Perspectives of family physicians on computer-assisted health-risk assessments.

Background: The firsthand experience of physicians using computer-assisted health-risk assessment is salient for designing practical eHealth solutions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to enhance understanding about computer-assisted health-risk assessments from physicians' perspectives after completion of a trial at a Canadian, urban, multi-doctor, hospital-affiliated family practice clinic.

Methods: A qualitative approach of face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews was used.

Health materials and strategies for the prevention of immigrants' weight-related problems.

Existing health education materials dealing with healthy eating, active living, and body image were examined by immigrant parents of elementary school children to determine their relevance, cultural competence, and accessibility. A total of 13 immigrant mothers from Sri Lanka and China participated in a series of three focus groups. Study findings indicate that the present health education materials intended to help prevent weight-related problems could be improved to better meet the needs of new immigrant families.

Family and patient predictors of symptomatic status in schizophrenia.

Objective: To test an interactive hypothesis that, in schizophrenia, a combination of patients' and relatives' characteristics at 1-month postdischarge from hospital (Time 1 [T1]) better predicts the level of psychotic symptoms at follow-up (Time 2 [T2]), than do the characteristics of patients or relatives alone.

Methods: Male patients (n = 38) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, without substance abuse, and in contact with their families, were recruited at the time of hospital discharge. Patients' psychotic symptom levels were monitored every 2 weeks until follow-up, while family measures were administered at T1 and T2.

Computer-assisted screening for intimate partner violence and control: a randomized trial.

Background: Intimate partner violence and control (IPVC) is prevalent and can be a serious health risk to women.

Objective: To assess whether computer-assisted screening can improve detection of women at risk for IPVC in a family practice setting.

Design: Randomized trial.

Using the internet to assist smoking prevention and cessation in schools: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a classroom-based, Web-assisted tobacco intervention addressing smoking prevention and cessation with adolescents.

Design: A two-group randomized control trial with 1,402 male and female students in grades 9 through 11 from 14 secondary schools in Toronto, Canada. Participants were randomly assigned to a tailored Web-assisted tobacco intervention or an interactive control condition task conducted during a single classroom session with e-mail follow-up.

Engaging youth in e-health promotion: lessons learned from a decade of TeenNet research.

Since 1995, TeenNet Research (www.teennet.ca) has been a leader in developing strategies for involving youth and adults in co-creating e-health-promotion Web sites and behavior-change programs.

Assessing patient attitudes to computerized screening in primary care: psychometric properties of the computerized lifestyle assessment scale.

Background: Computer-based health-risk assessments are electronic surveys which can be completed by patients privately, for example during their waiting time in a clinic, generating a risk report for the clinician and a recommendation sheet for the patient at the point of care. Despite increasing popularity of such computer-based health-risk assessments, patient attitudes toward such tools are rarely evaluated by reliable and valid scales. The lack of psychometric appraisal of appropriate scales is an obstacle to advancing the field.

Building cooperation through health initiatives: an Arab and Israeli case study.

Background: Ongoing conflict in the Middle East poses a major threat to health and security. A project screening Arab and Israeli newborns for hearing loss provided an opportunity to evaluate ways for building cooperation. The aims of this study were to: a) examine what attracted Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian participants to the project, b) describe challenges they faced, and c) draw lessons learned for guiding cross-border health initiatives.

Knowledge synthesis of smoking cessation among employed and unemployed young adults.

Objectives: We synthesized evidence regarding effective strategies for smoking cessation among employed or unemployed young adults aged 18 to 24 years.

Methods: For this knowledge synthesis, we used (1) a systematic review of the scientific literature, (2) a Delphi panel of experts, and (3) 6 focus groups of employed and unemployed young adult smokers.

Results: Of 51 related studies, only 4 included employed and unemployed young adults in their samples (as opposed to students), and none focused solely on them.

Vision for a global registry of anticipated public health studies.

In public health, the generation, management, and transfer of knowledge all need major improvement. Problems in generating knowledge include an imbalance in research funding, publication bias, unnecessary studies, adherence to fashion, and undue interest in novel and immediate issues. Impaired generation of knowledge, combined with a dated and inadequate process for managing knowledge and an inefficient system for transferring knowledge, mean a distorted body of evidence available for decisionmaking in public health.

Global Youth Voices: engaging Bedouin youth in health promotion in the Middle East.

Objective: This study evaluated the six-phase Global Youth Voices model (EIPARS) for engaging youth in community health promotion in the Middle East: 1) engagement, 2) issue identification, 3) planning, 4) action, 5) Rs; research, reflect, reward and 6) sustainability.

