Publications by authors named "Devon Greyson"

Young adults in their 20s have shown slower uptake of COVID-19 vaccines relative to older adults, potentially endangering themselves and their communities. Despite this, little vaccine communication has specifically targeted this age group. This study explored why "20-somethings" in British Columbia (BC), Canada delayed COVID-19 vaccination, and how to better encourage their vaccine uptake.

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Background: Chiropractors and homeopaths are trusted sources of health information for many Canadians, including around vaccination. However, within Ontario, Canada, the College of Chiropractors of Ontario and the College of Homeopaths of Ontario regulations state that vaccines are not within their scope of practice and providers should not express views, treat, or advise patients with respect to vaccination. The aims of the present study were to: (1) describe the attitudes and beliefs regarding vaccination held among participating chiropractors and homeopaths; (2) identify the sources of information about vaccination they trust and use to guide their personal vaccination decisions; and (3) describe how they navigate patient requests for guidance on vaccine decision-making within the current regulatory landscape.

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Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common medical complication of pregnancy that leads to adverse outcomes for both infants and pregnant people. Early detection and treatment can mitigate these negative outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare and laboratory services, including GDM screening programs.

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Purpose: We aimed to determine the incidence of mental health diagnoses and associated health and social risk factors among perinatal people in three different COVID-19 phases.

Methods: We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study using linked administrative datasets. We included persons with live, in-hospital births in Ontario, Canada from January 1 to March 31 in 2019, 2021, or 2022 (three phases relative to COVID-19 with different public health policy measures).

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Article Synopsis
  • Legalization of cannabis has led to increased usage among pregnant and lactating women, requiring clinicians to address this topic even if they feel unprepared.
  • The study involved interviews with 75 individuals, including 23 clinicians and 52 patients, to understand their perspectives on cannabis consumption during pregnancy and lactation.
  • Both clinicians and patients desire a nonjudgmental, open dialogue about cannabis that includes information sharing, exploration of values, and informed decision-making about the benefits and risks involved.
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Background: Hesitancy about vaccination during pregnancy posed challenges to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination efforts. We aimed to examine rates of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among Ontario residents who gave birth in early 2022, and to compare rates of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine uptake with rates of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) and influenza vaccination during pregnancy in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study to describe vaccination rates among pregnant and comparable nonpregnant populations in Ontario using linked administrative data.

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Background: Rates of perinatal depression and anxiety increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced risk perception and help-seeking behaviours among pregnant and postpartum individuals.

Objectives: To explore pregnant and postpartum individuals' decision-making process about when and how to seek support for feelings of depression and/or anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Objectives: We examined the length of postpartum hospitalization for live births during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored how pandemic circumstances influenced postpartum hospital experiences.

Methods: We conducted a cross-provincial, convergent parallel mixed-methods study in Ontario (ON) and British Columbia (BC), Canada. We included birthing persons (BPs) with an in-hospital birth in ON from 1 January to 31 March 2019, 2021, and 2022 (quantitative), and BPs (≥18 years) in ON or BC from 1 May 2020 to 1 December 2021 (qualitative).

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Identifying effective interventions to promote children's vaccination acceptance is crucial for the health and wellbeing of communities. Many interventions can be implemented to increase parental awareness of the benefits of vaccination and positively influence their confidence in vaccines and vaccination services. One potential approach is using narratives as an intervention.

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Objective: Successful clinical conversations about vaccination in pregnancy (pertussis, COVID-19, and influenza) are key to improving low uptake rates of both vaccination in pregnancy and infancy. The purpose of this study was to understand Canadian perinatal care providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices around vaccination in pregnancy.

Methods: Qualitative interviews with 49 perinatal care providers (nurse practitioner, general practitioner, registered nurse, registered midwife, obstetrician-gynecologist, and family physicians) in 6 of 13 provinces and territories were deductively coded using directed content analysis [1] and analyzed according to key themes.

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This scoping review examines the role of digital solutions in active, participant-centered surveillance of adverse events following initial release of COVID-19 vaccines. The goals of this paper were to examine the existing literature surrounding digital solutions and technology used for active, participant centered, AEFI surveillance of novel COVID-19 vaccines approved by WHO. This paper also aimed to identify gaps in literature surrounding digital, active, participant centered AEFI surveillance systems and to identify and describe the core components of active, participant centered, digital surveillance systems being used for post-market AEFI surveillance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines, with a focus on the digital solutions and technology being used, the type of AEFI detected, and the populations under surveillance.

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Background: School vaccine mandates (SVMs) are population health interventions that require monitoring and communicating about vaccination of school-aged children, with an aim of controlling infectious disease outbreaks. While 43 % of World Health Organization member states report having some sort of SVM, their details vary. A newer element of some SVMs is an "education component" requiring compulsory information, education, or counseling of parents/guardians who decline to vaccinate their children for non-medical reasons.

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Objective: As part of COVID-19 pandemic control efforts, digital proof-of-vaccination credentials were launched in Canada in 2021-2022 following widespread vaccine availability. Given the controversy over proof-of-vaccination credentials-often colloquially called vaccine or immunization "passports"-it is imperative to document successes, shortcomings, and recommendations for any future uses.

Methods: This expert consultation applied inductive qualitative content analysis to online video interviews with key informants whose expertise ranged from ethics to public health to computer science to identify what we can learn from this experience with proof-of-vaccination credentials, and what decision-makers must keep in mind for possible future use of such technologies.

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Background: Multiple studies have demonstrated that pregnant and lactating people who use cannabis perceive a variety of benefits from that use, offering some explanation of why rates of use continue to increase.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore pregnant and lactating people's perceptions of the risks of cannabis use and understand what steps, if any, they take to mitigate these risks.

Design: Qualitative description.

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Studies of parents' online safety concerns typically centre on information privacy and on worries over unknown third parties preying on children, whereas investigations into youth perspectives on online safety have found young people to focus on threats to safety or reputation by known individuals. The case of youth who are themselves parents raises questions regarding how these differing perspectives are negotiated by individuals who are in dual roles as youth and parents. Using interview and ethnographic observation data from the longitudinal Young Parent Study in British Columbia, Canada, this analysis investigates social media and online safety practices of 113 young parents.

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Introduction: Pregnant people have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. They have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 infection control policies, which exacerbated conditions resulting in intimate partner violence, healthcare access, and mental health distress. This project examines the impact of accumulated individual health decisions and describes how perinatal care and health outcomes changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Background: Negative information about vaccines that spreads online may contribute to parents' vaccine hesitancy or refusal. Studies have shown that false claims about vaccines that use emotive personal narratives are more likely to be shared and engaged with on social media than factual evidence-based public health messages. The aim of this study was to explore parents' views regarding the use of positive narratives to promote childhood vaccination.

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In Canada, the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in December 2020, marking the beginning of a large vaccination campaign. The campaign was not only unprecedented in terms of reach, but also with regards to the amount of information about vaccines that circulated in traditional and social media. This study's aim was to describe COVID-19 vaccine related discourses in Canada through an analysis of editorial cartoons.

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Vaccine certificates have been implemented worldwide, aiming to promote vaccination rates and to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, their use during the COVID-19 pandemic was controversial and has been criticized for infringing upon medical autonomy and individual rights. We administered a national online survey exploring social and demographic factors predicting the degree of public approval of vaccine certificates in Canada.

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Health care providers' recommendations can play an important role in individuals' vaccination decisions. Despite being one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), naturopathy is understudied in relation to vaccination decisions. We sought to address this gap through this study of vaccination perspectives of naturopathy practitioners in the province of Quebec, Canada.

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Background: Patients increasingly use web-based evaluation tools to assess their physicians, health care teams, and overall medical experience.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the extent to which the standardized physician competencies of the CanMEDS Framework are present in web-based patient reviews (WPRs) and to identify patients' perception of important physician qualities in the context of quality cancer care.

Methods: The WPRs of all university-affiliated medical oncologists in midsized cities with medical schools in the province of Ontario (Canada) were collected.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the politicization of public health issues. A public health monitoring tool must be equipped to reveal a public health measure's political context and guide better interventions. In its current form, infoveillance tends to neglect identity and interest-based users, hence being limited in exposing how public health discourse varies by different political groups.

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People may choose to receive vaccines in response to pressures that outweigh any concerns that they have. We explored Racialized minority and Indigenous Peoples' motivations for, perceptions of choice in, and concerns about, COVID-19 vaccination. We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, including a national survey administered around the time vaccines were first authorized (Dec 2020) followed by qualitative interviews when vaccines were becoming more readily available to adults (May-June 2021).

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has generated an explosion in the amount of information shared on the internet, including false and misleading information on SARS-CoV-2 and recommended protective behaviors. Prior to the pandemic, web-based misinformation and disinformation were already identified as having an impact on people's decision to refuse or delay recommended vaccination for themselves or their children.

Objective: The overall aims of our study are to better understand the influence of web-based misinformation and disinformation on COVID-19 vaccine decisions and investigate potential solutions to reduce the impact of web-based misinformation and disinformation about vaccines.

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