Shanthi Johnson

University of Alberta | UAlberta · School of Public Health

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions in Canadian older adults, accounting for 85 % of injury hospitalizations among older adults aged over 65 years. While many of these injuries can lead to death, the survival rates of fall-related injuries are rarely examined. This surveillance study examined the fall injury hospitaliz...

The aim was to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and health profile among urban versus rural continuing care aides (CCAs) in Canada. This cross-sectional study of 42 urban and rural CCAs assessed WMSDs and health profiles using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfor...

This qualitative inquiry explored the meaning of healthy aging, health status of the elderly they serve, availability of programs and services, and knowledge of policies specific to seniors from the perspective of health service providers in India. To this end, 100 physicians, allied and alternative health care providers were recruited using snowba...

This study examined the students' perceptions on the care of the older persons and their education and training in geriatrics and gerontology in India. Students (n = 229) from medicine, nursing, and social work programs completed a survey. Three key findings emerged: (a) strong family ties and filial piety in aging care, (b) acknowledging the impor...

Physical activity and social interaction among rural older adults are important, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when restrictions on physical gatherings were placed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a deeper understanding of rural older adults' experience with physical activity and social interaction during the COVID-19...

Our healthcare systems depend on human capital for effectiveness. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research has prioritized building capacity for "solution-oriented research and evidence-informed health care system transformation" (CIHR IHSPR 2021a: 20) as a core strategic direction. In this comme...

Immigrant and refugee seniors experience cultural barriers, discrimination, and limited networks which increase the risk of social isolation and thus hinder their active participation in the society. This paper explores social isolation among immigrant and refugee seniors in Canada based on an environmental scan of federal/provincial/territorial an...

Objectives: The number of modern healthcare providers in Bangladesh has increased and they are well equipped with modern medical instruments and infrastructures. Despite this development, patients seeking treatment from alternative healthcare providers are ongoing. Hence, this study aims to determine the underlying predictors of patients’ choosing...

Social interaction and physical activity are critical components in supporting health among older adults, yet rates of activity are low in rural communities. There is significant merit in exploring the relationship between these interrelated concepts. A scoping review was conducted to synthesize existing literature. Search results identified 26 stu...

Aim: Bangladesh has made notable progress on many health indicators. However, out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare costs continue to burden patients and their families as the need for public spending in the health sector grows. This article examines the effects of selected variables on OOP healthcare expenditure which have not previously been well resear...

Despite its global importance and the recognition of dementia as an international public health priority, interventions to reduce stigma of dementia are a relatively new and emerging field. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the existing literature and identify key components of interventions to reduce stigma of dementia. We followed Arks...

Importance The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global test of health leadership of our generation. There is an urgent need to provide guidance for leaders at all levels during the unprecedented preresolution recovery stage. Objective To create an evidence- and expertise-informed framework of leadership imperatives to serve as a resource to guide...

The pandemic has exposed and amplified complex and complicated health and societal challenges while offering immense opportunities to transform societies to improve health for all. Social isolation is a challenging and persistent issue experienced by many older adults, especially among immigrant and refugee seniors. Unique risk factors such as raci...

Newcomers are often healthy when they arrive in Canada, yet experience health declines shortly thereafter, possibly due to lifestyle changes. As part of the Healthy Immigrant Children study, this mixed-methods study aims to analyze possible predictors of physical activity among 300 newcomer children, and explore their lived experiences using a sub-...

Dementia-related stigma can delay early dementia diagnosis and lead to social isolation, depression, and suicide. Despite this knowledge, few studies identify strategies to reduce dementia-related stigma. This late-breaker poster begins to address this gap by showcasing the educational components of a community-based workshop to share study finding...

Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia, and the number of rural older adults is rising. Although dementia-related stigma is widely documented, few studies focus on ways to reduce stigma, especially within rural communities. This late breaker presentation aims to: 1) explore the contributing factors of dementia-related stigma in rural communit...

