Publications by authors named "Marcelo Urquia"

Objective: Many individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 experience long-term symptoms as part of a syndrome called post-COVID condition (PCC). Research on PCC is still emerging but is urgently needed to support diagnosis, clinical treatment guidelines and health system resource allocation. In this study, we developed a method to identify PCC cases using administrative health data and report PCC prevalence and predictive factors in Manitoba, Canada.

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Little is known about differences in child developmental vulnerability before school entry according to maternal birthplace and sex. Official immigration records were linked with the Early Development Instrument assessments among children in kindergarten in the province of Manitoba, Canada (2005-2017). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios of vulnerability in five developmental domains associated with maternal birthplace and child sex.

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We examined the link between discrimination and self-rated mental health (SRMH) among immigrants and Canadian-born individuals, stratified according to an individual's identification as racialized or white. Using data from Canada's General Social Survey (2014) (weighted N = 27,575,000) with a novel oversample of immigrants, we estimated the association of perceived discrimination with SRMH separately among immigrants and Canadian-born individuals and stratified by racialized status. Among immigrants, we also investigated whether age-at-arrival attenuated or strengthened associations.

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Article Synopsis
  • Colonial policies in Canada have led to significant health disparities for First Nations people, especially regarding maternal and infant health outcomes linked to incarceration.
  • A study comparing birth outcomes in Manitoba found that First Nations women who were prenatally incarcerated had higher risks of adverse outcomes like low birthweight and poor Apgar scores compared to those incarcerated after giving birth.
  • The results highlight the importance of addressing these health inequities, as prenatal incarceration adversely affects both First Nations and other Manitoban birthing parents, but the outcomes differ between these groups.
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Background: Rates of child removal by child protective services (CPS) in Manitoba are the highest in Canada with a profoundly disproportionate impact on First Nations families. Despite infants constituting the highest proportion of children affected, no research has examined population-level rates of infant contact with CPS.

Objective: We examined the incidence of infant contact with different levels of CPS, including termination of parental rights (TPR), according to First Nations status.

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The Food and Nutrition for Manitoba Youth (FANS) study examined dietary intakes, food behaviours, food security status, health indicators, and body mass index of a cohort of grade 9 students. This paper describes regional differences and similarities in dietary intake (food and nutrients) and quality of youth participants in the FANS study. Grade 9 students completed a web-based survey on dietary intakes (24-hour recall), food behaviours, self-reported health indicators, and sociodemographic variables.

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Article Synopsis
  • Differential access to healthcare has led to worse health outcomes for First Nations in Canada, prompting partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure they received timely and culturally safe vaccinations.
  • A study analyzed data from almost 115,000 First Nations individuals and over 1.2 million others in Manitoba to compare vaccination rates, finding First Nations were prioritized for faster vaccine uptake.
  • Results indicated that First Nations faced higher COVID-19 infection rates than other Manitobans, highlighting ongoing healthcare disparities even amid vaccination efforts.
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Purpose: Newborn removal by North America's child protective services (CPS) disproportionately impacts Indigenous and Black families, yet its implications for population health inequities are not well understood. To guide this as a domain for future research, we measured validity of birth hospitalization discharge codes categorizing newborns discharged to CPS.

Methods: Using data from 309,260 births in Manitoba, Canada, we compared data on newborns discharged to CPS from hospital discharge codes with the presumed gold standard of custody status from CPS case reports in overall population and separately by First Nations status (categorization used in Canada for Indigenous peoples who are members of a First Nation).

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Objectives: To conduct a qualitative study, guided by the principles of community-based participatory research, with the following objectives: (1) to provide a conceptual framework describing the drivers of son preference; (2) to understand experiences of son preference among Punjabi-Canadians and (3) with this understanding, identify and co-design an appropriate educational tool.

Design, Setting, Participants, Methods: Qualitative study consisting of four bilingual (Punjabi and English) focus group discussions with 11 mothers, 4 fathers and 17 grandmothers in Toronto and Brampton, Canada. Participants were queried about experiences and perspectives related to reproductive decision-making, gender equity and son preference, and for appropriate approaches to reducing inequities.

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This study sought to estimate the prevalence and distribution of newborns to mothers under age 18 in Ecuador and the association between perinatal indicators and maternal marital status. Newborn records obtained from Ecuador's Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC) between 2015 and 2020 were used to assess the joint association between maternal age groups (10-15, 16-17, 18-19, and 20-24 years) and marital status (married, common-law, and single) with low birthweight, preterm birth, and inadequate prenatal care. The prevalence of newborns to mothers under age 18 was 9.

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Factors associated with IPV among immigrant women are not well understood. Using linked immigration and justice data, we compared the incidence of justice-identified IPV (JIIPV) among 58,564 international immigrant women born outside of Canada, 30,098 women born in other Canadian provinces (i.e.

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Objectives: There is little research examining transnational prenatal care (TPC) (i.e., prenatal care in more than one country) among migrant women.

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Article Synopsis
  • Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of infant mortality globally, and studies show mixed results regarding its rates during COVID-19 lockdowns, with changes ranging from -90% to +30%.
  • Analysis of data from 52 million births in 26 countries indicates modest reductions in PTB rates during the first three months of lockdown, but no significant changes in the fourth month.
  • High-income countries showed an increase in stillbirth risk during the first month of lockdown, with Brazil experiencing increased stillbirth rates throughout the entire lockdown period, highlighting the need for further investigation into these trends.
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Adolescence is a vital period of growth and development, both of which are dependent on adequate nutrition; however, concerns persist about poor nutrition and inappropriate food behaviours. In addition to nutrition assessment, the context of food and health behaviour is necessary to understand how dietary choices are shaped and related to diet quality. This study describes food-related behaviours and health indicators associated with dietary quality among adolescents in Manitoba, Canada.

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Objectives: Household food insecurity is almost four times more prevalent among adolescents than among older adults in Canada, and it adversely affects their health. Our objective was to describe the sociodemographic and geographic patterning of household food insecurity among adolescents.

Methods: Our analytic sample comprised all 12-17-year-old respondents to the 2017-2018 Canadian Community Health Survey with complete data on household food insecurity (n = 8416).

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Objectives: Studies on mortality differentials between international immigrants and non-immigrants produced mixed results. The mortality of interprovincial migrants has been less studied. Our objectives were to compare mortality risk between international immigrants, interprovincial migrants, and long-term residents of the province of Manitoba, Canada, and identify factors associated with mortality among migrants.

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Objectives: Female marriage before age 18 is a global health issue related to gender inequality, but it is understudied in Canada. This study examined marriage trends among mothers aged < 18 versus older mothers and the sociodemographic correlates of marriage among adolescent mothers aged < 18 and older adolescent mothers.

Methods: Using the Canadian Vital Statistics - Birth Database, marriage prevalence was estimated by maternal age groups (< 18-year, 18-19-year, 20-24-year, and 25-49-year) between 1989-1990 and 2017-2018 (n = 10,399,250).

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Many youth in Manitoba are not food secure. Newcomer youth may be more vulnerable to food insecurity. Further, it has been suggested that being food secure does not ensure a nutritionally adequate diet.

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Immigrants to Canada increasingly come from regions where child marriage (<18 years) is prevalent. We described the prevalence, demographic characteristics, and reproductive health correlates of marriage among births to Canadian-born and foreign-born adolescent mothers. Using Canadian birth registrations from 1990 to 2018, marriage prevalence, parental birth region, and parental age gap were examined by maternal birthplace (Canada and 12 world regions) among births to mothers <18 years.

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Background: Good nutrition and access to healthy foods are essential for child growth and development. However, there are concerns that Canadian children do not have a healthy diet, which may be related to dietary choices as well as lack of access to healthy foods. The FANS (Food and Nutrition Security for Children and Youth) study examined the nutrition and food security status of youth in the province of Manitoba, Canada.

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Background: Perinatal risk factors can vary by immigration status. We examined psychosocial and behavioral perinatal health indicators according to immigration status and immigrant characteristics.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of 33,754 immigrant and 172,342 non-immigrant childbearing women residents in Manitoba, Canada, aged 15-55 years, who had a live birth and available data from the universal newborn screen completed within 2 weeks postpartum, between January 2000 and December 2017.

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Background: Although marriage is associated with favourable reproductive outcomes among adult women, it is not known whether the marriage advantage applies to girls (< 18 years). The contribution of girl child marriage (< 18 years) to perinatal health is understudied in the Americas.

Methods: National singleton birth registrations were used to estimate the prevalence of girl child marriage among mothers in Brazil (2011-2018, N = 23,117,661), Ecuador (2014-2018, N = 1,519,168), the USA (2014-2018, N = 18,618,283) and Canada (2008-2018, N = 3,907,610).

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Brazil is one of the top contributors of girl child marriages in the world and one of the United Nations' members that committed to end child marriage by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Child marriage is an indicator of gender inequality associated with poor health outcomes. However, the perinatal epidemiology of minor mothers (<18 years) according to marital status has been insufficiently studied.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the impact of marriage on reproductive health outcomes for mothers under 18 years old in the United States, contrasting findings from low- and middle-income countries.
  • Using a dataset of over 5.6 million birth registrations, the research found that while marriage among mothers under 18 was linked to higher rates of complications like prior pregnancy terminations and repeat births, older mothers showed different patterns.
  • Despite some negative outcomes associated with early marriage, all age groups of mothers benefited from being married in terms of better access to prenatal care and lower rates of certain health issues, although these benefits were diminished for younger mothers.
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Background: As the leading cause of emergency department visits in Canada, pain disproportionately affects socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. We examine the association between household food insecurity and individuals' pain-driven emergency department visits.

Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study linking the Canadian Community Health Survey 2005-2017 to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System 2003-2017.

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