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Welcome to our first edition of POP News for proceedings, which should be available search Initiative on a second
2011. The Institute started off the new year on our website within the coming casebook highlighting concrete
with a co-sponsored event in the Ottawa mu- weeks. Most of our Applied Public examples of the value of global
nicipal council chambers. The Canadian Public Health Chairs were in attendance pro- health research towards improv-
Health Association Expo, documenting Can- viding an opportunity for a lively and ing health and health systems to
ada’s 12 greatest public health achievements fruitful discussion with colleagues from share with research and policy
for the last century, was put on public display the Public Health Agency of Canada communities and civil society
and I officially announced our winning popula- during an invitational (scheduled for release in
tion and public health research milestone dinner. Follow-up events late spring 2011) We will
teams. The event was well attended, with open- on population health include announcements
ing remarks given by Debra Lynkowski (Chief interventions are cur- about their release in our
Executive Officer, Canadian Public Health As- rently being planned monthly e-bulletin.
sociation), Ottawa’s Mayor, Jim Watson, Dr. with international part-
Vera Etches (Ottawa's Associate Medical Offi- ners – more to come in After months of prepara-
cer of Health), and Krista Outhwaite (Associate future newsletters. tion, we will be meeting
Deputy Minister, Public Health Agency of Can- with members of the inter-
ada). As part of our knowledge national review panel dur-
translation activities, ing February and March.
Congratulations to our four Milestone winners several of our staff have Dr. Nancy Edwards In preparation for our In-
(please see p. 3). Each of these teams has made been working on two stitute’s site visit, we held
outstanding research contributions to the field new casebooks. Emma Scientific Director a mock review at our No-
of public and population health. They have Cohen has led the prepa- PHIR Symposium vember Institute Advisory
advanced the science and importantly, brought ration of a casebook on Board (IAB) meeting in
health benefits to Canadians. For those inter- population health interventions with Vancouver. I want to thank Drs.
ested in learning more about these exceptional colleagues from the Canadian Popula- Morris Barer and John O’Neil
teams, articles describing their work have been tion Health Initiative at the Canadian who agreed to be our mock re-
published in the Canadian Journal of Public Institute for Health Information. This viewers, and Dr. Penny Hawe
Health and are accessible on the IPPH website will be available in March. Erica Di who chaired the mock review.
(http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/42882.html). Ruggiero and Ashley Page have been (continued on p. 8)
working with the Global Health Re-
Our much anticipated Population Health Inter-
vention Research (PHIR) Symposium and
Inside this Issue:
Workshop was held in Toronto at the end of
November, 2010. These two successful events Message from the Scientific Director………………………………………….. 1
were jam-packed with excellent presentations
and stimulating dialogue among leading scien- Invited Book Review—Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth and
tists, decision-makers and research funders happiness ………………………………………………………………………. 2
from Canada and several other countries. High-
2010 CIHR-IPPH-CPHA PPH Research Milestones………………………….. 3
lights from these events will be captured in
Applied Public Health Chair Feature: Dr. Janice Sargeant.……………………. 4
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13777.html
IPPH POP News Page 2
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13777.html
February 2011, Issue 24 Page 3
issues such as making stairs vility Checker on emails, to choice for the individual with
more accessible in buildings, prevent sending an angry cost for the society. So for
or designing cities for walk- email without appropriate that reason, I was heartened to
ability, or making the health- nudging to wait awhile (p. see the authors’ self-
ier choice fun (like in the pi- 235). declaration in the last chapter,
ano stairs example you can stating that they are suppor-
see at funtheory.com). These Nudges can be highly effec- tive of some redistribution of
types of examples would tive, and we need to do more wealth, and that “a good soci-
qualify as a libertarian pater- research into understanding ety makes trade-offs between “This book is highly
nalism approach in the minds their effects. Although I really protecting the unfortunate and entertaining. It can also
of Thaler and Sunstein. enjoyed the basic premise of encouraging initiative and
the book, at times I found the self-help.” (p. 242). result in creative
The intriguing idea of setting stance of libertarianism un- thinking for both
healthy defaults is used exten- comfortable. Taken to its ex-
sively throughout Nudge, to treme, libertarian paternalism
This book is highly entertain- decision-makers and
ing. It can also result in crea-
frame people’s choices in should always take prece- researchers, to look for
tive thinking for both deci-
such a way as to nudge them dence over legislation. But we
to choose healthier options. certainly don’t want to negate
sion-makers and researchers, the opportunities that
to look for the opportunities
The book romps through a the basic public health tool of abound through choice
that abound through choice
myriad of examples, all the the power of legislation,
way from savings and invest- probably one of the most ef-
architecture. What should we architecture.”
