Publications

These publications are examples of research made possible with data from CanPath and its regional cohorts.

2021

Investigation of the impact of commonly used medications on the oral microbiome of individuals living without major chronic conditions

Authors: Vanessa DeClercq, Jacob T. Nearing, Morgan G. I. Langille

Saliva samples from 1,214 Atlantic PATH participants were analyzed for gene sequencing and microbial community composition differences, particularly between non-, single-, and multi-drug users. Researchers found a minimal influence of the analyzed medications on the salivary microbiome for those with chronic conditions.

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2021

The association between mental health and shift work: Findings from the Atlantic PATH study

Authors: Ellen Sweeney, Yunsong Cui, Zhijie Michael Yu, Trevor J. B. Dummer, Vanessa DeClercq, Cynthia Forbes, Scott A. Grandy, Melanie R. Keats, Anil Adisesh

Researchers studied the relationship between mental health and shift work amongst 12,413 Atlantic PATH participants, including 4,155 shift workers and 8,258 non-shift workers. They found that shift workers were more likely to have increased rates of depression and poor self-rated health, as well as depressive and anxiety symptom scores compared to non-shift workers.

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2021

Post-Treatment Adverse Health Correlates among Prostate Cancer Survivors in a Sample of Men Residing in Atlantic Canada

Authors: Gabriela Ilie, Robert Rutledge, Ellen Sweeney

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a subsample of 632 male participants aged 36–69 the Atlantic PATH. The primary outcomes were the presence of mild, moderate or severe depression or anxiety indicators and were assessed using the seven-item generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively.

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2021

Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Self-Rated Health in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Authors: Daniel Stevens, Pantelis Andreou, Daniel Rainham

This study sought to investigate associations between the environment and physical activity, sedentary behavior, and self-rated health in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The new data may identify barriers to physical activity and assist clinicians in the prescription of exercise for individuals living with COPD.

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2021

Age and Sex-Specific Associations in Health Risk Factors for Chronic Disease: Evidence from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) Cohort

Authors: Vanessa DeClerq, Ellen Sweeney

The objective of this study was to discern health risk factors for chronic disease by age and sex using health risk factor data from participants of the Atlantic PATH (n = 16,165). The study found evident differences in health risk factors for males and females, as well as across age groups.

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2021

The association between mental health and shift work: Findings from the Atlantic PATH study

Authors: Ellen Sweeney, Yunsong Cui, Zhijie Michael Yu, Trevor Dummer, Vanessa DeClercq, Cynthia Forbes, Scott Grandy, Melanie Keats, Anil Adisesh

This study found that shift workers reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, and lower self-rated health than non-shift workers. Shift workers were more likely to report major depression and poor self-rated health, and female shift workers were more likely to report depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health.

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2021

An examination of the role of socioeconomic status in the relationship between depression and prostate cancer survivorship in a population-based sample of men from Atlantic Canada

Authors: Gabriela Ilie, Robert Rutledge, Ellen Sweeney

This study found that the association of depression and prostate cancer still stands when the survivors of prostate cancer are compared to survivors of any other form of cancer, and further indicates that the association is moderated by household income.

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2021

Regional Comparisons of Associations between Physical Activity Levels and Cardiovascular Disease: The Story of Atlantic Canada

Authors: Bartosz Orzel, Melanie Keats, Yunsong Cui, Scott Grandy

The study examined participants’ physical activity levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease based on the region they lived in. The research team found that high physical activity was associated with a 26% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Regions in Newfoundland and New Brunswick observed higher levels of CVD than Nova Scotia and PEI.

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2021

Normal sex and age-specific parameters in a multi-ethnic population: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study of the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds cohort

Authors: Judy M. Luu, Catherine Gebhard, Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige, Dipika Desai, Karleen Schulze, Francois Marcotte, Philip Awadalla, Philippe Broet, Trevor Dummer, Jason Hicks, Eric Larose, Alan Moody, Eric E. Smith, Jean-Claude Tardif, Tiago Teixeira, Koon K. Teo, Jennifer Vena, Douglas S. Lee, Sonia S. Anand, Matthias G. Friedrich

Researchers sought to create a robust, reference value set for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters, and understand their relationship with age and sex in people without cardiovascular disease (CVD) history or risk factors. They were able to uncover a significant influence of sex and age on these parameters for use in clinical evaluations of CVD.

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2020

Associations between Neighborhood Walkability, Physical Activity, and Chronic Disease in Nova Scotian Adults: An Atlantic PATH Cohort Study

Authors: Melanie Keats, Yunsong Cui, Vanessa Declercq, Scott Grandy, Ellen Sweeney, Trevor Dummer

The study investigated the association between neighbourhood walkability and chronic disease. A cross-sectional study was used to determine that there were health protective benefits of higher levels of physical activity and a reduction in the prevalence of certain chronic diseases in areas where there was a higher walk score.

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