Chronic Diseases in Canada

Volume 27, No. 4, 2007

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Chronic Diseases in Canada (CDIC) is a quarterly scientific journal focussing on current evidence relevant to the control and prevention of chronic (i.e. non-communicable) diseases and injuries in Canada. Since 1980 the journal has published a unique blend of peer-reviewed feature articles by authors from the public and private sectors and which may include research from such fields as epidemiology, public/community health, biostatistics, the behavioural sciences, and health services or economics. Only feature articles are peer reviewed. Authors retain responsibility for the content of their articles; the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the CDIC editorial committee nor of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Abstracts from Feature Articles in Chronic Diseases in Canada Volume 27, No 4, 2007

Article 1: The burden of adult obesity in Canada

Authors: Wei Luo, Howard Morrison, Margaret de Groh, Chris Waters, Marie DesMeules, Elaine Jones-McLean, Anne-Marie Ugnat, Sylvie Desjardins, Morgan Lim and Yang Mao

Abstract:
Obesity is a major public health problem associated with a wide range of health problems. This study estimates the prevalence of obesity, calculates the proportion (or population attributable fraction [PAF]) of major chronic diseases which is attributable to obesity, estimates the deaths attributable to it and projects its future prevalence trends. In Canada, the overall age-standardized prevalence proportion of obesity has increased from 10% in 1970 to 23% in 2004 (8% to 23% in men and 13% to 22% in women). The increasing prevalence of obesity was observed for all five age groups examined: 20-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65+. On average, the PAF of prevalence of selected major chronic diseases which is attributable to obesity from 1970 to 2004 has increased by 138% for men and by 60% for women. Overall, in 2004, 45% of hypertension, 39% of type II diabetes, 35% of gallbladder disease, 23% of coronary artery diseases (CAD), 19% of osteoarthritis, 11% of stroke, 22% of endometrial cancer, 12% of postmenopausal breast cancer, and 10% of colon cancer could be attributed to obesity. In 2004, 8,414 (95% CI: 6,881-9,927) deaths were attributable to obesity. If current obesity prevalence trends remain unchanged, the prevalence proportion of obesity in Canada is projected to reach 27% in men and 24% in women by the year 2010. These increases will have a profound impact on the treatment needs and prevalence of a wide variety of chronic diseases, and also on the health care system in terms of capacity issues and resource allocation.

Article 2: Prostate cancer risk and diet, recreational physical activity and cigarette smoking

Authors: Gerarda Ann Darlington, Nancy Kreiger, Nancy Lightfoot, James Purdham and Andrea Sass-Kortsak

Abstract:
Associations between prostate cancer and dietary factors, physical activity and smoking were assessed based on data from a population-based case-control study. The study was conducted among residents of northeastern Ontario. Cases were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and diagnosed between 1995 and 1998 at ages 50 to 84 years (N=752). Male controls were identified from telephone listings and were frequency matched to cases on age (N=1,613). Logistic regression analyses investigated history of diet, physical activity and smoking as potential risk factors. Tomato intake had a significant positive association with prostate cancer risk for highest versus lowest quartiles (OR=1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.0). Associations were observed for tomato or vegetable juices and ketchup (OR=1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-1.9; OR=1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.5, respectively). Neither other dietary variables nor smoking were associated with prostate cancer risk. Strenuous physical activity by men in their early 50s was associated with reduced risk (OR=0.8; 95% CI: 0.6-0.9). While the recreational physical activity association was consistent with results from previous studies, the tomato products association was not.

Article 3: Smoking-attributable mortality and expected years of life lost in Canada 2002: Conclusions for prevention and policy

Authors: Dolly Baliunas, Jayadeep Patra, Jürgen Rehm, Svetlana Popova, Murry Kaiserman and Benjamin Taylor

Abstract:
Cigarette smoking is one of the most important risk factors for burden of disease. Our objective was to estimate the smoking-attributable deaths and the years of life lost for Canada 2002. For Canada in 2002, 37,209 of all deaths aged 0 to 80+ years were attributable to smoking, 23,766 in men and 13,443 in women. This constituted 16.6% of all deaths in Canada, 21% for men and 12.2% for women. Main causes of smoking-attributable death were malignant neoplasms (17,427), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) (10,275) and respiratory diseases (8,282). Lung cancer (13,401) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (7,533) were the single largest disease contributors to deaths caused by smoking. 515,608 years of life were lost prematurely in Canada in that year, 316,417 years in men and 199,191 years in women. Cigarette smoking is a major contributor to mortality in Canada and its impact on Canadian society continues to be an unacceptable burden.

Article 4: Rugby injury in Kingston, Canada: A ten-year study

Authors: Justin Underhill, Suzanne M Dostaler, Robert J Brison and William Pickett

Abstract:
Rugby is a high-contact sport with an elevated risk for injury. While many studies have examined the epidemiology of rugby injury, there are no surveillance-based injury studies from North America. The objective of this study was to profile the scope and nature of injuries experienced during the sport of rugby. We analyzed emergency department injury surveillance data over a decade (1993−2003) from the Kingston sites of the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program. Rugby injuries were examined by mechanism, nature and anatomical site of injury, with stratification according to sex and age. A total of 1,527 injuries was observed (mean of 153 per year). Results show the tackling phase of play accounted for the highest number of injuries (506/1,527; 33.1%). The most common natures of injury were sprains and strains (426/1,527; 27.9%), while the leading anatomical location of injury was the face (294/1,527; 19.3%). Target patterns of injury were identified as priorities for prevention, based on injury frequency and severity.