Socioeconomic inequalities in hospitalizations for chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions: a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature, 1990-2018.

Background: Hospitalizations for chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions are an important indicator of health system equity and performance. Chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions refer to chronic diseases that can be managed in primary care settings, including angina, asthma, and diabetes, with hospitalizations for these conditions considered potentially avoidable with adequate primary care interventions. Socioeconomic inequities in the risk of hospitalization have been observed in several health systems globally.

Risk factors for avoidable hospitalizations in Canada using national linked data: A retrospective cohort study.

Hospitalizations for certain chronic conditions are considered avoidable for adult Canadians given effective and timely primary care management. Individual-level risk factors such as income and health behaviours are not routinely collected in most hospital databases and as a result, are largely uncharacterized for avoidable hospitalization at the national level. The aim of this study was to identify and describe demographic, socioeconomic, and health behavioural risk factors for avoidable hospitalizations in Canada using linked data.

Building Data and Information Capacity in Environmental Public Health: A Best-Worst Scaling Experiment.

Context: Environmental public health practitioners rely on information technology (IT) to maintain and improve environmental health. However, current systems have limited capacity. A better understanding of the importance of IT features is needed to enhance data and information capacity.

Using core competencies to build an evaluative framework: outcome assessment of the University of Guelph Master of Public Health program.

Background: Master of Public Health programs have been developed across Canada in response to the need for graduate-level trained professionals to work in the public health sector. The University of Guelph recently conducted a five-year outcome assessment using the Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada as an evaluative framework to determine whether graduates are receiving adequate training, and identify areas for improvement.

Methods: A curriculum map of core courses and an online survey of University of Guelph Master of Public Health graduates comprised the outcome assessment.

Analyzing exposure, use, and policies related to tobacco use on campus for the development of comprehensive tobacco policies at Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Canadians in their early twenties represent the highest prevalence of reported tobacco use among all age groups. With the majority of Canadian young adults accessing post-secondary education, post-secondary institutions can facilitate targeting of health promotion efforts to curb tobacco use among young adults. Effective targeting requires clear comprehensive campus tobacco policies.

The non-motile phenotype of Salmonella hha ydgT mutants is mediated through PefI-SrgD.

Background: Two ancestral nucleoid-associated proteins called Hha and YdgT contribute to the negative regulation of several virulence-associated genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Our previous work showed that Hha and YdgT proteins are required for negative regulation of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island-2 and that hha ydgT double mutants are attenuated for murine infection. Interestingly, hha ydgT mutant bacteria exhibited a non-motile phenotype suggesting that Hha and YdgT have a role in flagellar regulation.