Evidence that ovarian hormones, but not diet and exercise, contribute to the sex disparity in post-traumatic stress disorder
Females are twice as likely as males to receive a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using data from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) cohort of 16,899 participants, the relationship between endogenous hormone fluctuations (e.g., menarche, pregnancy, and menopause), exogenous hormone use (e.g., hormonal contraception and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)) and lifestyle variables (diet and exercise habits, as measured by the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener, Healthy Eating Index, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire) with PTSD diagnosis and treatment were analyzed. While several hormonal variables, including contraceptive use, higher total number of pregnancies, younger menarche age, and having undergone menopause increased the risk of PTSD, no lifestyle variables contributed to an increased risk of PTSD diagnosis.
Factors associated with mental health service use during the pandemic: Initiation and barriers
This study aimed to understand the factors associated with initiating new mental health service use (MHSU) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as distinguishing between different reasons for not seeking mental health services. The research found that several factors influenced MHSU, such as age, living situation, income, and health professional status. The study suggests the need for awareness campaigns targeting older adults to explain the importance of seeking treatment and for sensitizing health professionals to facilitate access to mental health care for individuals at risk of social isolation and lower socioeconomic status.
The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Canada: a time-series study, 2020-2023
This study used data from the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, which includes CanPath data, to track the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Canadian population over the pre-vaccination period, the vaccine rollout, and the emergence of the Omicron variant. By March 2023, over three-quarters of the population had detectable antibodies, with the most substantial increases seen after the arrival of the Omicron variant. However, variations in immunity by age and geography highlight the importance of tailoring public health policies and clinical decisions to local patterns of population immunity, considering factors like potential antibody decline and the emergence of new variants that might evade immunity.
Depression, anxiety, and the risk of cancer: An individual participant data meta-analysis
Researchers performed meta-analyses within the Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Incidence (PSY-CA) consortium to develop a stronger foundation for addressing associations between depression, anxiety, and the incidence of various cancer types. They found that depression and anxiety are not related to increased risk for most cancer outcomes, except for lung and smoking-related cancers.
Assessing skin cancer risk factors, sun safety behaviors and melanoma concern in Atlantic Canada: a comprehensive survey study
Using data from 7,861 Atlantic PATH participants, this study sought to understand sun exposure, sun protection, and level of worry for cutaneous melanoma (CM), a deadly form of skin cancer, among Atlantic Canadians. The researchers found that provinces with high CM incidence had higher rates of sunburns, total sun exposure, recreational sun exposure, and tanning. However, they also displayed more protective behaviours.
Provincial variation in colorectal cancer screening adherence in Canada; evidence from the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health
The researchers sought to assess regional variation in screening uptake, identify factors to non-adherence to screening, and estimate adherence to screening in those with differing risk profiles. Using national CanPath data, they found adherence suboptimal amongst Canadians and noticed variation by region.
Toenail arsenic species and metallome profiles associated with breast, cervical, prostate, and skin cancer prevalence in the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health cohort
The purpose of this study was to characterize the profiles of arsenic species and metallome in the toenails of four cancer groups, compare them to healthy participants, and assess potential associations between the profiles with cancer prevalence.
From genetic association to forensic prediction: Computational methods and tools for identifying phenotypically informative single nucleotide polymorphisms
The researchers assessed how pigmentation genetics can enhance forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) for predicting externally visible characteristics (EVCs) such as hair, eye, and skin color. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach, they analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with pigmentation traits in data from CARTaGENE, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, Ontario Health Study, BC Generations Project, and Atlantic PATH. Specifically, they examined genetic variants related to eye color in individuals with a blue eye color background (rs12913832:GG genotype). The study demonstrated how GWAS data, combined with post-genotyping analyses and functional annotation, can provide insights into pigmentation-associated loci. The findings contribute to refining FDP accuracy and may serve as a reference for future genomic investigations of EVCs in forensic settings.
Investigating the oral microbiome in retrospective and prospective cases of prostate, colon, and breast cancer
Salivary samples from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) project and Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) to examine the existence of prostate, colon, and breast cancer biomarkers in the human oral microbiome. While no significant changes in oral microbiome diversity were detected, results indicate that there may be associations between oral microbiome and colon cancer disease status.
Mental health service use and associated predisposing, enabling and need factors in community living adults and older adults across Canada
The authors utilized data from the CanPath COVID-19 health survey (May to December 2020) to conduct multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the association between mental health service use (MHSU) and predisposing, enabling, and need factors — derived from Andersen’s model of healthcare-seeking behaviour — among five regional cohorts. Among the 45,542 adults in the study population, 6.3% of respondents reported MHSU and need factors were consistently associated with MHSU.