Mark Oremus

University of Waterloo | UWaterloo · School of Public Health and Health Systems

Objectives We investigated whether functional social support—the degree to which one perceives support is available when needed—is associated with executive function, a key cognitive domain for everyday functioning and adaptation to change. Methods Analyses ( n = 23,491) utilized cross-sectional data from the Comprehensive cohort of the Canadian L...

BACKGROUND Visual perceptual learning (PL) shows promise for enhancing visual functions in individuals with visual impairment. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PL in improving visual function. STUDY ELIGIBILITY Eligible studies were those examining the efficacy of PL in individuals with low vision. STUDY AP...

We explored longitudinal associations between religion/spirituality (R/S) Salience and R/S Attendance, and colorectal cancer screening, among adults aged ≥ 50 years in Alberta, Canada. R/S Salience was not statistically significantly associated with colorectal cancer screening (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88–1.28...

We investigated the association between pre-COVID-19 memory function and (a) receipt of a COVID-19 test and (b) incidence of COVID-19 using the COVID-19 Questionnaire Study (CQS) of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The CQS included 28,565 middle-aged and older adults. We regressed receipt of a COVID-19 test on participants' immediat...

Objectives Mounting evidence suggests religion plays an important role in maintaining cognition. No prior systematic review has focused on the specific association between religion and the memory domain of cognition in middle-aged and older adults. We carried out a systematic review to explore this association in depth. Methods We searched the Psy...

Depression and social isolation increase risk for executive function declines and are among the top five modifiable risk factors for dementia. However, the interrelationships between depression, social isolation and executive function are not well established. Further evidence is needed to inform strategies to promote executive function and indepen...

Background: Intact cognitive function is crucial for healthy aging. Functional social support is thought to protect against cognitive decline. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults. Methods: Articles were obtained from PubMed, Psyc...

Background: Functional social support (FSS) has been shown to be positively associated with better cognitive function, especially memory, in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. To better understand this complex association, researchers should consider the impact of additional factors that affect both FSS and memory. Therefore, we conducted a...

Background: Functional social support (FSS) impacts memory function through biological and psychological pathways. In a national sample of middle-aged and older adults in Canada, we explored the association between FSS and changes in memory over three years and investigated effect modification by age group and sex. Methods: We analyzed data from...

Functional social support (FSS), one’s perception of whether members of their social network will be available to provide practical and emotional support, has been shown to be positively associated with cognitive function, especially memory. To better understand this association, researchers should consider the impact of marital status, which impac...

Background: Functional social support (FSS) has been shown to be positively associated with better cognitive function, especially memory, in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. To better understand this complex association, researchers should consider the impact of additional factors that affect both FSS and memory. Therefore, we conducted a...

Background Intact cognitive function is crucial for healthy aging. Functional social support is thought to protect against cognitive decline. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults. Methods Articles were obtained from PubMed, PsycINFO...

Objective The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the impact of assistive devices on the life satisfaction of (Research Question 1), and informal caregiving hours received by (Research Question 2), community-dwelling older adults (≥ 65 years). Methods We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Scopus from database inception to March 2022. For eac...

Background Emerging evidence suggests that access to chiropractic care may reduce the likelihood of initiating an opioid prescription for spinal pain; however, the impact of chiropractic care for patients already prescribed opioids is uncertain. We undertook a sequential explanatory mixed methods study to evaluate the association between initiating...

We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to examine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on depression symptoms in Chinese adults aged 60 years or over. A dearth of studies has examined this issue in the Chinese context, which is different from Western contexts owing to China’s post-revolutionary e...

Introduction: Complex surveys use stratified or cluster sampling to recruit participants. Researchers analyzing these surveys often wish to make inferences about the source populations from which the participants are drawn. In such cases, methodologists recommend employing sample weights in regression analyses; however, the utilization of weights i...

The purpose of this study was to investigate if and how the associations between social support availability (SSA) and cognitive function varied across urban, rural, and geographical regions in Canada. Data from a population-level sample of community-dwelling adults aged 45–85 years were obtained from the baseline Tracking Cohort of the Canadian Lo...

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association between receipt of chiropractic services and initiating a prescription for opioids among adult patients with noncancer spinal pain in a Canadian community health center. Methods In this sequential explanatory mixed methods analysis, we conducted a retrospective study of 945 patient...

Background Some research suggests social isolation and loneliness are important risk factors for reduced successful aging and cognitive health. However, findings are inconsistent and no prior systematic review has investigated whether social isolation and loneliness are associated with the memory domain of cognition. This review examined whether so...