Education interventions that increase osteoporosis knowledge and address health beliefs and self-efficacy help older adults make informed decisions to prevent and manage the disease. The aim of this study was to determine if clinical risk factors for osteoporosis moderate the effect of a multifaceted education intervention on osteoporosis knowledge...

Dementia is a national public health issue and a growing concern across Canada. Recently, the Government of Canada released a national dementia strategy focused on the need to prevent dementia, advance therapies, find a cure, and improve the quality of life for people with dementia. Family physicians are a primary source of care in discussing conce...

Given the rising numbers of older adults in Canada experiencing falls, evidence-based identification of fall risks and plans for prevention across the continuum of care is a significant priority for health care providers. A scoping review was conducted to synthesize published international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and recommendations for...

Existing cognitive health literature focuses predominately on understanding the pathology and clinical treatment of older adults with dementia rather than cognitive health promotion and preventative activities. In addition, most of the work in the area remains urban-centric with little focus on cognitive health in rural communities. This study exam...

There is a paucity of research on cognitive health promotion from the perspective of older adults, especially within a rural context. However, dementia and cognitive impairment are more prevalent among rural older adults than urban older adults. This presentation has two objectives: to examine cognitive health promotion from the perspective of rura...

Although there is significant stigma attached to dementia, there is a paucity of knowledge on stigma reduction interventions. Guided by a strength-based approach, this presentation consists of two objectives: 1) to identify the literature on interventions to reduce dementia-related stigma; and 2) to recognize the strength-based components of existi...

Purpose Social isolation and loneliness are global issues experienced by many seniors, especially immigrant and refugee seniors. Guided by the five-stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and more recently Levac, Colquhoun and O’Brien, the purpose of this paper is to explore the existing literature on social isolation and lon...

A number of organizations such as the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences have identified the growing need for a National Dementia Strategy in Canada to improve the quality of life for people with dementia. This commentary highlights the necessity of addressing stigma, social inclusion, and supports for people affected by dementia, specifically tho...

The proportion of older adults is increasing around the world and most wish to live in their home until they die. To achieve this, many will require services in the home to remain living independently. To maintain function (ie, strength, balance, and endurance), physical activity needs to be undertaken on a regular basis, and is essential as a pers...

Although rural seniors are important users of health-care services, their perspectives and input remain largely absent from health programs and policies. This article explores rural seniors’ perspectives to support their engagement in patient-oriented research. Guided by lay theory and cultural schema theory, participant observation, concept maps,...

Purpose A six-month randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the impact of a home-based nutrition and exercise intervention on functional capacity to prevent falls among rural seniors. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Men and women (n=134), aged 60 and older were assigned to one of four groups: exerci...

In North America, life expectancy has rapidly increased with advances in healthy diet, physical activity, and education. However, increased life expectancy is strongly linked to cognitive health, and age is the greatest risk factor for developing dementia. There is a paucity of research on aging and cognitive health within a rural context. This pre...

RÉSUMÉ Les prévisions liées au vieillissement de la population canadienne impliquent que la demande en soins à domicile augmentera significativement. À ce jour, peu d’études ont été menées au Canada sur les soins à domicile pour les personnes âgées, notamment sur les caractéristiques des bénéficiaires de soins à domicile, les lacunes dans les servi...

AimThe aim was to understand the emerging sector of long term care (old age homes, OAHs) in India through the voices of facility administrators as they see the imminent issues of importance in this new sector and care for the elderly. Methods Sixty five administrators, representing 55 OAHs located in Chennai, India, were interviewed using a semi st...

The older adult population in Canada is growing, creating a greater demand for long-term care (LTC) facilities. Seniors living in LTC are more vulnerable to malnutrition, making it important to implement nutrition screening tools on a routine basis. The purpose of this study was to explore the practices of Registered Dietitians (RDs) related to nut...

In the context of population aging, both the need for home care services and its complexity of care have increased in many high-income countries. Yet, the definition of what constitutes complex care is largely elusive. This systematic review examined the conceptual definition of complex care within the home care environment using several social and...

Literature suggests that there is significant stigma attached to poor cognitive health and memory loss in older adults. However, there is a paucity of research on influences and consequences of stigma in a rural context. This presentation will address two objectives: 1) to examine the influences of stigma surrounding poor cognitive health in rural...

Recruitment and retention of older adults in research can be challenging, especially within the rural context. Drawing from three different rural aging studies in Saskatchewan, Canada, this presentation will discuss the challenges and range of strategies used to recruit and retain research participants in a rural setting. Specifically, this present...

RÉSUMÉ La littérature existante sur la santé cognitive se concentre sur les perspectives des personnes âgées atteintes de démence. Cependant, on sait peu de la façon dont les personnes âgées en bonne santé, sans démence, comprendre leur santé cognitive. Dans les communautés rurales, le diagnostic précoce de la démence peut être entravé par de nombr...

Individuals with dementia who reside in long-term care (LTC) are prone to loss of functional independence. The purpose of this study was to determine if regular physical activity was effective at maintaining/improving physical and cognitive function in this population as compared to a social activity intervention. Sixteen older adults with dementia...

Objective: To examine the relationship between dietary service staff and dietary deficiency citations in nursing homes (NHs). Method: 2007-2011 Online Survey and Certification and Reporting data for 14,881 freestanding NHs were used to examine the relationship between dietary service staff and the probability of receiving a dietary service-relat...

Purpose: This qualitative study examined the falls and fall-related injury experiences of community-dwelling rural seniors.Methods: Forty-two senior men and women living in two rural areas in Saskatchewan, Canada were recruited and in-depth interviews were conducted.Results: Analysis revealed three main themes among responses; nature of falls and i...

Healthy community approaches encompass a diverse group of population based strategies and interventions that create supportive environments, foster community behavior change and improve health. This systematic review examined the effectiveness of ten most common healthy community approaches (Healthy Cities/Communities, Smart Growth, Child Friendly...

We examined the clinical characteristics of patients who underwent initial dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) testing at a primary care facility from 2000 to 2013, and whether these factors changed over time in accordance with Canadian clinical practice guidelines. The burden of osteoporosis remains high and largely unchanged and clinical pract...

This study examined the use of the Internet to access health information online among Canadians and involved the secondary analysis of the Canadian Household Internet Use Survey data (n = 33,832). Using contingency tables and logistic regression analysis, statistical associations between demographic characteristics and use of the Internet as well a...

Contemporary enterprises are in the market for a large number of information technology and computer applied professionals. Educationalists have mentioned and proved that training teaching is an effective teaching method in this world. The paper sets forth the necessity and feasibility of training teaching in computer science education by highlight...

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the accuracy of the calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (OST) in identifying older women with osteoporosis as defined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to establish optimal cutoffs to determine risk. We assessed bone mineral densit...

This study examines the interventions that enable rural seniors to remain within their homes and communities as they age. Through semi-structured interviews with 40 rural seniors, the findings reveal a number of actions that facilitate rural aging. This study has important implications for a range of stakeholders from policy makers to community lea...

To date, initiatives to support healthy aging in place have focused primarily on the views of policy makers, researchers, and health professionals. This article explored the meanings, experiences, and perceptions of healthy aging in place among rural older adults. Guided by a community-based participatory research approach, this study sheds light o...

This study was performed to compare the effects of creatine supplementation (CR) before vs. after supervised resistance training (RT) in healthy older adults. Participants were randomized to one of two groups: CR-Before (0.1g•kg(-1) creatine before + 0.1g•kg(-1) placebo [rice flour] after RT, n = 11) or CR-After (placebo before + creatine after RT,...

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess whether high exposure to the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) improved 1) the personal health practices, such as smoking and breastfeeding, of participants and 2) birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth. Intervention: The CPNP is a population-level health interven...

