The connection between snoring and risks to public health and safety may not come to mind immediately, but Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Najib Ayas’s research looking at some of the consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—the most common type of snoring—illustrate how one person’s poor sleep can be harmful to others.
Office workers across Canada share a common problem—too much of their day is spent sitting at a desk. Sitting for long periods of time is associated with increased health risks, such as heart disease and obesity. Now, with input from Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist and kinesiologist Dr. Guy Faulkner, ParticipACTION Canada has launched a nation-wide workplace activity intervention to help people sit less and move more.
Health care workers face more violence on the job than any other public sector worker, including police and correctional officers. Despite a widely-implemented provincial violence prevention curriculum, injury rates over the past several years have remained stable and even risen in high-risk areas, including emergency rooms, mental health centres and residential care homes. To find out why, researchers are launching an evaluation of BC’s violence prevention education to better understand the challenges of applying classroom learning to the real world.
It is no secret that many Canadians have a hard time finding a family doctor or are on long waitlists to see a paediatrician, obstetrician or gynaecologist. This comes despite the fact that the number of primary care physicians in Canada has been on the rise since 1986—a conundrum that is addressed in a new study led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher, Lindsay Hedden.
Sleep is vital to a healthy mind and body, yet many of us have trouble getting enough of it—leading to sick days, mood swings and reduced productivity. Respirologist and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) scientist Dr. John Fleetham recommends making sleep a priority to avoid heavy eyelids and nodding heads.
Between work, everyday communication and Netflix, most of us stare at computer and smart phone screens for hours each day. What impact does all this screen-time have on our eyesight?
In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer officially classified shiftwork as a probable cause of cancer1. In particular, the agency found that women who work shiftwork for more than 20 years are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Knowing that exercise reduces this risk, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) scientist Dr. Kristin Campbell, and Dr.
The health benefits gained from a good night’s sleep now include a reduced risk of injury on the job. A recently published study in Thorax comparing individuals with diagnosed sleep apnea and a control group who tested negative for the sleep disorder showed that individuals with untreated sleep apnea were twice as likely to get hurt at work.
Q: I feel like I’m looking at a screen almost constantly between my home laptop, work computer, and phone. Could this be damaging my eyes?
A: Today, more of us are spending more time looking at our computers, tablets, and smartphones. Some people experience no eye problems at all from lots of screen time, while others have some or all of the following symptoms:
