The association of housing density, isolation and tuberculosis in Canadian First Nations communities.

Background: First Nations communities in Canada experience disproportionately high levels of overcrowded housing, degree of isolation, and rates of tuberculosis (TB). A study was done to assess the association between housing density, isolation, and the occurrence of TB in First Nations communities.

Methods: Average persons per room (ppr), isolation type, average household income, population, and TB cases (1997-1999) at the community level were entered into a database.

Dentistry and tuberculosis in the 1900s.

The number of new cases--or incidence--of tuberculosis is increasing in nearly every region of the world. A number of forces have resulted in the increased incidence of TB in developed countries, including the HIV epidemic, homelessness, and emigration from highly endemic regions. Although the number of new cases in Canada is relatively constant, the TB experience in the United States serves as a reminder that this situation could change rapidly.

An approach to the development of practice guidelines for community health interventions.

The Community Health Practice Guidelines (CHPG) project was initiated to develop a systematic approach to the critical evaluation of evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of community health interventions and to the formulation of evidence-based practice recommendations. Three community health interventions--immunization delivery methods, partner notification for sexually transmitted diseases and the combination of restaurant inspection and education of food handlers--were used as prototypes to develop a standardized approach. The CHPG process consists of three components: a review of scientific evidence, a practice survey and formulation of practice guidelines.

Routine restaurant inspections and education of food handlers: recommendations based on critical appraisal of the literature and survey of Canadian jurisdictions on restaurant inspections and education of food handlers.

Inspection of restaurants and education of food handlers are two methods used by regulatory agencies to ensure food served in restaurants is safe to eat. The variation which exists in the implementation of these programs suggests that the programs' effectiveness is lacking or is not clear. Recommendations based on the Community Health Practice Guideline methodology, the results of a critical review of the literature, the results of a survey of practices, and expert opinion were developed.