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Together with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Public Health Ontario is producing three reports that assess the burden of specific diseases and risk factors on the health of Ontarians. The first of these reports, the Ontario Burden of Infectious Disease Study (ONBOIDS), was published in December 2010. The study provides an assessment of the mortality and morbidity of infectious disease in Ontario. The report, Seven More Years: The impact of smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity and stress on health and life expectancy in Ontario, examines the burden of five behavioural health risks and their impact on life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy in Ontario. Published in April 2012, the findings expand our understanding of the benefits of healthy living by quantifying the impact of the five health risks on Ontarians’ overall health. Similarly, the Burden of Mental Health and Addictions in Ontario report will assess the burden of common mental health conditions and substance use disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This report is expected to be released on the first half of 2012. Youth Population Health Assessment Meetings Public Health Ontario and the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact are pleased to make the Youth Population Health Assessment Visioning Report available. The report provides a draft vision statement as well as goals and strategies to advance youth population health assessment in Ontario. Child and youth health indicators report Access to current data and determining child and youth health status and outcomes has been identified as a priority issue. However, public health practitioners focused on child and youth health programming in Ontario experience significant barriers and challenges in accessing information on key indicators and measures, for planning, monitoring, evaluation and surveillance purposes. As a first step towards meeting the needs of many public health partners for access to quality, relevant Ontario data on child and youth health, Public Health Ontario is completing a comprehensive report that identifies and assesses existing and new indicators of child and youth health (0 to 19 years) of public health importance. In addition, the report will provide recommendations for the operationalization of these indicators in the Ontario context, including recommendations for a proposed approach for the ongoing population-level assessment and monitoring of child and youth health in Ontario. A scientific review panel is being established to bring expert knowledge and scientific rigour to support the development of the report. This panel is co-led by Ken Allison (Public Health Ontario) and Steve Manske (Propel Centre for Population Health Impact). In addition, a stakeholder advisory committee, co-led by Anne-Marie Holt (Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario), will bring field knowledge and directional advice. The launch meeting of the project team and scientific and stakeholder groups is planned for February 2012. The report is expected to be released in late 2012/early 2013. This will be followed by consultations with key public health partners to identify action on information and data gaps. For more information, contact Carly Heung, project coordinator. In partnership with the Faculty of Physical Education and Health at the University of Toronto, Public Health Ontario is completing a jurisdictional scan to understand the opportunity provided by the Pan/Parapan American Games to support a public health legacy. The scan will examine the experiences of public health stakeholders in host cities of major sporting events and advance health promotion strategies by supporting the development of evidence-informed programs and policies promoting healthy and active living. Marc Mitchell, a PhD student in the Faculty of Physical and Health Education, will be presenting an abstract on about the scan on Wednesday April 4, 2012 at TOPHC. Public Health Ontario is supporting Niagara Region Public Health with their evaluation of pilot project, Sparking Life Niagara. In the project, at-risk students start the school day with 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity, which is supplemented with ‘bursts’ of activity throughout the day. The concept for the project is based on the research of Dr. John Ratey, who has extensively studied the impact of aerobic activity on students’ physical and mental health and academic performance. Other partners for the project include Niagara’s public and Catholic school boards and the Niagara Sport Commission. For more information, contact Jennifer Robertson, senior evaluator. Health equity provides a framework for considering the social determinants of health and the impact on the risk and burden of chronic diseases and injuries. Good health and the determinants of positive health outcomes (e.g. income, education, housing, nutritious food) are not uniformly distributed in Ontario. Some Ontarians are at higher risk for poor health outcomes because of socio-economic disadvantages and other related factors. Public Health Ontario is working to address health equity by:
HPCDIP staff were co-authors of the social determinants of health section in Chapter 12 of The Project for an Ontario Women’s Health Evidence-Based Report (POWER) study. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of health inequities in Ontario associated with income, education, race/ethnicity, where one lives, and how these determinants differ by gender. Ontario childhood healthy weights surveillance project Public Health Ontario has co-led a project with the Association of Local Public Health Agencies to recommend a standardized approach to monitor the heights and weights of Ontario schoolchildren. The Ontario Childhood Healthy Weights Surveillance Steering Committee oversees the project, which originated from a proposal submitted on behalf of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health in April 2008. In June 2011, a progress update on the project was provided and an additional report is expected in 2012. |
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