The use of population health and health promotion research by health regions in Canada.

This study examined the use of population health and health promotion (PH&HP) research by health regions in Canada. An 11-item survey was faxed to 137 (of 140) health regions. Eighty-three completed questionnaires were returned (60.8%). Results indicate that while research, in general, plays more than a moderate role in the majority of participating health regions, PH&HP research is not used frequently. The most frequent uses of PH&HP research include the development of health goals and objectives, the development of programs and services, and resource allocation. Health regions most frequently obtain PH&HP research from their own staff and from government departments. University-based researchers are not a commonly used source. This study provides a descriptive overview of health regions' engagement in evidence-based decision making related to PH&HP issues, and points to a number of strategies that both health regions and researchers can employ to enhance the use of PH&HP research by health regions.

Community pharmacists' participation in health education and disease prevention activities.

Community pharmacists are faced with many opportunities to participate in health education and disease prevention activities. This study sought to determine the extent to which community pharmacists in British Columbia participate in such activities. A mail questionnaire was distributed to a systematic, stratified sample of 625 community pharmacists in B.C. (response rate = 83.6%). A five-point Likert-type scale was used to examine the frequencies of pharmacist involvement in 33 different health education/disease prevention activities. Results of the study indicate that pharmacists most frequently participate in health education/disease-preventing activities directly related to the dispensing or selling of medications. Activities exhibiting the lowest participation among pharmacists included speaking to community groups on health-related matters, participating in disease screening programs, querying clients on their level of occupational stress, counselling clients on AIDS prevention, and querying clients on their smoking status.