Objectives : Through April 2021, sixteen months into the pandemic and four months after availability of COVID-19 vaccines, estimate the proportion infected by SARS-CoV-2 in Canada Methods : We searched publication databases, preprint servers, public health databases and the grey literature for seroprevalence surveys conducted in Canada from Novemb...

A well-recognized gap exists between findings from public health research and their use in public health practice to improve outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified implementation research as vital to improving the adaptation and dissemination of public health interventions into real-world settings. Implementation research enco...

We investigated the association between religious participation and executive function in a national sample of Canadian adults aged 45 to 85 years. Executive function scores were aggregated from six neurocognitive tests. We regressed the aggregate scores onto religious participation and controlled for numerous covariates. The analyses were stratifi...

Objective: To examine the risk of bias in chiropractic mixed methods research. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a meta-epidemiological review of chiropractic mixed methods studies. We assessed risk of bias with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and used generalized estimating equations to explore factors associated with risk o...

Background and objectives: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a recognized risk factor for unfavorable health outcomes. No prior systematic review has explored the association between ACEs and cognition in late life, a critical period for cognitive fluctuation. The objective of this review is to address the following research question: What...

Background We conducted a systematic review to assess the comparative efficacy of integrated telehealth versus other strategies of chronic disease management in older, multimorbid adults with heart failure (HF) in primary care and community settings. Specific efficacy outcomes included CVD-related hospitalizations, rehospitalizations, and mortality...

Governments implemented lockdowns and other physical distancing measures to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Resulting unemployment, income loss, poverty, and social isolation, coupled with daily reports of dire news about the COVID-19 pandemic, could serve as catalysts for increased self-harm deaths (SHD). This ecological study examined w...

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women. Screening permits the early detection and treatment of malignancies, thereby reducing mortality. A woman’s religiosity and spirituality (R/S) may facilitate screening through encouragement of healthy behaviors. Population-level data from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) wer...

This study investigated the association between subtypes of social support availability (SSA) and memory in persons aged 45 to 85 years (n = 24,719). We examined two memory outcomes using a modified Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT)-immediate recall (RAVLT I) and delayed recall (RAVLT II)-and five subtypes of SSA: affectionate, emotional/in...

Background Mixed methods designs are increasingly used in health care research to enrich findings. However, little is known about the frequency of use of this methodology in chiropractic research, or the quality of reporting among chiropractic studies using mixed methods. Objective To quantify the use and quality of mixed methods in chiropractic r...

Introduction: Emerging evidence from a number of primary care centres suggests that integration of chiropractic services into chronic pain management is associated with improved clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction as well as with reductions in physician visits, specialist referrals use of advanced imaging and prescribing of analgesics....

Governments implemented lockdowns and other physical distancing measures to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Resulting unemployment, income loss, poverty, and social isolation, coupled with daily reports of dire news about the COVID-19 pandemic, could serve as catalysts for increased self-harm deaths (SHD). This ecological study examined w...

To investigate the association between religious participation and memory in persons aged 45–85 years. Using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, frequency of religious participation was measured from “daily” to “never”; immediate and delayed recall memory were assessed with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. We regressed memory onto relig...

To successfully create assistive technologies for persons with dementia, product developers must understand the capacity of people with dementia to use these technologies. Capacity assessment is typically done through user experience research. However, the published literature is bereft of guidelines to conduct optimal user experience research in s...

Look at the graph and ask yourself whether the lockdowns had any real impact on COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations in Canada.

This graph compares cumulative COVID-19 cases per million with the lockdown stringency indices for the G20 countries (minus the European Union) using publicly available data on July 27, 2021.

To obtain the perspectives of Christian pastors and parishioners on whether and how religious involvement may be related to cognitive functioning. Fifteen middle- and old-aged Christian pastors and parishioners from a metropolitan Canadian city participated in this qualitative descriptive study which involved purposive sampling and open-ended semi-...

Background: Many definitions and operationalisations of frailty exclude psychosocial factors, such as social isolation and mental health, despite considerable evidence of the links between frailty and these factors. This study aimed to investigate the health domains covered by frailty screening tools. Methods: A systematic search of the literatu...

Objective This review highlights the scope and significance of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with a focus on biobehavioral aspects and critical avenues for research. Methods A narrative review of the published research literature was undertaken, highlighting major empirical findings emerging during the first and second waves o...

