Is problematic Internet use associated with alcohol and cannabis use among youth? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Problematic Internet use (PIU) is an important emerging public health problem. Among youth, the link between PIU and other risky behaviors needs to be defined. The objective of this systematic review is to explore the association between Internet use and substance use (alcohol, cannabis) among youth. METHODS: Empirical studies meeting inclusion criteria were chosen from important databases and then reviewed. Quality assessment and narrative synthesis were executed. Forty-three studies were eligible. SYNTHESIS: A majority of studies found a positive association between PIU and alcohol use, as well as between PIU and cannabis use. High heterogeneity in the assessment of alcohol and cannabis use made the synthesis a great challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Current studies do not allow us to determine whether or not PIU and cannabis and alcohol use are linked. Prevention programs for youth addressing risky behavior should include PIU, an important emerging public health problem. Further studies are needed to assess the longitudinal impact of Internet use on substance use among youth. Validated measures for alcohol and cannabis use among youth should be more consistently used and this would certainly help future knowledge syntheses.

L'analyse de contribution pour évaluer l'impact de la démarche ÉIS sur les processus décisionnels municipaux : un choix méthodologique intéressant ?

La pertinence de l'évaluation d'impact sur la santé (ÉIS) pour promouvoir le développement de politiques publiques favorables à la santé au sein des municipalités est de plus en plus reconnue. L'appréciation des effets d'une démarche d'ÉIS sur les processus décisionnels d'acteurs municipaux peut toutefois être difficile en raison de la multitude d'influences sociales, économiques, géographiques et personnelles auxquels ils sont soumis. Dans un tel contexte, l'approche évaluative de l'analyse de contribution (AC) s'avère particulièrement intéressante puisqu'elle permet de documenter les facteurs menant à l'efficacité d'une intervention en tenant compte des éléments du contexte. Elle aide l'évaluateur à comprendre comment et pourquoi une intervention fonctionne. Le présent article utilise l'étude de cas pour explorer la faisabilité et l'efficacité de l'AC pour apprécier les effets de démarches d'ÉIS sur le processus décisionnel d'acteurs municipaux. Il décrit les stratégies de collecte et d'analyse de données utilisées auprès de trois municipalités de la Montérégie, au Québec. Cette analyse critique montre que l'AC est pertinente dans le contexte décrit. Elle permet d'établir des associations claires et transparentes entre l'intervention, soit la démarche d'ÉIS, et l'importance accordée à la santé par les acteurs municipaux. Elle assure la prise en compte des facteurs d'influence contextuels et offre la flexibilité nécessaire pour adapter la collecte de données à la réalité du terrain. Néanmoins, la lourdeur de l'approche peut en contraindre l'application et certaines limites méthodologiques ont été observées au niveau de l'analyse des données. Les stratégies mises de l'avant pour y remédier sont décrites.

Consumption of energy drinks among Québec college students.

OBJECTIVES: Consumption of energy drinks (ED) raises concerns because of adverse health effects possibly linked with high levels of caffeine and sugar intake. The study looks at the scope of ED consumption as well as some of the associated characteristics. METHODS: Thirty-six public colleges in the Canadian province of Québec agreed to participate in a descriptive cross-sectional study (n = 36). In February 2013, participating colleges invited their students to answer an online questionnaire on consumption of ED, alcoholic ED (AED), and ED in combination with other psychotropic drugs. A descriptive and correlational analysis was carried out. Logistic regressions explored associations between ED consumption and associated characteristics. RESULTS: Of the students who successfully completed the questionnaire and participated in the study (n = 10,283), a low proportion consumed ED (9.1%; n = 935) and/or AED (1.1%; n = 109) at least once a week in the previous month. Although low in proportion, a number of participants reported having used ED with other stimulant psychoactive substances (n = 247) and ≥3 ED/day (n = 193) or ≥3 AED/occasion (n = 167), which can pose a risk for serious adverse effects. Weekly ED consumption was associated with consumption of ≥20 cups of coffee/week, smoking, excessive use of alcohol and past use of cannabis, glues or solvents and amphetamines. CONCLUSION: A majority of respondents are not heavy users of ED, AED, or ED with drugs. Yet, the profiles of ED consumption potentially harmful to health that characterize some participants indicate that the potential health consequences of such behaviour are of concern.