Individuals who develop type 2 diabetes increase their chances of developing other health concerns such as cardiovascular disease. Soluble fibre has been shown to have positive effects on serum lipid and glucose levels. Inulin is a type of soluble fibre whose effects on serum lipid and glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes are inconclu...

Purpose: To examine the key determinants that support healthy aging in rural communities. Sample: Forty-two participants aged 65 and older were recruited from two rural communities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Methods: Using an ethnographic methodological approach, data was collected through semi-structured interviews, field notes and participant obser...

This study examines life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) in India longitudinally over the period 2007 to 2020, providing projections into the future. Specifically, the Indian Healthy Life Expectancy Projection model was developed based on epidemiological data (mortality, disability rates) obtained from the World Health Organizatio...

Osteoporosis is major public health concern affecting millions of older adults worldwide. A systematic review was carried out to identify the most common osteoporosis health beliefs in adult men and women from descriptive and intervention studies. The Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) and Osteoporosis Self-efficacy Scale (OSES) evaluate osteo...

Convincing evidence indicates that the consumption of inulin-type fructans, inulin, and oligofructose has beneficial effects on blood glucose changes in animal models, although data in humans have been considered equivocal. As such, a systematic review of available literature on humans was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary inulin-t...

The study examined the effects of dietary fasting on physical balance among young healthy women. This study undertaken involving 22 young healthy women (age = 22 +/- 1.5) using a within subject counterbalanced 2-week crossover study design. Participants were asked to refrain from consuming any food or beverage for 12 hours prior to the fasting tria...

Background & aims Dehydration is the most common fluid and electrolyte problem among the elderly. The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on dehydration in the institutionalized elderly. Methods To find relevant literature for this narrative review, a computerized search of articles published until June 2009 was performed in thre...

The present study examined the differences in the food bank users' perceptions related to calcium nutrition across sex and employment status using a cross-sectional, prospective design at a large food bank in Canada. A total of 197 individuals participated for a response rate of 97%. A structured survey was developed and pilot tested before it was...

Practices related to oral nutrition supplement (ONS) use were examined in elderly people living in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Thirteen LTC facilities within a large regional health authority participated, and 17 people responsible for prescribing ONS in their facilities were interviewed, using a key informant telephone survey. A survey on ONS...

Several osteoporosis risk-factor screening tools have been developed to identify women at increased risk of low bone mineral density, who would most benefit from dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of these screening tools in determining postmenopausal Caucasian women at r...

Approximately one in two older adults living in long-term care (LTC) settings sustain a fall every year, resulting in significant human suffering and treatment costs. The complex set of factors that contribute to fall risk among this population demands a multidisciplinary approach to this problem, with physicians playing a pivotal role in risk asse...

The Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is a widely used self-report scale to assess depressive symptom levels among the general population. The purposes of the study are to explore the factor structure of CES-D in a population-based Canadian sample and to compare focal constructs of CES-D across age and gender. Confirmatory...

This study examines the adequacy of the dietary intake based on age, sex, and level of nutritional risk among 98 frail elderly persons receiving home care through Community Care Access Centres. The dietary intakes were measured using 24-hour recalls and were compared with the dietary reference intake. The participants' intakes of both macronutrient...

RÉSUMÉ La présente étude a évalué si les pensions publiques du Canada (Sécurité de la vieillesse et Régime de pension du Canada) fournissaient aux aînés vivant en Nouvelle-Écosse (N.-É.) un revenu adéquat qui puisse leur permettre de bénéficier d'un régime alimentaire de base nutritif en 2005. Les revenus mensuels ont été comparés aux dépenses mens...

Purpose This study was carried out to assess the direct cost of falls injury hospitalizations in older residents aged 65+ years (seniors) and their implications on health care delivery in the growing seniors population in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Methods We performed descriptive and statistical analyses on hospital discharge data for...