Pathways to policy: Lessons learned in multisectoral collaboration for physical activity and built environment policy development from the Coalitions Linking Action and Science for Prevention (CLASP) initiative.

Objectives: The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer funded 12 large-scale knowledge to action cancer and chronic disease prevention projects between 2009 and 2016 through the Coalitions Linking Action and Science for Prevention (CLASP) initiative. Two projects, Healthy Canada by Design (HCBD) and Children's Mobility, Health and Happiness (CMHH), developed policies to address physical activity and the built environment through a multisectoral approach. A qualitative analysis involving a review of 183 knowledge products and 8 key informant interviews was conducted to understand what policy changes occurred, and the underlying critical success factors, through these projects.

Incorporating consideration of health impacts into land use development approval processes: Development of a Health Background Study Framework.

Objectives: This project involved development of a Health Background Study (HBS) Framework to support consideration of health impacts within municipalities' approval process for land use development.

Participants: Peel Public Health and Toronto Public Health led the project with the participation of planners, urban designers, engineers, public health staff and development industry representatives.

Setting: Historical growth in the Region of Peel and suburban Toronto has resulted in extensive low-density development, creating car-dependent communities with disconnected streets and segregated land uses.

A population-level analysis of birth weight indices in Peel Region, Ontario: the impact of ethnic diversity.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the elevated rate of low birth weight (LBW) in the Region of Peel, Ontario can be attributed to the high proportion of immigrants in the population. In addition, we examined how the infant birth weight distribution in Peel differs by maternal region of birth.

Methods: Provincial live birth registration data were used to compare rates of LBW, preterm birth and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births in Peel and Ontario for the years 2002 through 2006 by maternal region of birth.

Canadian medical students' perceptions of public health education in the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Purpose: To understand the perceptions and attitudes of Canadian medical students toward their undergraduate medical public health curriculum and to identify student suggestions and priorities for curriculum change.

Method: Five focus groups of 11 or 12 medical students from all years of medical school were recruited at McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine, and University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine between February and April 2006. A professional facilitator was hired to conduct the focus groups using a unique, computer-based facilitation system.

Assessing Canadian medical students' familiarity with and interest in pursuing a career in community medicine.

Objectives: Following the SARS outbreak, large gaps in the public health workforce have been identified. This study sought to understand the perceptions and attitudes of Canadian medical students with regard to public health to determine how this impacted their choice towards a career in Community Medicine (CM).

Methods: Five focus groups of 11-12 medical students from all years were recruited at McMaster University, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Toronto, University of Manitoba and the University of British Columbia.

Public health in Canada: a difficult history.

Although the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003 was the event that focused attention on Canada's capacity in public health, there have been, and will be, many other public health challenges, not just in the form of outbreaks but of a diverse set of threats to health, both infectious and non-infectious. Like many other countries, Canada must face the challenge of building and sustaining the capacity to respond to this broad range of challenges. Recently, there has been an emphasis on strengthening the public health infrastructure, including inter-jurisdictional agreements, research, knowledge translation, information systems and the workforce.

Developing the public health workforce in Canada: a summary of regional workshops on workforce education and training.

The report of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health recommended the need for a national public health human resource strategy and the need to identify opportunities for improving training. The recent regional workshops reinforced both these recommendations, and the excellent suggestions made by the participants will be utilized by the many work groups that will endeavour to improve public health system infrastructure in this country.

A randomized trial of two public health nurse follow-up programs after early obstetrical discharge: an examination of breastfeeding rates, maternal confidence and utilization and costs of health services.

Objectives: To determine whether the outcomes of routine home visiting by public health nurses (PHN) after early obstetrical discharge differ from those of a screening telephone call designed to identify mothers who need further intervention.

Methods: Primiparas delivering a singleton infant and eligible for postpartum follow-up were randomized to a home visit or screening telephone call. Data were collected by telephone from 733 participants located at two tertiary care centres in Ontario.

The influence of prevalence and policy on the likelihood that a physician will offer HIV screening in pregnancy.

Objective: To determine the extent to which provincial recommendations, reported regional prevalence rates and perceived local prevalence rates of HIV in pregnancy influence a physician's decision to routinely offer prenatal screening for HIV.

Design And Methods: A random sample of 5,052 family physicians and obstetricians were surveyed by mail. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationships among the variables of interest.