Dataset Information

Socioeconomic and immigration status and COVID-19 testing in Toronto, Ontario: retrospective cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preliminary evidence suggests that individuals living in lower income neighbourhoods are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection. The relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 risk warrants further study.

Methods

We explored the association between COVID-19 test positivity and patients' socio-demographic variables, using neighborhood sociodemographic data collected retrospectively from two COVID-19 Assessment Centres in Toronto, ON.

Results

Eighty-three thousand four hundred forty three COVID-19 tests completed between April 5-September 30, 2020, were analyzed. Individuals living in neighbourhoods with the lowest income or highest concentration of immigrants were 3.4 (95% CI: 2.7 to 4.9) and 2.5 (95% CI: 1.8 to 3.7) times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than those in highest income or lowest immigrant neighbourhoods, respectively. Testing was higher among individuals from higher income neighbourhoods, at lowest COVID-19 risk, compared with those from low-income neighbourhoods.

Conclusions

Targeted efforts are needed to improve testing availability in high-risk regions. These same strategies may also ensure equitable COVID-19 vaccine delivery.

SUBMITTER: O'Neill B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9148216 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Socioeconomic and immigration status and COVID-19 testing in Toronto, Ontario: retrospective cross-sectional study.

O'Neill Braden B Kalia Sumeet S Hum Susan S Gill Peter P Greiver Michelle M Kirubarajan Abirami A Eisen David D Ferguson Jacob J Dunn Sheila S

BMC public health 20220529 1

<h4>Background</h4>Preliminary evidence suggests that individuals living in lower income neighbourhoods are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection. The relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 risk warrants further study.<h4>Methods</h4>We explored the association between COVID-19 test positivity and patients' socio-demographic variables, using neighborhood sociodemographic data collected retrospectively from two COVID-19 Assessment Centres in Toronto, ON.<h4>Results</h4> ...[more]

PMID: 35643450

Similar Datasets

Project description:This is a retrospective cross-sectional study examining the association between unemployment, cancer type, treatment and total body fat percentage of childhood cancer survivors recruited at St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic. A total of 55 survivors aged 18-49 who were in remission of cancer and fulfilled the criteria for body composition measurements by the BIA and completed questionnaires investigating their socioeconomic status, employment status, and history. There was a significant relationship between the employment status and central nervous system-directed treatment (c2(1) = 7.53, p = 0.006, Cramér's V = 0.38) and between the type of cancer and employment status (c2(3) = 7.83, p = 0.049, Cramér's V = 0.38), the highest unemployment rate was recorded for brain and spine survivors (72.7%) compared to survivors with other diagnosis (35.7%) (uLR(1) = 4.91, p = 0.027; OR = 4.80, 95% CI:1.10-20.86, p = 0.036); these survivors did not have a significantly different body fat percentage compared to survivors with other diagnoses (t(53) = 1.29, p = 0.202, Cohen's d = 0.41) Interestingly, the survivors reporting having a partner also had a significantly higher percentage of body fat (t(53) = 2.90, p = 0.005, Cohen's d = 0.81). A linear regression model was used to model the percentage of body fat in relation to a set of selected variables and the we observed a significant effect of sex (female vs male: b = 6.37, 95% CI: 1.82-10.93, p = 0.007), partnership status (yes vs no: b = 5.65, 95% CI: 0.67-10.62, p = 0.027) and category of diagnosis (Brain and spinal column tumors vs Other solid tumors: b = 12.40, 95% CI: 0.59-24.21, p = 0.040; Brain and spinal column tumors vs Lymphoma: b = 14.02, 95% CI: 2.06-25.97, p = 0.023). Employment status and risk of adiposity in childhood cancer survivors depends on the type of treatment and diagnosis group, which may significantly impact their lifestyle and overall quality of life after treatment. Trial registration: This study was registered on July 29, 2022, at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05481229).

Project description:BackgroundOperative management of pediatric fractures is an expected competency in the specialty of Orthopedic Surgery. However, specialized pediatric centres may be providing care for increasing numbers of patients with fractures previously treated at community hospitals. The primary objective of this study was to examine trends in presentation of children with fractures to a specialized pediatric centre.MethodsWe performed a detailed chart review to examine trends in presentation of children aged 14 years or less with supracondylar humerus or femur fractures to a specialized pediatric centre (Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto) from anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area between Apr. 1, 2008, and Mar. 31, 2015. Consecutive patients admitted to hospital and requiring operative intervention for a supracondylar humerus or femur fracture were considered. We calculated changes in operation incidence rates per year using multivariable negative binomial regression models.ResultsA total of 945 children with supracondylar humerus fractures and 421 with femur fractures underwent operative intervention during the study period. The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were similar irrespective of which year fixation occurred. The annual incidence rate of supracondylar humerus fractures increased from 108 to 169 (56.5%) over the study period, at an adjusted rate of 7.5% per year (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.075, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.072-1.079, p < 0.001). The annual incidence rate of femur fractures increased from 49 to 69 (40.8%), at an adjusted rate of 5.3% per year (adjusted IRR 1.053, 95% CI 1.044-1.062, p < 0.001). Significant increases were observed independent of fracture classification, stabilization method, whether patients were transferred from an outside hospital or presented directly, patient geographic location or the season in which the fracture occurred.InterpretationAdjusted annual incidence rates of supracondylar humerus and femur fractures increased significantly over the study period. Further work is needed to assess the clinical impact of informal regionalization of care and to determine whether the phenomenon occurs in other specialties.

Project description:BackgroundStudies in the USA report differences in opinion among parents of different ethnic groups toward genetic testing for their child; however, there are no studies that address this issue in the diverse ethnic and immigrant population in Canada.ObjectiveThis study aims to determine whether ethnicity and immigration status influences parental interest in clinical genetic testing for a potentially progressive kidney disease.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.SettingParticipants were recruited from the Greater Toronto Area, Canada.ParticipantsThe study included 320 parents of children ages 1-18 years with nephrotic syndrome enrolled in the Insight into Nephrotic Syndrome: Investigating Genes, Health and Therapeutics (INSIGHT) observational cohort study.MeasurementsDemographic, ethnicity, immigration, and child specific factors as well as interest in genetic testing were collected through self-reported questionnaires administered at baseline study visit.MethodsLogistic regression models were used to examine association of ethnicity and immigration status with interest in genetic testing.ResultsThe majority of parents (85 %) were interested in genetic testing for their child. South Asian and East/Southeast Asian parents had 74 and 76 % lower odds of agreeing to genetic testing when compared to Europeans (odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.10-0.68; OR 0.24, 95 % CI 0.07-0.79, respectively) after controlling for age and sex of child, age and education level of parent, initial steroid resistance, and duration of time in Canada. Immigrants to Canada also had significantly lower odds (OR 0.29, 95 % CI 0.12-0.72) of agreeing to genetic testing after similar adjustment. Higher education level was not associated with greater interest in genetic testing (OR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.64-2.42).LimitationsParticipants have already agreed to aggregate genetic testing for research purposes as part of enrolment in INSIGHT study.ConclusionWhile majority of parents were interested in genetic testing for their child, immigrants, particularly South Asians and East/Southeast Asians, were more likely to decline genetic testing. Genetic counseling needs to be tailored to address specific concerns in these parental groups to maximize informed decision-making in the clinical setting.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01605266.

Dataset Information

Socioeconomic and immigration status and COVID-19 testing in Toronto, Ontario: retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Socioeconomic and immigration status and COVID-19 testing in Toronto, Ontario: retrospective cross-sectional study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets