Canadian forces

Chronic pain and mental health issues occur at higher rates in Veterans than the general population. One widely recognized mental health issue faced by Veterans is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma symptoms and pain frequently co-occur and are mutually maintained due to shared mechanisms. Many Veterans are also parents. Parental physical and mental health issues significantly predict children's chronic pain and related functioning, which can continue into adulthood. Only one US-based study has examined pain in the offspring of Veterans, suggesting heightened risk for pain...

INTRODUCTION: Gender Advisors (GENADs) have played a key role in the efforts of military organizations worldwide to integrate gender perspectives, and culture change, within the defence and security context. Military organizations, however, continue to face challenges in regard to diversity and inclusion, including limited representation of women and other diverse groups who do not fit the white male, masculine stereotype, and subtle and overt expressions of prejudice and stigma towards under-represented and marginalized groups...

This paper provides a longitudinal social network and content analysis of Canadian think tanks affiliated with the Atlas network, analyzing their efforts to obstruct climate action over the last two decades. Network analysis reveals extensive and deepening board interlocks and joint memberships between these think tanks and the fossil fuel industry, other policy-planning organizations within and beyond Canada, and academic institutions. Consistent with and rooted in network ties, Atlas members produce a large and growing volume of climate-related content, including content that denies the reality and impacts of climate change, promotes and defends the fossil fuel sector, and opposes climate policy and action...

INTRODUCTION: Military service members (SMs) are exposed to repetitive head impacts (RHIs) in combat and training that are purported to adversely affect brain health, including cognition, behavior, and function. Researchers have reported that RHI from blast-related exposure may affect both vestibular and ocular function, which in turn may be related to symptomology. As such, an examination of the effects of RHI on exposed military SMs should incorporate these domains. To date, researchers have not compared groups of exposed special operations forces (SOF) operators on combined clinical vestibular/ocular and eye-tracker-based outcomes...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of personalized supervised group-based programs (group physical therapy programs) to usual one-on-one physical therapy care (usual physical therapy care) on disability for military personnel suffering from low back pain, rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, patellofemoral pain syndrome or lateral ankle sprain. Secondary outcomes were pain severity, pain-related fear, health-related quality of life and patients' satisfaction with their condition and care. DESIGN: Non-inferiority pragmatic randomized clinical trial...

BACKGROUND: Physician work hours directly influence patient access to health care services and play a vital role in physician human resource planning. We sought to evaluate long-term trends in hours worked by physicians in Canada, overall and by subgroup. METHODS: We used Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey to identify physicians via occupation and industry coding information. We estimated descriptive statistics and performed graphical analysis of the average weekly hours worked by physicians over the 1987-2021 period...

BACKGROUND: To determine the association of trainees involvement with surgical outcomes of abdominal and laparoscopic myomectomy including operative time, rate of transfusion, and complications. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 1145 patients who underwent an abdominal or laparoscopic myomectomy from 2008-2012 using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (Canadian Task Force Classification II-2). RESULTS: Overall, 64% of myomectomies involved trainees...

PURPOSE: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and because early cancers are often asymptomatic screening aims to prevent mortality by detecting cancer earlier when treatment is more likely to be curative. These reviews will inform updated recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care on screening for lung cancer. METHODS: We will update the review on the benefits and harms of screening with CT conducted for the task force in 2015 and perform de novo reviews on the comparative effects between (i) trial-based selection criteria and use of risk prediction models and (ii) trial-based nodule classification and different nodule classification systems and on patients' values and preferences...

Reactive skin decontamination lotion (RSDL) is a Health Canada approved product used by the Canadian Armed Forces for removal and inactivation of toxic chemicals on skin. Although it is considered very safe when used as directed, questions have been raised regarding whether topical RSDL in the medical setting will react exothermically with antiseptic compounds on the casualty's epidermis that could result in thermal burns. Benchtop experiments were conducted to investigate reactivity of RSDL with various antiseptic compounds or hemostatic agents...

Effective mental health and stress resilience (MHSR) training is essential in military populations given their exposure to operational stressors. The scarcity of empirical evidence supporting the benefits of these programs emphasizes the need for research dedicated to program optimization. This paper aims to identify the relative importance of MHSR training attributes preferred by military members. Conjoint analysis (CA), an experimental method used to prioritize end-user preferences for product feature development, was conducted using an online survey with 567 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel...

BACKGROUND: The queen bee phenomenon (QBP) describes the behavioural response that occurs when women achieve success in a male-dominated environment, and in this position of authority, treat their female subordinates more critically. It has been demonstrated in business, academia, the military, and police force. The goal of this study was to determine whether the QBP occurs in surgical specialties. We hypothesized that female surgeons, fellows, and senior surgical residents would be more critical in their assessment of junior female residents than their male counterparts...

BACKGROUND: Concussion is a pathophysiological process that occurs due to a traumatic biomechanical force. Concussions are an "invisible" and common traumatic brain injury with symptoms that may be underestimated. This necessitates fundamental improvements in public knowledge specifically addressing young university athletes and different genders. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the possibility of gender differences with respect to university student athletes' concussion knowledge, attitude and reporting behaviors...

PURPOSE: Traditional multimodal analgesic strategies have several contraindications in cardiac surgery patients, forcing clinicians to use alternative options. Superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks, anesthetizing the anterior cutaneous branches of the thoracic intercostal nerves, are being explored as a straightforward method to treat pain after sternotomy. We sought to evaluate the literature on the effects of superficial parasternal blocks on pain control after cardiac surgery...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Establishing an accurate and timely diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is essential for appropriate management and prognostication. In some cases, surgical lung biopsy (SLB) is performed but carries non-negligible risk. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine if SLB is associated with accelerated lung function decline in patients with IPF using the Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis. METHODS: Linear mixed models and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compare decline in forced vital capacity (FVC)%, diffusion capacity of the lung (DLCO%) and risk of death or lung transplantation between SLB and non-SLB patients...

BACKGROUND: As a large number of people live with HIV, it is worthwhile to examine the integration of this group in the workplace. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how the operationalization of GIPA/MEPA supports workplace policies and practices for PLHIV. The study aims to explore what is being offered to support PLHIV in community-based agencies and what can be done to enhance the offerings. METHODS: For this community-based research, 2 bilingual online surveys were sent to 150 Canadian organizations that work closely with PLHIV or offer support to them...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the importance of frailty in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). RESEARCH QUESTION: Is the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) a valid tool to improve risk stratification in patients with fibrotic ILD? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients with fibrotic ILD were included from the prospective multicenter Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis. The CFS was assessed using available information from initial ILD clinic visits...

INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis (OA), including that of the knee joint, represents a significant proportion of musculoskeletal injuries in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) due to the frequent, high-stress physical activity for which member participation is necessary. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a conservative, autologous treatment that has the potential to relieve symptoms and improve functionality of military members to decrease the impact of the disease and ultimately strengthen the CAF...

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) may be caused by occupational hazards military personnel encounter, such as falls, shocks, exposure to blast overpressure events, and recoil from weapon firing. While it is important to protect against injurious head impacts, the repeated exposure of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) service members to sub-concussive events during the course of their service may lead to a significant reduction in quality of life. Symptoms may include headaches, difficulty concentrating, and noise sensitivity, impacting how personnel complete their duties and causing chronic health issues...

This study aimed to examine the impact of employment transitions (ETs) on anthropometric changes among middle-aged and older workers (ages 45y+). Using two waves of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, we analyzed the impact of ETs (stayed working, entered retirement, and stopped working) on change in body weight and waist circumference (WC) on continuous scales as well as categories (≥5% cut-off). Analyses were sex/gender-stratified. Women did not show significant weight or WC change that differed across ETs, but estimated directions suggested those who stopped working were more likely to have ≥5% change in weight...

INTRODUCTION: Promoting the inclusion of trans and non-binary (TNB) medical trainees is a key step in building an inclusive health workforce well-positioned to provide high-quality healthcare to all patients. Existing data on the experiences of TNB physicians and trainees describe widespread challenges related to prejudice and discrimination, with most trainees concealing their gender identity for fear of discrimination. We aimed to understand how TNB medical students have experienced professionalism and professional identity formation...