Participants And Setting: 20 Grade 9 students (10 boys, 10 girls) from two Bedouin communities: 10 from Tuba-Zangaria in North Israel; 10 from Segev Shalom in the Negev--South Israel.

Intervention: Using low-end (photo-voice, photography) and high-end internet-based technology, youth identified and documented the strengths and weaknesses of their communities, and then undertook a community action project focusing on one important issue.

eHEALS: The eHealth Literacy Scale.

Background: Electronic health resources are helpful only when people are able to use them, yet there remain few tools available to assess consumers' capacity for engaging in eHealth. Over 40% of US and Canadian adults have low basic literacy levels, suggesting that eHealth resources are likely to be inaccessible to large segments of the population. Using information technology for health requires eHealth literacy-the ability to read, use computers, search for information, understand health information, and put it into context.

Engaging youth about gambling using the internet: The YouthBet.net website.

Objective: YouthBet.net's (www.youthbet.

eHealth Literacy: Essential Skills for Consumer Health in a Networked World.

Electronic health tools provide little value if the intended users lack the skills to effectively engage them. With nearly half the adult population in the United States and Canada having literacy levels below what is needed to fully engage in an information-rich society, the implications for using information technology to promote health and aid in health care, or for eHealth, are considerable. Engaging with eHealth requires a skill set, or literacy, of its own.

Developing internet-based eHealth promotion programs: the Spiral Technology Action Research (STAR) model.

Health education and health promotion have a tradition of using information and communication technology (ICT). In recent years, the rapid growth of the Internet has created innovative opportunities for Web-based health education and behavior change applications-termed eHealth promotion. However, many eHealth promotion applications are developed without an explicit model to guide the design, evaluation, and ongoing improvement of the program.

Rethinking schools of public health: a strategic alliance model.

Canada is in the midst of rejuvenation of public health organizations, mandates and infrastructure. Major planning exercises are underway regarding public health human resources, where academic institutions have a key role to play. To what extent could schools of public health be part of the solution? Many universities across Canada are considering or in the process of implementing MPH programs (some 17 programs planned and/or underway) and possible schools of public health.

Falling through the cracks of the big cities: who is meeting the needs of HIV-positive youth?

Background: Globally, half of all new HIV infections occur among youth under 25. As of June 30, 2002, more than 13,000 youth and young adults had tested positive for HIV in Canada. Despite this prevalence, there is a lack of resources for Canadian HIV-positive youth.

"Supposed to make you better but it doesn't really": HIV-positive youths' perceptions of HIV treatment.

Purpose: Half of new HIV infections worldwide occur among young people. Youth, particularly young women aged 15-29 years, represent a growing population to experience HIV. This study investigated HIV-positive youths' perceptions of, and experiences with, antiretroviral treatment.

Building bridges of understanding through continuing education and professional development of Arabs and Israelis.

In this article, we present an educational approach uniquely linked to humanitarian and peace-building goals in conflicted regions of the world. We examine the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program and its lead program, the Middle East Association for Managing Hearing Loss, as a case study. Under a Canadian umbrella, continuing medical education and continuous professional development are used to gather academics from regions in conflict for mutually beneficial professional activities.

Challenges of internet recruitment: a case study with disappointing results.

Background: The Internet provides tremendous opportunities for innovative research, but few publications on the use of the Internet for recruiting study participants exist. This paper summarizes our experiences from 2 studies in which we attempted to recruit teenagers on the Internet for a questionnaire study to evaluate a smoking-cessation website.

Objective: To evaluate strategies of recruiting teenagers for the evaluation of a smoking-cessation website through the Internet.

Promoting Arab and Israeli cooperation: peacebuilding through health initiatives.

This article describes a positive experience in building Arab and Israeli cooperation through health initiatives. Over the past 10 years Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian health professionals have worked together through the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO). In the initial project, nearly 17,000 Arab and Israeli newborn babies were tested for early detection of hearing loss, an important health issue for the region.

HIV-positive youth's perspectives on the Internet and e-health.

Background: Globally, half of all new HIV infections occur among young people. Despite this incidence, there is a profound lack of resources for HIV-positive youth.

Objective: To investigate Internet access, use and acceptability as means for health promotion and health service delivery among HIV-positive youth.

Dares to addiction: youth definitions and perspectives on gambling.

Background: Over the past decade, there has been a rapid growth of gambling in Canada and internationally. Although youth are a potentially vulnerable group, little is known about what they understand and if they are being affected by the recent increase in gambling.

Methods: This study examined how youth view gambling using an inductive qualitative research design and analysis based on grounded theory principles.