Background: We have piloted a new online knowledge translation (KT) program created to educate youth about cannabis effects, which uniquely focuses on mental health risks for Black youth. Youth are generally unaware of the research linking underage usage and the risk of psychosis. Youth from some Black racialized communities in Ontario may be disproportionately affected and in need of this knowledge. Objective: Because very little is known about the acceptability and feasibility of programs educating Black youth about cannabis and psychosis risk, we evaluated this KT program, which consists of tutorials facilitated by university students and video games. Methods: This mixed methods pilot study evaluates the transfer of knowledge about cannabis and psychosis risk before and after the online KT program and, at the same time, explores participant satisfaction with the program and views about underage use. Eligible participants were youth 16-19 years of age of Black African or Caribbean descent. Trained undergraduate students from McMaster University administered a quiz (psychosis and cannabis test; PCT) to evaluate knowledge before and after the KT program. After playing the psychoeducational video games, participants attended two tutorial group sessions led by undergraduate students. The undergraduate students facilitated the online tutorials about cannabis and psychosis. The tutorials augmented the educational content embedded within the gameplay: participants discussed what they learned from the video games and their understanding of psychosis and the effects of cannabis. In addition, undergraduate students qualitatively analyzed the tutorial discussions for themes, and the prequiz and postquiz scores were analyzed for significant differences in scores. Results: A total of 9 Black youth were recruited and completed this pilot study. The mean PCT scores were 5.67 (SD 1.7) and 7.78 (SD 1.8) before and after the KT program, respectively. There was a significant improvement in scores (P<.05) post-KT program. Thematic analysis of the facilitated tutorials revealed three major themes: video game satisfaction, marijuana and psychosis literacy, and help-seeking awareness. Overall, participants showed an increased awareness and understanding of the subject matter after the gameplay and tutorial intervention. Conclusions: When supplemented with tutorial sessions, the Back to Reality Series shows promise for addressing the gap in knowledge about cannabis and psychosis, and the results provide preliminary evidence that the games appeal to Black youth.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the health of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, as reflected in the growing literature. However, Indigenous Peoples are often homogenised, with key differences often overlooked, failing to capture the complexity of issues and may lead to suboptimal public health policy-making. The objective of this review was to assess the extent to which the heterogeneity of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA has been reflected in COVID-19 research. Design: This study took the form of a scoping review. Data sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science were searched for studies investigating COVID-19 pandemic outcomes among Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. The search dates included January 2019 to January 2024. Eligibility criteria: All citations yielded by this search were subjected to title and abstract screening, full-text review and data extraction. We included original, peer-reviewed research investigating COVID-19-related outcomes among Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the USA. Data extraction and synthesis: Data extraction was conducted as an iterative process, reaching consensus between two of the study authors. All included studies were analysed through a combination of quantitative descriptive summary and qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Of the 9795 citations found by the initial search, 428 citations were deemed eligible for inclusion. Of these citations: 72.9% compared Indigenous participants to non-Indigenous participants; 10.0% aggregated Indigenous and non-white participants; and 17.1% provided findings for Indigenous participants exclusively. Conclusions: By overlooking the heterogeneity that exists among Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, researchers and policy-makers run the risk of masking inequities and the unique needs of groups of Indigenous Peoples. This may lead to inefficient policy recommendations and unintentionally perpetuate health disparities during public health crises.

In response to a growing aging population, carer-employees - who balance both unpaid care and paid employment, have become an increasingly normative phenomenon. In order to support the growing population of carer-employees, some employers have implemented carer-friendly workplace policies aimed at keeping carer-employees employed and healthy. This study sought to retrospectively review the effectiveness of one such carer-employee workplace intervention which had been implemented in a post-secondary institution located in Southern Ontario. The study consisted of a thematic analysis of fourteen semi-structured post-intervention interviews from carer-employee participants. A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed the following themes: (i) the pre-existing circumstances of participants; (ii) recommendations made by participants to improve the intervention; (iii) benefits participants received from the intervention; and (iv) factors limiting the benefits participants received from the intervention. Furthermore, the thematic analysis revealed several positive outcomes commonly experienced by intervention participants, namely: improvements in self-reported mental and physical wellbeing, greater self-confidence in caregiving abilities, and access to respite. These findings align with the larger literature on carer-employees and caregiver-friendly workplace policies.

Cycling provides health and environmental benefits but poses safety risks. Over the past decade, Canadian cities have expanded cycling infrastructure, such as cycle tracks (physically separated from motor vehicles) and painted lanes, to support safer active transportation. This study evaluates the impact of cycling infrastructure implemented in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. We used infrastructure data (2011-2022) from municipal reports, validated with street view imagery. The primary outcome was killed or seriously injured (KSI) victims per 10 km of road, based on police-reported data (2009-2023). A difference-in-differences design, adapted for gradual infrastructure implementation, was applied using road segments as the unit of analysis. Subgroup analyses examined cyclist KSI and infrastructure type. Crude data on seasonal ridership from intersection counters on a subset of road segments (9 %) were used to estimate post-installation changes. Results varied by city and infrastructure type. In Toronto, no clear associations were found. In Calgary, new cycle tracks were associated with 2.1 fewer cyclist KSIs per 10 km (95 % CI: -4.5 to 0.3). In Vancouver, painted lanes were associated with 4.7 more KSIs per 10 km (95 % CI: 0 to 9.3), and one additional cyclist KSI per 10 km (95 % CI: 0 to 2.1). After implementation, cycle tracks showed substantial increases in cyclist volumes in Toronto (76 %), Calgary (207 %), and Vancouver (732 %), whereas painted lanes exhibited more modest changes. Although low KSI counts introduced uncertainty, cycle tracks were associated with no change or reductions in KSIs, while painted lanes showed no change or slight increases.