Publications by authors named "Shelley Kirychuk"

Insomnia is a common sleep complaint in Canada and is associated with increased use of health care services and economic burden. This paper examines the association of insomnia with functional outcomes relevant to daily behaviors and sleep-related quality of life among First Nations participants using the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ-10). The First Nations Sleep Health Project follow-up survey was conducted in partnership with two Cree First Nations in the summer of 2022, where 355 individuals participated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on sleep quality in a First Nation in Saskatchewan, examining factors like age, sex, health status, and living conditions as they relate to sleep efficiency and sleep onset latency during 2018-2019.
  • A total of 167 participants were evaluated through actigraphy, which objectively measured their sleep efficiency (mean of 83.38%) and sleep onset latency (mean of 20.74 minutes).
  • Key findings indicate that physical health issues (like chronic pain and anxiety) and environmental factors (such as smoking indoors) negatively impact sleep quality and are significant among the study's predominantly female participants (61%) with a mean age of 39.6 years.
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Glyphosate is an active ingredient in herbicides. Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides has been associated with respiratory dysfunctions in agricultural workers. The ability of inhaled glyphosate to induce lung inflammation is not well understood.

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Housing and house conditions on First Nation communities in Canada are important determinants of health for community members. Little is known about rural First Nation housing in the Canadian Prairies. The aim was to survey houses in two rural First Nation communities in Saskatchewan, Canada to understand housing conditions, prevalence of mold/mildew and dampness, and sources, locations and frequency of mold and dampness.

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Background: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a challenging time for the nursing profession globally. Research indicates that the care of patients with COVID-19 has caused significant psychological stress for nurses. Although much of the world's attention has been on nurses working in emergency departments and intensive care units, the pandemic also posed significant challenges for nurses providing home care services in rural communities.

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The STOP-Bang questionnaire is an easy-to-administer scoring model to screen and identify patients at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, its diagnostic utility has never been tested with First Nation peoples. The objective was to determine the predictive parameters and the utility of the STOP-Bang questionnaire as an OSA screening tool in a First Nation community in Saskatchewan.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is continuing to grow across the world. Though often thought of as a mostly public health issue, AMR is also a major agricultural and environmental problem. As such, many researchers refer to it as the preeminent One Health issue.

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Sleep disorders have been related to body weight, social conditions, and a number of comorbidities. These include high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, both of which are prevalent in the First Nations communities. We explored relationships between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and risk factors including social, environmental, and individual circumstances.

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Methods to control microbial contamination in confined livestock facilities are important to the health of both animals and workers. In addition, bacterial contamination is also a food safety issue. The most common disinfection technique employed in livestock facilities is the application of oxidizing agents (e.

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Study Objectives: Estimates of sleep duration and quality are lacking for Canadian First Nations peoples. This study examines the prevalence of and risk factors for short/normal/long sleep duration and sleep quality.

Methods: Five hundred eighty-eight adults participated in the baseline survey of the First Nations Sleep Health Project conducted in 2018-2019 in Saskatchewan, Canada.

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Agricultural workplaces consist of multiple airborne contaminants and inhalation exposures induce respiratory effects in workers. Endotoxin (LPS) and glyphosate are two common airborne contaminants in agricultural environments. We have previously shown that exposure to a combination of LPS and glyphosate synergistically modulates immune reactions as compared to individual exposures.

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  • Sleep is vital for recovery and performance, with this study focusing on seasonal sleep patterns in two Cree First Nation communities in Saskatchewan, finding significant differences in sleep duration across seasons.
  • Participants reported sleeping less in spring and summer while sleeping more in fall and winter, with no notable changes in sleep onset or wake times.
  • Additionally, over two-thirds noticed changes in their sleep patterns due to seasonal factors, which were linked to financial stress and housing conditions.
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Background And Objectives: Childhood atopy is a complex condition with both a genetic and an environmental component. This systematic review will explore the current understanding of the importance of early life exposures to a farm in the development of atopy measured by objective markers of skin prick testing, and specific IgE measurements in school age children.

Methods: A systematic review was performed.

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  • Sleep deprivation is prevalent in Canada, with over 25% of Canadians getting less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep, and this study focuses on its prevalence and risk factors in two Cree First Nation communities in Saskatchewan.
  • Conducted through a cross-sectional survey with 588 participants between 2018 and 2019, the study utilized multivariate logistic regression to identify risk factors for sleep deprivation.
  • Results showed that 25.4% of participants experienced sleep deprivation, with key risk factors including being middle-aged or older, exposure to visible mold, and being male with nighttime insomnia symptoms, highlighting the need for targeted health interventions in these communities.
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  • * A study involving 293 individuals across two Saskatchewan communities found a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing (77.8%) and shortness of breath (52.6%).
  • * Factors like body mass index, tobacco use, dampness, and mold odors in homes were linked to respiratory issues, highlighting the need to improve housing conditions to protect health in these communities.
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Workplaces with elevated organic dust levels such as animal feed barns also commonly have elevated levels of gasses, such as CO. Workers exposed to such complex environments often experience respiratory effects that may be due to a combination of respirable factors. We examined the effects of CO on lung innate immune responses in mice co-exposed to the inflammatory agents lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and organic dust.

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Unlabelled: Agricultural airborne work exposures are complex in nature and workplace exposures are a risk for respiratory outcomes in workers. Endotoxin and glyphosate are two common agents in agricultural exposures. While endotoxin (lipopolysaccaride, LPS) is a potent inflammatory agent it explains only a portion of the respiratory inflammatory response.

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  • * In a survey of 588 adults, the baseline prevalence of insomnia was found to be 19.2%, but using stricter nighttime insomnia criteria, it rose to 32.6%.
  • * Key risk factors for insomnia identified included age, physical health issues, depression, chronic pain, use of prescription medications, and disruptions during the night from nightmares or traumatic flashbacks.
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Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common problem in general the Canadian population. It can effect day-to-day activities and is also associated with several health issues. This study aimed to investigate the association between co-morbidities and the prevalence of EDS over a four-year period in adults living in two First Nation communities.

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Both allergic and non-allergic asthma phenotypes are thought to vary by specific housing and other indoor environmental conditions. This study evaluated risk factors for allergic asthma phenotypes in First Nation children, an understudied Canadian population with recognized increased respiratory morbidity. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a clinical component to assess the respiratory health of 351 school-age children living on two rural reserve communities.

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Objective: Previously we observed an attenuation of body temperature in lactating rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) compared with virgin saline-treated females. We proposed that high levels of prolactin (PRL) during lactation may induce this attenuation because PRL has a suppressive effect on inflammation. In the present study, we induced hyperprolactinemia in female virgin rats to investigate the effects of PRL on body temperature and sickness behavior induced by LPS.

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Background: Inappropriate use of Caesarean Section (CS) delivery is partly to blame for Ghana's high maternal mortality rate. However, previous research offered mixed findings about factors associated with CS use. The goal of this study is to examine use of CS in Ghana and the socioeconomic factors associated with it.

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Background: Many women still deliver outside a health facility in Ghana, often under unhygienic conditions and without skilled birth attendants. This study aims to examine the social determinants influencing the use of health facility delivery among reproductive-aged women in Ghana.

Methods: Nationally representative data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey was used to fit univariable and multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the influence of the social determinants on health facility delivery.

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The transmission of infectious microbes via bioaerosols is of significant concern for both human and animal health. However, gaps in our understanding of respiratory pathogen transmission and methodological heterogeneity persist. New developments have enabled progress in this domain, and one of the major turning points has been the recognition that cross-disciplinary collaborations across spheres of human and animal health, microbiology, biophysics, engineering, aerobiology, infection control, public health, occupational health, and industrial hygiene are essential.

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Snoring may be an important predictor of sleep-disordered breathing. Factors related to snoring among First Nations people are not well understood in a population with high rates of smoking and excess body weight. An interviewer-administered survey was conducted among 874 individual participants from 406 households in 2012 and 2013 in two Canadian First Nations communities.

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