Objective To identify differences in efficacy between vision-based treatments for improving visual acuity (VA) of the amblyopic eye in persons aged 4–17 years old. Data sources Ovid Embase, PubMed (Medline), the Cochrane Library, Vision Cite and Scopus were systematically searched from 1975 to 17 June 2020. Methods Two independent reviewers scree...

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the cost effectiveness of first-line epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer.Methods This study used Ontario Cancer Registry-linked administrative data to identify patients with a primary diagnosis of lung cancer who...

Background: Changes in the quality-of-life (QoL) of family caregivers as they care for their loved ones with dementia over time may affect the quality or level of care that these caregivers provide. We do not know if validated instruments exist to directly measure this quality or level of care. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify v...

Aim: To investigate the factors associated with treatment selection and overall survival for first-line EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) therapy among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Materials & methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of linked administrative health databases in Ontario, Canada. Results: A total of 1...

Objective: To determine the incidence of addiction and dependence in persons with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) who are treated with oxycodone. Design: Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2020. Of 1,320 retrieved citation...

Background Accompanying rapidly aging populations is an increase in the prevalence of age‐related memory decline. Modifiable factors such as social support availability (SSA) are important to study because they may affect memory function. However, the impact of SSA on memory may vary by sex or age, and evidence on the topic has not been gathered fr...

Background Swiss chiropractors have been licensed since 1995 to prescribe from a limited formulary of medications for treating musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. In January 2018, this formulary was expanded to include additional muscle relaxant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory medications. Internationally, controversy remains over whether or not me...

Background: Since 1995, chiropractors in Switzerland have been licensed to prescribe medications for treating musculoskeletal conditions. However, controversy remains over whether or not medication prescribing should be pursued within the chiropractic profession internationally. Objective: To assess Swiss chiropractors' attitudes, beliefs, and p...

Introduction To assess the association between perceived susceptibility of developing cancer and being screened via sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy and prostate-specific antigen, respectively. Methods Participants aged 35–69, who resided in Alberta, Canada, were enrolled into the study between 2000 and 2008. We used general linear mixed models, adjusted...

This graph shows the cumulative number of reported cases of COVID-19 in Canada, along with the stringency of Canada's lockdown measures. Comments welcome.

Background: The effectiveness of immunotherapies for non-small-cell lung cancer under real-world clinical settings remains uncertain. Materials & methods: Systematic searches of PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were conducted. Random-effects models were used to estimate pooled median overall survival and progression-free survival estimates. Result...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/19930.].

Objective: This study examines the association between community-level marginalization and emergency room (ER) wait time in Ontario. Methods: Data sources included ER wait time data and Ontario Marginalization Index scores. Linear regression models were used to quantify the association. Results: A positive association between total marginaliza...

UNSTRUCTURED The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, spread worldwide after its emergence in China. Whether rich or poor, all nations are struggling to cope with this new global health crisis. The speed of the threat’s emergence and the quick response required from public health...

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, spread worldwide after its emergence in China. Whether rich or poor, all nations are struggling to cope with this new global health crisis. The speed of the threat’s emergence and the quick response required from public health authorities...

Introduction Maintenance of cognitive function into old age is important for ageing populations. Researchers seek to identify modifiable risk and protective factors for cognitive function. One such modifiable factor is functional social support, that is, one’s perception of whether their social network can provide resources such as material help, c...

Background: Screening is an important component of understanding and managing frailty. This study examined older adults', caregivers' and healthcare providers' perspectives on frailty and frailty screening. Methods: Fourteen older adults and caregivers and 14 healthcare providers completed individual or focus group interviews. Interviews were au...

Objectives: To compare the inter-rater reliability, concurrent validity, completion time, and ease of use of two methodological quality (MQ) assessment tools for cross-sectional studies: an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS). Study design and setting: Two raters applied the NOS and AXIS...

Background: Cognitive function is important for healthy aging. Social support availability (SSA) may modify cognitive function. We descriptively examined the association between SSA and cognitive function in a population-level sample of middle- and older-aged adults. Methods: We analyzed the tracking dataset of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on...

Accepted for publication in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics

Objectives: This study examines the association between a modifiable psychosocial factor, social support availability (SSA), and the memory domain of cognitive function in persons aged 45-85 years. Methods: We used baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) (n = 21,241) to conduct multiple linear regression analyses of th...

