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As the final days of MHST631 are upon me, I can look back and realize that despite having a fairly solid understanding of health promotion before this course began, I have learned many things these last 13 weeks. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to use course assignments as a means to delve deeply into health …

During the pandemic, I heard from more than one person that they were considering using Ivermectin to improve outcomes of having COVID-19 infection. In fact, upon review of the literature, it does seem that in some smaller initial studies, Ivermectin did show some promise as a novel treatment for COVID-19 (Ahmed et al, 2021). Those …

Lack of comprehensive sexual health education and its impacts in Ontario As a health care provider who works within the realm of sexual health, I would like to dig into the current state of sexual health education in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education and discuss those impacts. I would also like to look at the …

In November of 1986, the Ottawa Charter was developed, a deliverable from the first ever International Conference on Health Promotion. This event occurred in Ottawa, Ontario and was coordinated by the World Health Organization. The Ottawa Charter has played an important role in shaping the way in which health promotion is understood across the world. …

Progress is defined by Merriam Webster as ‘a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal)’. In reflecting on my #MHST601 learning journey, I feel that I have achieved progress. This is my first foray into graduate studies, and it is taking place many years after my undergraduate studies. To say …

Sexually transmitted infections: The social problem from a social ecological perspective. The Social Ecological Model is a multilevel health model that clearly depicts how different factors at different levels of influence can impact ones health. I find this to be an easy to understand model and appreciate the many visual representations of it that can …

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the social and economic factors that influence people’s health status. The number of SDOH’s vary depending on the list you are looking at, but all are things that can positively or negatively affect one’s health and health outcomes. For the purpose of this blogpost I will use the list …

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in 1948 as “as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmary”. Although this is sufficient, it does not unpack adequately the consideration of the social determinants of health (SDOH). SDOH are health in the broader sense – …

Social media has changed the landscape of how we learn and interact with others. It has provided some wonderful enhancements to our society, but also has created some worrisome problems. Folks who previously would have difficulty sharing their messages can now do so with ease which has allowed for fundraising efforts, sharing of heartfelt stories …