Publications by authors named "S Woodruff"
Article Synopsis
- Environmental changes due to global warming are increasing the transmission of pathogens and parasites in Arctic wildlife, particularly polar bears, which serve as key indicators of these shifts.
- A study found that the prevalence of several pathogens in Chukchi Sea polar bears increased significantly between two time periods (1987-1994 and 2008-2017), although increased land use in summer by bears did not correlate with higher exposure levels.
- Female polar bears showed higher antibody prevalence for some pathogens, possibly linked to their terrestrial denning habits, and overall findings suggest a need for further research to monitor disease signs in polar bears, which are affected by climate change and serve as a food source for local communities.
Objective: To estimate the effect of (a) the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) COVID-19 restriction stringency on daily minutes of device-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
Design: Physical activity data were collected from the INTerventions, Equity, Research and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) cohorts in Montreal, Saskatoon and Vancouver before (May 2018 to February 2019, 'phase 1') and during the pandemic (October 2020 to February 2021, 'phase 2'). We estimated the effect of the two exposures by comparing daily MVPA measured (a) before vs during the pandemic (phase 1 vs phase 2) and (b) at different levels of COVID-19 restriction stringency during phase 2.
Despite their increasing popularity, especially among young adults, there is a dearth of research examining the effectiveness of digital detoxes focused on restricting or limiting social media use. As such, the purpose of this exploratory study was to create and carry out a social media digital detox among young adults and evaluate its effectiveness with regards to smartphone and social media addiction, as well as several health-related outcomes. Additionally, the study also sought to obtain an understanding of participants' experiences and perceptions regarding the digital detox via semi-structured exit interviews in order to improve and maximize the effectiveness of future social media digital detox interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Demand for adolescent mental health services has surged in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and traditional models of care entailing in-person services with licensed mental health providers are inadequate to meet demand. However, research has shown that with proper training and supervision mentors can work with youth with mental health challenges like depression and anxiety and can even support the use of evidence-based strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In our increasingly connected world, youth mentors can meet with young people on a web-based platform at their convenience, reducing barriers to care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVideo Interventions for Reducing Health Inequity in Cancer Screening Programmes: a Systematic Review.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities
October 2024
Background: Health equity can lead to disparities in cancer screening, treatment, and mortality. This systematic review aims to identify and describe interventions that used video or DVD formats to reduce health inequity in cancer screening and review the effectiveness of such interventions in increasing screening rates compared to usual care conditions.
Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases for randomized control trials (RCTs) published until 18/01/2023 that compared intervention versus usual care control groups, with the percentage of cancer screening uptake during follow-up as an outcome.