Objectives: Cross-sectional data from Alberta's Tomorrow Project (ATP) were used to assess the association between perceived susceptibility (PS) to developing cancer and mammography screening behaviour. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: ATP participants between 35 and 70 years of age who reported being free of chronic conditions we...

Radiation exposure has long been a concern for the public, policy makers, and health researchers. Beginning with radar during World War II, human exposure to radio-frequency radiation¹ (RFR) technologies has grown substantially over time. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed the published literature and categoriz...

Objective/Background: Antipsychotic use appears to increase mortality risk among older adults with dementia. Whether this risk is similar for regular or intermittent use is unknown. This scoping review aims to explore the temporal association between antipsychotic use and mortality risk for older institutionalized adults. Method: We conducted a sc...

Objectives:: This study was conducted to review the current state of evidence on the association between age of initiation of cannabis use and symptoms of psychosis, depression, or anxiety among youth under 25 years of age. Methods:: We conducted a systematic review of articles published prior to March 2018 by searching OVID MEDLINE, PsycINFO, E...

Introduction: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) results in progressively worsening cognitive decline, leading to loss of functional ability, behaviour/mood disturbances, institutionalization, and death. Current pharmaceutical therapies only treat the symptoms of cognitive decline yet can be expensive for payers. Areas covered: The authors undertook a system...

Purpose Antibiotic use is associated with alteration of the gut microbiome and metabolic activity. As childhood obesity is a predisposing factor for adult obesity, addressing childhood risk factors to weight gain in early life is important. This review aims to investigate the association between infant antibiotic exposure (aged < 24 months) and chi...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/formative.8202.].

Final poster for presentation at the 2018 Canadian Geriatric Society's Annual Scientific Meeting

Objective: To evaluate the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs) in health literacy and cancer screening; to investigate factors that may influence overall quality. Study design and setting: A review of SRs published between 2009 and 2017. We calculated indices to represent the included SRs' adherence to PRISMA and AMS...

Background The time trade-off (TTO) task is a method of eliciting health utility scores, which range from 0 (equivalent to death) to 1 (equivalent to perfect health). These scores numerically represent a person’s health-related quality of life. Software apps exist to administer the TTO task; however, most of these apps are poorly documented and una...

Objective/background: Antipsychotic use appears to increase mortality risk among older adults with dementia. Whether this risk is similar for regular or intermittent use is unknown. This scoping review aims to explore the temporal association between antipsychotic use and mortality risk for older institutionalized adults. Method: We conducted a...

Objective We examined whether caregivers’ employment status (i.e., retired or employed) might modify the association between the behaviours of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (PwAD) and caregivers’ health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). Data came from a cross-sectional study of the primary informal caregivers of 200 persons with mild or moderate...

The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging is following 50,000 men and women aged 45–85, every three years for at least 20 years. Of the total, 20,000 (Tracking participants) are randomly selected within age/sex strata in each province, and 30,000 (Comprehensive participants) are randomly selected within age/sex strata from within 25–50 km of 11 site...

BACKGROUND The time trade-off (TTO) task is a method of eliciting health utility scores, which range from 0 (equivalent to death) to 1 (equivalent to perfect health). These scores numerically represent a person’s health-related quality of life. Software apps exist to administer the TTO task; however, most of these apps are poorly documented and una...

Background: Women play important roles in translating health knowledge, particularly around pregnancy and birth, in Indigenous societies. We investigated elder Indigenous women's perceptions around optimal perinatal health. Methods: Using a methodological framework that integrated a constructivist grounded-theory approach with an Indigenous episte...

Purpose of the study: The maintenance of cognitive health is an important component of healthy aging. Abnormal cognitive decline can signal the onset of dementing disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Normal cognitive decline can also adversely affect the health of aging populations. We investigated the association between religious/spiritua...

This article describes the methods taken to create an understanding of the perinatal health beliefs of elder Indigenous women of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. Our study paired constructivist grounded theory data collection and analysis methods with an Indigenous epistemological framework. We aimed to create knowledge that w...

Genetics and lifestyle independently determine dementia risk, but the interaction is unclear. We assessed the interactive relationship of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and physical exercise on dementia risk over a 5-year period in 1,646 older adults from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging who were dementia-free at baseline. Physical exercise...

This study sought to identify the primary indicators for evaluating shelter assistance following natural disasters and then to develop a shelter evaluation instrument based on these indicators. Electronic databases and the 'grey' literature were scoured for publications with a relation to post-disaster shelter assistance. Indicators for evaluating...