The Evidence Speaks Series is a recurring feature highlighting the latest in Advancing Health research. This series features summaries of select publications and is designed to keep media and the research community up to date with the Centre’s current research results in the health outcomes field.
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Symptoms of post–COVID-19 condition lead to adverse work outcomes
Naik H, Zhu B, Er L, Sbihi H, Janjua NZ, Smith PM, Tran K, Levin A, Zhang W. Health-related adverse work outcomes associated with post COVID-19 condition: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Public Health. 2025;3(1):e001801.
Brain fog, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties are a few of symptoms of post–COVID-19 condition (PCC), however there is little research on how these symptoms can impact work outcomes. In this recent study, Advancing Health’s Drs. Wei Zhang, Adeera Levin, Karen Tran, and Naveed Janjua examined the impact of PCC on work-related outcomes among adults in BC. Among 1,106 participants, 87 per cent contracted COVID-19 while employed. This study found that 47 per cent of these participants reported having post–COVID-19 condition, and these individuals were significantly more likely to experience health-related work problems compared to those without it. People with PCC were 2.6 times more likely to face adverse work outcomes, such as changing jobs, reducing workload, or taking early retirement. They also took an average of 43 more sick days in the two years following their COVID-19 infection. Certain PCC symptoms, including fatigue, fever, weakness, heart palpitations, and brain fog, were strongly associated with these work-related issues. The researchers concluded that PCC has a substantial impact on people’s ability to work.
Diverse and accessible land use characteristics encouraged walking among people living with dementia
Nouri M, Chaudhury H. Individual and neighborhood characteristics of walking activity in people living with dementia: A proof of concept for quantitative spatial analysis. J Aging Phys Act. Published online February 27, 2025.
An important factor in creating dementia-friendly neighbourhoods is to provide outdoor walking activity which helps to maintain social participation among people living with dementia (PLWD). To better understand how individual and neighbourhood characteristics are associated with PLWD’s walking activities, Advancing Health’s Dr. Habib Chaudhury led a study utilizing GPS and geographic information system technologies. The goal was to conduct a quantitative spatial analysis and evaluate how neighborhood design affects walking habits of PLWD in Metro Vancouver. The regular walking routes of 25 PLWD were tracked and analyzed to identify factors that might influence their walking patterns. They found that PLWD tend to walk longer routes and spend more time walking when they have fewer health issues, live in areas with gentler slopes, and have easy access to green spaces and bus stops. The study also showed that neighbourhoods with a mix of different types of buildings and land uses, well-connected sidewalks, plenty of benches, and slightly curved streets encouraged more walking. These findings could help urban planners and policymakers design areas that better support physical activity and social engagement for PLWD, potentially improving their quality of life and supporting their independence.
Recreational cannabis legalization had minimal impact on mental health diagnoses
Thiessen K, Schütz C. Examining the relationship between cannabis use and mood, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms in psychiatric patients with severe concurrent mental health and substance use disorders before and after recreational cannabis legalization in Canada. Cannabis. 2025;7(3):90-105.
The relationship between cannabis use and mental health has garnered significant attention in recent decades however the majority of research has been conducted on the general population. In order to add more information to this conversation, Advancing Health’s Dr. Christian Schütz published research evaluating the cannabis use of people receiving inpatient psychiatric care for concurrent severe mental health and substance use issues. The researchers looked at how cannabis use might relate to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychosis, as well as whether Canada’s legalization of recreational cannabis influenced these relationships. They found that people who used cannabis reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms compared to non-users, but cannabis use was not linked to having an official diagnosis of a mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorder. The cannabis-using group had a higher proportion of males, tended to be younger, and used more variety of substances compared to inpatients who did not use cannabis. Interestingly, the age at which someone first used cannabis was related to their psychotic symptoms, with earlier use linked to worse outcomes. People who used cannabis pre-legalization reported higher anxiety; however, medical cannabis was available at that time to help cope with anxiety-related symptoms. The legalization of cannabis was associated with a decreased likelihood of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder diagnosis among people who used cannabis; the team did not have the data to suggest a mechanism for this finding. This study highlights the need to consider patients with both mental health and substance use disorders as a unique group when studying how cannabis use impacts mental health.
