Synthesis and summary

Studies on the economic burden of obesity and overweight carried out in Canada and other industrialized…

In Québec, an integrated health and social services centre (a Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux CISSS) or an integrated university health and social services centre (a Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux – CIUSSS), along with its area network (réseau territorial de services – RTS) partners, is responsible for improving and maintaining the health of the population it serves. It must offer the best possible services to the clients who consult with it and,…

Environmental noise, defined as noise emitted from all sources excluding those in the workplace, is pervasive and constitutes a risk to health and quality of life.

The review of the scientific literature shows that noise is a public health issue that can have multiple consequences, both physical and psychosocial. Environmental noise can be a source of sleep disturbance, interference with the ability to learn at school, cardiovascular disease, annoyance (discomfort,…

The objectives of the Impact de la Ventilation sur l’Air intérieur et la Respiration des Enfants asthmatiques dans les habitations (IVAIRE) project were to evaluate the impact of ventilation on indoor air quality and the frequency of respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children living in single family homes. The two-phase project was broken down into two one-year periods: the pre-intervention phase (Phase I) to complete a descriptive study of all participants recruited and the selection of…

Mental health promotion and common mental disorder prevention interventions may apply several well-recognized strategies. Noteworthy among them are strategies that foster the development of public policies and the creation of supportive environments for mental health, that strengthen community action and that support the acquisition of personal skills. These interventions can be global, focusing on several key determinants of mental health, or they can be specific, focusing on only one of…

The way in which the media portray spousal violence and intrafamilial homicide, regardless of whether the focus is on reported incidents or the problem in general, can have an impact on the public’s perception of the problem. For example, media coverage of intrafamilial homicides highlights the sudden and inexplicable nature of such acts, leading to the belief that they are almost impossible to prevent. However, an analysis of records from the coroner’s office revealed that in most of the…

Alcohol use and the many social and health issues associated with it are public health concerns. The impact of alcohol depends primarily on the total volume of alcohol consumed and the pattern of drinking, particularly drinking a large quantity on a single occasion (WHO, 2009).

This work has allowed us to develop a current profile of binge drinking among youth in Québec who drink alcohol and to examine the trends and changes over time in this consumption pattern from 2000 to 2012.…

The ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) mandated the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) with the provincial surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI), as outlined in the 2003–2012 Programme national de santé publique (Public Health Plan), revised in 2008 as well as in the 2006–2009 and 2010–2015 versions of the Plan d’action sur la prévention et le contrôle des infections nosocomiales (Action Plan for Preventing and Controlling HAIs) aimed at…

The health impact assessment (HIA) process involves a variety of sectors other than the health sector and is intended to inform decision making. Considering knowledge sharing is therefore indispensable to maximizing the chances that the recommendations that result from the HIA are relevant and taken into account.

Those in charge of the HIA must be able to organize appropriate knowledge-sharing activities, taking into account stakeholder profiles, the decision-making context and the…