implement, does it work, and
ments, to social security, mar- fective ways to improve
what are the benefits? In
riage, prescription drug plans, population health quickly. For
Canada and the world, we are
saving the environment, teen example, Thaler and Sun-
all striving towards better
pregnancy prevention, smok- stein’s example of encourag-
population health and reduc-
ing cessation, and motorcycle ing motorcycle helmet use
ing socioeconomic gaps.
helmet use. All of these be- through extra health insurance
Maybe this will give us one
haviours can indeed be influ- requirements doesn’t translate
more tool.
enced by nudges. I particu- well to a universal health care
larly like their idea of the Ci- system that needs to balance
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13777.html
IPPH POP News Page 4
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13777.html
February 2011, Issue 24 Page 5
including investigations of on- when prioritizing zoonotic scientists and government or-
farm food safety interventions. diseases. ganizations on the prioritization
In January 2010, the RE- of zoonoses in Canada, with the
FLECT statement was co- Currently, we are conducting potential for informing policy.
published in five journals, a large scale conjoint surveys
first in veterinary medicine of both the public and of ani- These are a few examples of
(www.reflect-statement.org). mal and human health profes- research undertaken via the
sionals to explore the relative Applied Public Health Chair.
As the research conducted importance of these criteria in The work has involved numer-
through the Applied Public disease prioritzation and to ous undergraduate and graduate
Health Chair award has develop a scoring system for students, as well as post-
evolved, our focus has shifted zoonoses. The results will be doctoral fellows. The research
from food safety as a particu- used to derive a rank-ordered has also included scientists and
lar model to zoonotic diseases list of zoonoses for prioritiza- decision-makers from both the
in general. Because of the tion. Interestingly, although human and animal public
scope and complexity of results are preliminary, it health communities and these
zoonoses, an important issue is appears that health profes- collaborations and networks
how to prioritize these dis- sionals and the public do not will enable us to continue to
eases for research, and poten- rank the criteria considered in build communities and work
tially for policy. An example disease prioritization in the across sectors to control and
of such work is an exploration same order, and would there- prevent zoonotic diseases in
of conjoint analysis, a quanti- fore prioritize zoonoses dif- Canada.
tative method developed pri- ferently. The public survey
marily in the marketing sector, will be used to identify issues
as a method of prioritization. of greatest concern to the
Focus groups involving animal general public with implica-
health and public health scien- tions for communication of
tists and individuals from the disease risk and public educa-
general public identified over tion. The health professional
50 criteria for consideration survey will provide input to
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IPPH POP News Page 6
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February 2011, Issue 24 Page 7
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Page 8
IPPH STAFF (continued from p. 8) towards the end of June. over the past 16 months. I
We found this a very help- also want to thank Dr. Marni
Scientific Director ful exercise. Our mock I will conclude by letting Brownell who has stepped
Dr. Nancy Edwards review panel asked us in- you know that we’ve had a down from our IAB. She
nedwards@uottawa.ca triguing questions and the few more comings and go- made important contribu-
Tel: 613-592-5800 ext 8414 IAB gave us excellent ings of team members. I tions to our knowledge
feedback. We look forward want to thank Ghisline translation advisory sub-
Associate Director to meeting with our official Bourque for her contribu- group and we will miss her.
Erica Di Ruggiero reviewers, describing the tions to the Institute. Ghis-
e.diruggiero@utoronto.ca achievements of our Insti- line was Acting Assistant
Tel: 416-524-0111 tute and the community of Director in 2010. We are
public and population delighted to have Julie Sené-
health scientists in Canada. cal back in this position; she
Senior Evaluation Associate
The report and recommen- is rapidly getting caught up
Sarah Viehbeck
dations of the International on the many Institute portfo-
Sarah.Viebeck@uottawa.ca
Review panel are expected lios that have been active
Tel: 613-592-5800 ext 1925
Administrative Coordinator
Ashley Page
ipph-ispp@uottawa.ca
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext 8414 Public health professionals, researchers, policy-makers, academics and students
Fax: 613-521-2919 from across the country and around the world will meet in Montreal, Quebec for the
2011 Annual Conference of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) as the
Association enters its second century of service to Canadians. CPHA and our col-
CIHR CORPORATE STAFF laborators invite you to its 2011 Annual Conference, to be held June 19-22, 2011.
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13777.html