (95%), and resided in an urban setting (82%). Household income was fairly evenly distributed between the adequacy quintiles; however, individuals were more likely to report a household income adequacy within the lowest (23%) versus highest (17%) quintile. Forty-five percent reported having a mood disorder only, 24% an anxiety disorder only and 31% both kinds of disorder. CONCLUSION: The 2014 SLCDC-MA is the only national household survey to collect information on the experiences of Canadians living with a professionally diagnosed mood and/or anxiety disorder. The information collected offers insights into areas where additional support or interventions may be needed and provides baseline information for future public health research in the area of mental illness.

INTRODUCTION: Il existe peu de données à propos des répercussions des troubles de l'humeur et d'anxiété sur les Canadiens et sur la gestion de ces troubles. L'Enquête sur les personnes ayant une maladie chronique au Canada ­ Composante des troubles de l'humeur et d'anxiété (EPMCC-THA) de 2014 a été élaborée pour combler les lacunes à ce chapitre. Le but du présent article est de décrire la méthodologie de l'EPMCC-THA de 2014 et de présenter les caractéristiques sociodémographiques de l'échantillon final. MÉTHODOLOGIE: L'EPMCC-THA de 2014 est une enquête transversale de suivi menée auprès de Canadiens des 10 provinces âgés de 18 ans et plus qui souffrent d'un trouble de l'humeur ou d'anxiété diagnostiqué par un professionnel de la santé et dont on s'attend à ce qu'il dure (ou durant depuis déjà) six mois ou plus. L'enquête a été élaborée par l'Agence de la santé publique du Canada (ASPC) au moyen d'un processus itératif et consultatif avec Statistique Canada et des experts externes. Statistique Canada a mis à l'essai le contenu, a conçu la base et les stratégies d'échantillonnage et a recueilli et traité les données. L'ASPC a procédé à des analyses descriptives pour déterminer les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des répondants, a produit des estimations représentatives à l'échelle nationale à l'aide des coefficients de pondération fournis par Statistique Canada et a produit des estimations de la variance à l'aide de la méthode bootstrap. RÉSULTATS: L'échantillon final de l'EPMCC-THA de 2014 était constitué de 3 361 répondants (taux de réponse de 68,9 %). Parmi ceux qui vivaient avec un trouble de l'humeur ou d'anxiété, près des deux tiers (64 %) étaient des femmes, près de la moitié (56 %) étaient mariés ou vivaient en union libre et 60 % avaient obtenu un diplôme d'études postsecondaires. La plupart étaient jeunes ou d'âge moyen (85 %), étaient nés au Canada (88 %), étaient non Autochtones (95 %) et vivaient en milieu urbain (82 %). Le revenu du ménage était distribué assez également entre les quintiles de suffisance du revenu avec cependant un revenu déclaré plus souvent dans le quintile le plus bas (23 %) que dans le plus haut (17 %). Quarante-cinq pour cent ont déclaré avoir un trouble de l'humeur seulement, 24 %, un trouble d'anxiété seulement et 31 %, les deux types de trouble. CONCLUSION: L'EPMCC-THA de 2014 est la seule enquête nationale auprès des ménages ayant recueilli de l'information sur les expériences des Canadiens avec un trouble de l'humeur ou d'anxiété diagnostiqué par un professionnel de la santé. Cette information permet de déterminer les secteurs où un soutien ou des interventions supplémentaires pourraient être requis et fournit un support aux futurs travaux de recherche en santé publique dans le domaine des maladies mentales.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in Canada: prevalence and associations with six health status indicators.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have considered the factors independently associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and/or fibromyalgia (FM) or considered the impact of these conditions on health status using population-based data. METHODS: We used data from the nationally representative 2010 Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 59 101) to describe self-reported health professional-diagnosed CFS and/or FM, and their associations with 6 health status indicators. RESULTS: In 2010, diagnosed CFS and FM are reported by 1.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3%-1.6%) and 1.5% (1.4%-1.7%), respectively, of the Canadian household population aged 12 years and over, with comorbid CFS and FM affecting 0.3% (0.3%-0.4%) of that population. Prevalent CFS and/or FM were more common among women, adults aged 40 years and over, those with lowest income, and those with certain risk factors for chronic disease (i.e. obesity, physical inactivity and smoking). After controlling for differences between the groups, people with CFS and/or FM reported poorer health status than those with neither condition on 5 indicators of health status, but not on the measure of fair/poor mental health. Having both CFS and FM and having multiple comorbid conditions was associated with poorer health status. CONCLUSION: Co-occurrence of CFS and FM and having other chronic conditions were strongly related to poorer health status and accounted for much of the differences in health status. Understanding factors contributing to improved quality of life in people with CFS and/or FM, particularly in those with both conditions and other comorbidities, may be an important area for future research.

TITRE: Le syndrome de fatigue chronique et la fibromyalgie au Canada : prévalence et associations avec six indicateurs de l'état de santé. INTRODUCTION: Peu d'études ont traité, à l'aide de données populationnelles, des facteurs associés de façon indépendante au syndrome de fatigue chronique (SFC) et à la fibromyalgie (FM) ou des répercussions de ces affections sur l'état de santé. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Nous avons utilisé les données de l'Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes de 2010 (n = 59 101), représentative de la population à l'échelle nationale, pour décrire les cas autodéclarés de SFC et de FM diagnostiqués par un professionnel de la santé et pour déterminer les associations de ces affections avec six indicateurs de l'état de santé. RÉSULTATS: En 2010, 1,4 % (intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % : 1,3 % à 1,6 %) des Canadiens de 12 ans ou plus vivant à domicile ont déclaré avoir reçu un diagnostic de SFC, 1,5 % (IC à 95 %: 1,4 % à 1,7 %) de FM, et 0,3 % (IC à 95 %: 0,3 % à 0,4 %) a déclaré être atteinte à la fois de SFC et de FM. Les cas de SFC comme ceux de FM étaient plus fréquents chez les femmes, les adultes de 40 ans ou plus, les personnes à faible revenu et les personnes présentant certains facteurs de risque de maladie chronique (obésité, sédentarité et tabagisme). Après ajustement en fonction des différences existant entre les groupes, les personnes ayant déclaré être atteintes du SFC ou de FM ou des deux avaient un moins bon état de santé que les personnes atteintes d'aucune de ces affections pour cinq indicateurs de l'état de santé, mais aucune différence n'a été trouvée entre ces groupes par rapport à l'indicateur de santé mentale. Le fait d'être atteint à la fois du SFC et de FM et de présenter de multiples affections comorbides était associé à un moins bon état de santé. CONCLUSION: La présence concomitante du SFC, de la FM et d'autres affections chroniques était étroitement associée au fait d'avoir un moins bon état de santé, et les différences relatives à l'état de santé étaient dues en bonne partie à la présence concomitante de ces affections. La compréhension des facteurs qui contribuent à l'amélioration de la qualité de vie des personnes atteintes du SFC ou de FM, et en particulier des personnes qui présentent ces deux affections ainsi que diverses affections comorbides, serait un champ important à explorer dans le cadre de travaux de recherche ultérieurs.

Metabolic syndrome and chronic disease.

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a combination of risk markers that appear to promote the development of chronic disease. We examined the burden of MetS in Canada through its current and projected association with chronic disease. METHODS: We used measures from the Canadian Health Measures Survey 2007-2009 to identify the prevalence of MetS in Canadian adults and examine associations between sociodemographic factors and major chronic diseases. We estimated the projected cumulative incidence of diabetes and percent risk of a fatal cardiovascular event using the Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT) and Framingham algorithms. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, we found that 14.9% of Canadian adults had MetS. Rates were similar in both sexes, but higher in those who are non-Caucasian or overweight or obese (p < .001 for all three). The importance of MetS for public health was demonstrated by its significant association with chronic disease relative to the general population, particularly for diagnosed (11.2% vs. 3.4%) and undiagnosed (6.0% vs. 1.1%) type 2 diabetes. The ten-year incidence estimate for diabetes and mean percent risk of a fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) event were higher in those with MetS compared to those without (18.0% vs. 7.1% for diabetes, and 4.1% vs. 0.8% for CVD). CONCLUSION: MetS is prevalent in Canadian adults and a high proportion of individuals with MetS have diagnosed or undiagnosed chronic conditions. Projection estimates for the incidence of chronic disease associated with MetS demonstrate higher rates in individuals with this condition. Thus, MetS may be a relevant risk factor in the development of chronic disease.

TITRE: Syndrome métabolique et maladies chroniques. INTRODUCTION: Le syndrome métabolique (SMét) est un ensemble de marqueurs de risques qui semble favoriser l'apparition de maladies chroniques. Nous avons examiné le fardeau lié au SMét au Canada et son association actuelle et projetée avec les maladies chroniques. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Nous avons utilisé les données de l'Enquête canadienne sur les mesures de la santé 2007-2009 pour déterminer la prévalence du SMét chez les adultes canadiens et pour examiner les associations entre divers facteurs sociodémographiques et les principales maladies chroniques. Nous avons estimé l'incidence cumulative projetée du diabète et le risque, en pourcentage, d'événements cardiovasculaires mortels en utilisant l'algorithme DPoRT (Diabetes Population Risk Tool) et l'algorithme de Framingham. RÉSULTATS: Après ajustement en fonction de l'âge, nous avons pu déterminer que 14,9 % des adultes canadiens présentaient un SMét. Les taux étaient similaires pour les deux sexes, mais ils étaient plus élevés chez les non-Blancs et chez les personnes présentant un embonpoint ou obèses (p < 0,001 dans les trois cas). L'importance du SMét sur le plan de la santé publique découle du fait qu'il est associé de manière statistiquement significative avec des maladies chroniques, en particulier avec le diabète de type 2 diagnostiqué (11,2 % contre 3,4 %) et non diagnostiqué (6,0 % contre 1,1 %). Le taux estimé d'incidence sur 10 ans associé au diabète et le risque moyen en pourcentage d'événements cardiovasculaires mortels étaient plus élevés chez les personnes atteintes de SMét que chez celles qui ne l'étaient pas (18,0 % contre 7,1% pour le diabète et 4,1% contre 0,8 % pour les maladies cardiovasculaires). CONCLUSION: Le SMét est répandu chez les adultes canadiens, et une forte proportion de personnes souffrant d'un SMét ont également des affections chroniques, diagnostiquées ou non. Les estimations projetées du taux d'incidence de maladies chroniques associées à un SMét sont plus élevées chez les personnes aux prises avec ce syndrome. Par conséquent, le SMét pourrait être un facteur de risque pertinent dans l'apparition de maladies chroniques.

Patterns of health services utilization in rural Canada.

CONTEXT OF THIS STUDY: Canadians value ease of access to their health services. Although many studies have focused on accessibility to health services in Canada, few have examined rural-urban differences in this aspect, particularly from a national perspective. Yet disparities in access to health services exist between rural and urban populations, as do the challenges of delivering health care to more remote areas or to those with small populations. "Canada's Rural Communities: Understanding Rural Health and Its Determinants" is a three-year research project co-funded by the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI) of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). It involves investigators from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research (CRaNHR) at Laurentian University, and other researchers. The first publication of the research project was How Healthy Are Rural Canadians? An Assessment of Their Health Status and Health Determinants; this, the second publication, is a descriptive analysis of the utilization patterns of a broad range of health services by rural residents compared to their urban counterparts.

Life with arthritis in Canada: a personal and public health challenge.

"Arthritis" describes more than 100 conditions that affect the joints, the tissues that surround joints and other connective tissue. These conditions range from relatively mild forms of tendonitis and bursitis to systemic illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Life with arthritis in Canada: a personal and public health challenge presents the latest knowledge about arthritis in the Canadian population and its wide-ranging impact. It provides an overview of the impact of arthritis, and is designed to increase public awareness of the importance of prevention and timely management. Although progress has been made on interventions, arthritis remains common, disabling and costly. Increasing participation in physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight may help to mitigate the effects of arthritis.

Surveillance of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases using administrative data.

There is growing interest in developing tools and methods for the surveillance of chronic rheumatic diseases, using existing resources such as administrative health databases. To illustrate how this might work, we used population-based administrative data to estimate and compare the prevalence of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) across three Canadian provinces, assessing for regional differences and the effects of demographic factors. Cases of SARDs (systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, primary Sjogren's, polymyositis/dermatomyositis) were ascertained from provincial physician billing and hospitalization data. We combined information from three case definitions, using hierarchical Bayesian latent class regression models that account for the imperfect nature of each case definition. Using methods that account for the imperfect nature of both billing and hospitalization databases, we estimated the over-all prevalence of SARDs to be approximately 2-3 cases per 1,000 residents. Stratified prevalence estimates suggested similar demographic trends across provinces (i.e. greater prevalence in females-versus-males, and in persons of older age). The prevalence in older females approached or exceeded 1 in 100, which may reflect the high burden of primary Sjogren's syndrome in this group. Adjusting for demographics, there was a greater prevalence in urban-versus-rural settings. In our work, prevalence estimates had good face validity and provided useful information about potential regional and demographic variations. Our results suggest that surveillance of some rheumatic diseases using administrative data may indeed be feasible. Our work highlights the usefulness of using multiple data sources, adjusting for the error in each.

