Inuit birthing in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut: A place-based inquiry of maternity care systems.

Many Indigenous People in Northern and remote areas need to travel away from home for childbirth; however, their birthing traditions and practices are intimately tied to place. This qualitative research study characterized Inuit childbirth experiences and recommendations to enhance birthing supports in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut in Inuit Nunangat, Canada. Birthing experiences were profoundly shaped by relationships and place attachment, and recommendations related to increased Inuit involvement in maternity care systems.

Companion animal veterinarians discuss aspects of one health with pet owners during most veterinary appointments.

Objective: To examine the prevalence and context of one-health conversations between veterinarians and clients in companion animal practice.

Sample: A random selection of 60 companion animal veterinarians; a convenience sample of 917 interactions from Southern Ontario, Canada. Of these, 100 audio-video-recorded interactions including 47 of 60 veterinarians were randomly selected for inclusion in this study.

Companion animal veterinarians' and veterinary clients' perceptions of information exchanged while communicating about blood tests.

Background: Blood tests play a vital role in veterinary medicine, as they enable veterinarians to make decisions about their patients' medical care and provide opportunities to engage clients in veterinary care. The objective of this study was to explore perspectives of veterinary clients and veterinarians on current reporting practices for blood tests ordered in companion animal practice. The type of information communicated and client information seeking behaviours were examined.

"Sewing Is Part of Our Tradition": A Case Study of Sewing as a Strategy for Arts-Based Inquiry in Health Research With Inuit Women.

In this article, we present a case study of sewing as a strategy for arts-based inquiry in health research, situated within a broader project that highlighted Nunavut Inuit women's childbirth experiences. Five focus groups were hosted as sewing sessions with pregnant women ( = 19) in Iqaluit, Nunavut (2017-2018). Women's reflections on the sessions, and the significance of sewing to Inuit, were integrated with researchers' critical reflections to examine the value of sewing as a strategy for arts-based inquiry within a focus group method: results related to the flexibility of the sessions; how collective sewing created space for voicing, sharing, and relating; sewing as a tactile and place-specific practice tied to Inuit knowledge and tradition; and lessons learned.

Evaluating shared decision-making between companion animal veterinarians and their clients using the Observer OPTION instrument.

Background: Communication practices used by veterinarians can impact client's involvement in decision-making. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of client involvement in veterinary care decisions and factors impacting client involvement.

Methods: A random sample of practising companion animal veterinarians and a convenience sample of pet owners were recruited.

Pet owners' and veterinarians' perceptions of information exchange and clinical decision-making in companion animal practice.

One of the most complex aspects of the veterinarian-client-patient interaction is the clinical decision-making process. Research suggests that the approach to communication used by veterinarians can impact veterinary clients' involvement in the decision-making process and their ultimate satisfaction. Using different approaches to the decision-making process may affect how information is exchanged and consequently how decisions are made.

A cross-sectional study of pet owners' attitudes and intentions towards nutritional guidance received from veterinarians.

Background: Beliefs of pet owners strongly influence their decision-making surrounding their pets' diet. Thus, nutritional guidance is an essential component of veterinary practice and integral to managing rising rates of pet obesity. This study examined pet owners' trust of, perceived effectiveness of, and intentions to follow nutritional guidance received from their veterinarian in managing their pets' diet.

National trends in sexual health indicators among gay and bisexual men disaggregated by ethnicity: repeated cross-sectional behavioural surveillance in New Zealand.

Objectives: To assess trends in sexual health outcomes among men who have sex with men (MSM) disaggregated by ethnicity.

Design: Repeated cross-sectional.

Setting: Behavioural surveillance data from 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2014 were collected in-person and online across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Evaluation of associations between owner presence and indicators of fear in dogs during routine veterinary examinations.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of owner presence on behavioral and physiologic indicators of fear in dogs during routine physical examinations.

Animals: 32 client-owned dogs.

Procedures: Dogs underwent a standardized, video-recorded examination consisting of 6 phases (examination of the head, lymph node palpation, body palpation, axillary temperature measurement, heart rate assessment, and respiratory rate assessment) with or without their owner present in a randomized, controlled study.

Ethnicity classification systems for public health surveys: experiences from HIV behavioural surveillance among men who have sex with men.

Background: Race and ethnicity classification systems have considerable implications for public health, including the potential to reveal or mask inequities. Given increasing "super-diversity" and multiple racial/ethnic identities in many global settings, especially among younger generations, different ethnicity classification systems can underrepresent population heterogeneity and can misallocate and render invisible Indigenous people and ethnic minorities. We investigated three ethnicity classification methods and their relationship to sample size, socio-demographics and sexual health indicators.

Mapping the maternal health research landscape in Nunavut: A systematic search & critical review of methodology.

Nunavut's maternal healthcare system is characterized by rapid transition from community-based birth to a practice of obstetric evacuation and institutionalized birth. Given calls for Inuit self-determination in research, maternal health research - which informs healthcare practices and policies - may need to be conducted differently, using different research methodologies, to include Inuit women's voices and lived experiences. In light of these calls, this article systematically synthesized the published maternal health literature in Nunavut and critically examined reported research methods.

Ontario Veterinary College First-Year Veterinary Students' Perceptions of Companion Animal Nutrition and Their Own Nutrition: Implications for a Veterinary Nutrition Curriculum.

Extant research shows veterinarians face increasing challenges in discussing nutrition with clients despite receiving professional nutrition education in the veterinary medical curriculum. This article's aim is to elicit student veterinarians' baseline nutrition-related perceptions and nutrition information-seeking behaviors at the time of entering veterinary school. Participants were newly enrolled veterinary students at the Ontario Veterinary College ( = 120).

Cross-sectional survey of cat handling practices in veterinary clinics throughout Canada and the United States.

Objective: To assess handling techniques commonly used during routine examinations and procedures used for calm, fearful, and aggressive cats by veterinarians and nonveterinarian staff at Canadian and US veterinary practices and to evaluate demographic factors associated with those handling techniques.

Sample: 310 veterinarians and 944 nonveterinarians who handle cats at Canadian and US veterinary practices.

Procedures: An online questionnaire was developed to evaluate respondent demographics and use of common cat handling practices and techniques.

The Perceived Importance, Emphasis, and Confidence in Veterinary Nutrition Education of First-Year Canadian and US Veterinary Students.

Veterinarians play a critical role in providing nutrition consultation and supporting clients to adopt healthy dietary habits for their pets; thus applicable, informative nutrition education in veterinary schools is essential. The aim of this study was to explore incoming veterinary students' perceived importance, emphasis, and confidence in the veterinary nutrition education they will receive. First-year veterinary students at all 5 Canadian and 5 randomly selected US veterinary schools were invited to complete a 31-item questionnaire.

Students' Experiences of Seeking Web-Based Animal Health Information at the Ontario Veterinary College: Exploratory Qualitative Study.

Background: Although searching for health information on the internet has offered clear benefits of rapid access to information for seekers such as patients, medical practitioners, and students, detrimental effects on seekers' experiences have also been documented. Health information overload is one such side effect, where an information seeker receives excessive volumes of potentially useful health-related messages that cannot be processed in a timely manner. This phenomenon has been documented among medical professionals, with consequences that include impacts on patient care.

Effect of a Standardized Four-Week Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning Training Program on Pre-Existing Veterinary Fear in Companion Dogs.

Many dogs show signs of fear during veterinary appointments. It is widely recommended to use desensitization and counter-conditioning training to reduce this fear. However, the efficacy of this method for reducing veterinary fear has not been examined.

Getting a grip: cats respond negatively to scruffing and clips.

Use of scruffing and scruffing tools (eg, clipnosis clips) to immobilise cats is contentious, and cat handling guidelines vary in recommendations regarding these techniques. The current study examined whether cats show negative responses to the following restraint methods: (1) scruff (n=17), (2) clip application to the dorsal neck skin (n=16) and (3) full body (a known negative; n=19). Each cat was also handled with passive restraint (control) for comparison.

Factors associated with hematuric struvite crystalluria in cats.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify any dietary, signalment, geographic and clinical factors associated with hematuric struvite crystalluria (HSC) in a population of cats that visit general care veterinary hospitals in the USA.

Methods: In total, 4032 cats that had a first-time diagnosis of HSC and 8064 control cats with no history of hematuria or crystalluria were identified from medical records of all cats examined between 2007 and 2011 at 790 US veterinary hospitals. Extracted variables included age, sex, neuter status, breed, diet, urinalysis results and history of cystitis.

Milestone Educational Planning Initiatives in Veterinary Medical Education: Progress and Pitfalls.

Three milestone educational planning initiatives engaged the veterinary medical profession in the United States and Canada between 1987 and 2011, namely the Pew National Veterinary Education Program, the Foresight Project, and the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium. In a quantitative study, we investigated the impact of these initiatives on veterinary medical education through a survey of academic leaders (deans, previous deans, and associate deans for academics from veterinary medical schools that are members of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges) to assess their perspectives on the initiatives and eight recommendations that were common to all three initiatives. Two of the recommendations have in effect been implemented: enable students to elect in-depth instruction and experience within a practice theme or discipline area (tracking), and increase the number of graduating veterinarians.

Evaluation of a welfare assessment tool to examine practices for preventing, recognizing, and managing pain at companion-animal veterinary clinics.

Successful prevention, recognition, and treatment of pain are integral to ensuring veterinary patient welfare. A canine and feline welfare assessment tool, incorporating verbal interviews with veterinarians using open-ended questions, was developed to assess pain management practices that safeguard and improve patient welfare. The tool was evaluated in 30 companion- and mixed-animal veterinary clinics in Ontario in order to assess its reliability, feasibility, and validity, while also benchmarking current practices.

Iron release from the Lucky Iron Fish®: safety considerations.

Background And Objectives: The principal objective was to explore in greater detail safety issues with regard to the use of the Lucky Iron Fish® (fish) as a treatment for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia in women in rural Cambodia.

Methods And Study Design: Experiments were done to determine: (1) purity of the iron in the fish by mass spectroscopy; (2) release of iron and contaminants released during boiling in water using inductive-ly-coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy; (3) the impact of cooking time, acidity and number of fish in acidified water and two types of Khmer soups; and (4) drinkability of the water after boiling with different num-bers of fish.

Results: The fish is composed primarily of ferrous iron with less than 12% non-ferrous iron.

Anemia in Cambodia: a cross-sectional study of anemia, socioeconomic status and other associated risk factors in rural women.

Iron deficiency and associated anemia are severe public health problems, which are prevalent in the developing world. We conducted a cross-sectional survey, comprised of written interview questions and laboratory analysis of blood biomarkers, in Kandal Province, Cambodia. The objective of this study is to examine possible factors that are associated with anemia in rural Cambodia.