We are pleased to announce the latest in our research on Atlantic PATH shift workers! Sweeney et al. (2021) evaluated the relationship between mental health and shift work in a matched study with 12,413 participants, including 4155 shift workers and 8258 non-shift workers. 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. The full article can be found free for 50 days compliments of Elsevier – https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1dMIjKt2p%7EjIi This research builds on our previous work that found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes among shift workers, despite higher levels of physical activity and lower levels of sedentary behaviour (https://bit.ly/2TJEoxN).    

Initial preliminary results from the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) COVID-19 Antibody Study, based on close to 6,000 dried blood spot samples collected between February 8 and May 17, 2021, show a high degree of variability in the level of antibodies produced by a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. These findings highlight the importance of accelerating second doses as the Delta variant continues to spread, particularly with the vast majority of Canadians having received only a single vaccine dose. This is the first pan-Canadian study using samples from a wide range of participants to confirm evidence from vaccine manufacturers’ clinical trials, as well as findings in a recent preprint from the United Kingdom and other smaller studies.   Participants from Atlantic PATH, CARTaGENE, the Ontario Health Study, Manitoba Tomorrow Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, and BC Generations contributed to the COVID-19 Antibody Study. https://bit.ly/3gVLeb2  

Atlantic PATH is thrilled to be involved in the newly funded project led by Dr. Juliet Daniel at McMaster University. The New Frontiers in Research Fund 2020 Exploration grants target high-risk, high-reward and interdisciplinary research. This work will focus on disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes in a Black Nova Scotian community (Shelburne, Nova Scotia). This research is truly interdisciplinary, incorporating natural and social sciences to consider the role of environmental, biological, genetic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors with the high cancer incidence and mortality in this community. We’re pleased to be working with our Dalhousie University colleagues, Dr. Ingrid Waldron (School of Nursing), Dr. Jong Sung Kim (Faculty of Medicine), Dr. Paola Marignani (Faculty of Medicine) and Dr. Charles Hostovsky (School of Planning).   https://bit.ly/3fHw3CU  

Atlantic PATH’s Scientific Director, Jason Hicks was recently interviewed by CBC PEI about research with our data holdings and CanPath’s timely move into COVID-19 research. https://bit.ly/33l8vNj

Over 101,500 CanPath participants from across Canada completed the CanPath COVID-19 Questionnaire in 2020. The first release of this data, including the over 93,000 responses collected by October 31st, 2020, is now available to researchers. These data were collected by the regional cohorts that make up CanPath: the BC Generations Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, the Manitoba Tomorrow Project, Ontario Health Study, CARTaGENE (Quebec) and Atlantic PATH. Data collected through the survey include: Self-reported COVID-19 test results/suspected infection Symptoms experienced (if any) Current health status and risk factors Potential sources of exposure Lifestyle and behaviours (alcohol use, tobacco use etc.) Impact of the pandemic on job status Impact of the pandemic on mental, emotional, social and financial well-being Nationally harmonized data from the CanPath COVID-19 Questionnaire is now available to researchers. Given the immediate need for pandemic research, CanPath has revised its expedited review process to provide timely access to the data. Requests for access to the national COVID-19 Questionnaire dataset, as well as accompanying baseline and follow-up datasets, will be reviewed in as little as 9 business days. Please note that while ethnicity/race data was not collected through this questionnaire, self-reported ethnicity data was collected at baseline for all CanPath participants. This data is available for all participants who completed the COVID-19 questionnaire, with the exception of Manitoba Tomorrow Project participants as this cohort is still in recruitment. Of the over 93,000 participants to complete the CanPath COVID-19 Questionnaire by October 31st: 11.5% reported they were tested for COVID-19 0.21% reported they tested positive for COVID-19 0.02% were hospitalized because of COVID-19 2.66% suspected having an undiagnosed case of COVID-19 52.2% experienced mild or severe symptoms of COVID-19 25.4% reported a change in employment status since the pandemic Questions about the CanPath COVID-19 Questionnaire dataset? Email access@canpath.ca.