Providing continuity of care to a specific population: Attracting new family physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors that influence newly licensed family physicians in their decision to provide continuity of care to a specific primary care population. DESIGN: Mixed-methods study that included a self-administered online questionnaire for family physicians followed by individual interviews. SETTING: Monteregie, the second-most populated region of Quebec, with rural and urban areas. PARTICIPANTS: All family physicians with 10 or fewer years of work experience who were practising in Monteregie were contacted (366 physicians). Of this group, 118 completed the online questionnaire (response rate of 32.2%). Of the respondents, 10 physicians with varied continuity of care profiles were selected for individual interviews. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The percentage of work time spent on continuity of care analyzed in conjunction with factors that support or present barriers to continuity of care at the contextual and organizational levels and for family physicians and patients. RESULTS: The main factors that facilitate continuity of care are the physician-patient relationship, interest in clinical continuity of care activities, positive role models, working alongside a nurse, and adequate access to resources, specifically mental health resources. The main barriers are the scope of administrative duties, interest in a comprehensive practice, a negative experience of continuity of care during training, a sense of inadequacy with respect to continuity of care, a heavy case load, and a lack of support in the first years of practice. CONCLUSION: Possible ways to encourage newly licensed family physicians to provide continuity of care to a specific population are offered. Areas for improvement include medical training, administrative support, and human resources.

Evaluation of the effects of health impact assessment practice at the local level in Monteregie.

BACKGROUND: In Quebec (Canada), the Monteregie Regional Public Health Department has chosen to use health impact assessment (HIA) to support municipalities through a knowledge exchange and collaborative process in order to positively influence decision-making regarding local policies and projects. The value of HIA is becoming increasingly recognized by municipalities interested in planning and managing their cities with an eco-systemic perspective. However, the knowledge and tools which support the use of the HIA at regional and local levels are still missing. METHODS: The general objective is to evaluate the impact the collaborative HIA process used in Monteregie has had on the formulation, adoption and implementation of policies and projects favourable to health. The methodology is based on Mayne's CA design, which allows the identification of factors which contribute to a change process. It is described as one of the best approaches to reduce uncertainty regarding the observed results and the contribution of a program. All of the HIA processes realised between January 2013 and January 2016 in Monteregie will be studied following a case study strategy. Study populations include regional and local public health professionals, municipal officers and community members implicated in these HIAs. Various qualitative and quantitative methods will be used, including examination of documentation, observations on the city grounds, and individual or group interviews. A model of change will be constructed for each HIA process and will present the logical pathway which leads to the observed results, alternative explanations and hypothesises as to why these results were obtained, and contextual factors that could have influenced them. This model will allow the production of a refined contribution story for each HIA. A convergence and divergence analysis will be completed in order to identify differences or similitudes between the different HIAs studied. DISCUSSION: In addition to contributing to the production of knowledge in relation to the collaborative model of HIA, this research project will allow other regional and local public health actors and municipalities of Quebec or other decision-making and political bodies to understand the usefulness of this approach for the improvement of population health and well-being.

Myocardial infarction in Québec rural and urban populations between 1995 and 1997.

INTRODUCTION: There is abundant evidence of health inequities between urban and rural populations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of Québec urban and rural populations and the relation between rurality and incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), care management and outcomes. METHODS: Socioeconomic data by census subdivisions were available from the 1996 Canadian census, representing 7,137,245 individuals. Data on patients with MI were taken from the provincial administrative health database (MED-ECHO), which is managed by the Ministry of Health and contains clinical and demographic information collected when patients are released from acute care hospitals in Québec. RESULTS: We included a total of 37,678 cases compiled over the 3 years of follow-up in the analyses. Residents of rural areas with low urban influence have higher MI incidence rates than all of the other populations in the study. In comparison with urban populations, their observed rural counterparts are at a disadvantage with regard to education, employment and income. Although angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft surgery rates were higher in more urban areas, the survival rate was lower than in rural areas. CONCLUSION: This study revealed geographic heterogeneity of MI incidence, revascularization rates and survival rates among urban and rural populations.

Spatial variation in the management and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Regional disparities in medical care and outcomes with patients suffering from an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been reported and raise the need to a better understanding of links between treatment, care and outcomes. Little is known about the relationship and its spatial variability between invasive cardiac procedure (ICP), hospital death (HD), length of stay (LoS) and early hospital readmission (EHR). The objectives were to describe and compare the regional rates of ICP, HD, EHR, and the average LoS after an ACS in 2000 in the province of Quebec. We also assessed whether there was a relationship between ICP and HD, LoS, and EHR, and if the relationships varied spatially. METHODS: Using secondary data from a provincial hospital register, a population-based retrospective cohort of 24,544 patients hospitalized in Quebec (Canada) for an ACS in 2000 was built. ACS was defined as myocardial infarction (ICD-9: 410) or unstable angina (ICD-9: 411). ICP was defined as the presence of angiography, angioplasty or aortocoronary bypass (CCA: 480-483, 489), HD as all death cause at index hospitalization, LoS as the number of days between admission and discharge from the index hospitalization, and EHR as hospital readmission for a coronary heart disease