Population-based Canadian hip fracture rates with international comparisons.

SUMMARY: We identified hospitalizations throughout Canada during 2000-2005 in which the most responsible diagnosis was a proximal femoral fracture. Use of the US fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) would be inappropriate for Canada as it would overestimate fracture risk in Canadian women and older men. INTRODUCTION: It is recommended that the WHO fracture risk assessment tool should be calibrated to the target population. METHODS: We identified hospitalizations for women and men throughout Canada during the study period 2000-2005 in which the most responsible diagnosis was a proximal femoral fracture (147,982 hip fractures). Age-standardized hip fracture rates were compared between Canadian provinces, and national rates were compared with those reported for the USA and Germany. RESULTS: There were relatively small differences in hip fracture rates between provinces, and most did not differ appreciably from the Canadian average. Hip fracture rates for women in Canada in 2001 were substantially lower than in the USA (population-weighted rate ratio 0.70) and were also lower than in Germany for 2004 (population-weighted rate ratio 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Overall hip fracture rates for Canadian women were found to be substantially lower than those for the USA and Germany. This study underscores the importance of assessing country-specific fracture patterns prior to adopting an existing FRAX tool.

Sources of data for rural health research: development of an inventory of Canadian databases.

Secondary data sources can often be used to help address questions about the health status, health behavior, health resources allocation, and utilization of health services of rural Canadians. But the task of deciding which Canadian databases are amenable to rural health research remains a challenge. As part of a larger research project titled "Canada's Rural Communities: Understanding Rural Health and Its Determinants," an inventory of 51 Canadian databases that have the potential of being used for rural health research was compiled, and it continues to be maintained and updated. The websites maintained by two of Canada's leading statistical data centers were systematically searched, along with other published articles and national reports, to produce this inventory. The criteria used to determine which data sources to include in this inventory are: (1) databases containing data at the national level that can be accessed by researchers, (2) databases containing data that are relevant to a variety of rural health issues, and (3) databases containing data that could be partitioned into rural and non-rural geographies. Detailed information is available by searching the inventory of national rural health research-related databases through the internet (www.cranhr.ca) or by contacting the lead author of this article. This article examines some of the issues in developing this resource and demonstrates the usefulness of its contents to Canadian and other rural health researchers.

Nitric oxide and the control of firefly flashing.

Bioluminescent flashing is essential for firefly reproduction, yet the specific molecular mechanisms that control light production are not well understood. We report that light production by fireflies can be stimulated by nitric oxide (NO) gas in the presence of oxygen and that NO scavengers block bioluminescence induced by the neurotransmitter octopamine. NO synthase is robustly expressed in the firefly lantern in cells interposed between nerve endings and the light-producing photocytes. These results suggest that NO synthesis is a key determinant of flash control in fireflies.

Infants' reactions to visual movement of the environment.

It has been demonstrated many times that the posture of infants is affected by movement of the visual environment. However, in previous studies, measurements taken with infants less than 10 to 12 months of age have always been recorded with the infants in a sitting position. An experiment is reported in which the postural reactions to a sinusoidal movement of the visual environment were recorded in infants 7 months of age and older standing with support. Fifty subjects divided into five groups (mean age 7.15 to 48.6 months) participated in the experiment. The groups differed in age and motor ability. Movement of the visual environment was achieved by means of a floorless room that could be moved sinusoidally in the anteroposterior axis. The subjects had to stand holding a horizontal bar fixed to a force-measurement platform. For each subject, measurements were made during four 60 s intervals: two with movement of the room and two with the room stationary. For all groups, reactions in the anteroposterior axis were stronger than in the lateral axis and this was true for both stimulus conditions. Comparison of the differences between the movement and stationary conditions in the anteroposterior axis, as a function of age, shows that the youngest infants seemed paradoxically to give stronger reactions when the room was stationary than when it was moving; the inverse was true for older infants and this difference increased with age. An analysis of the data with fast Fourier transforms reveals that the majority of subjects showed a pattern of postural reactions where the dominant (peak) frequency was identical to the peak frequency of room movement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)