School of Kinesiology and Health Science
Underserved youth less likely to visit emergency department for concussion in Ontario, study finds
A new study finds socioeconomic disparities in rates of emergency department (ED) visits for concussion among children and youth.
Researchers from ICES, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Calgary found an increase in ED visits for concussion among all age groups prior to the pandemic, with the biggest increase among older children and teens (ages 10 to 19 years). However, children in the highest socioeconomic status group accounted for significantly more concussion-related ED visits than children in the lowest socioeconomic status group.
Differences in weight loss among ethnicities points to need to look at socio-economic issues, York U study suggests
A new study led by York University looking at the health data of nearly 15,000 people enrolled in a medically supervised weight-loss program found disparities among ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in how much weight they lost. Lead author, York University Faculty of Health Professor Jennifer Kuk, says the results show that the very broad ethnic categories typically examined in clinical settings may mask differences in sub-ethnic groups. Further, she says the findings suggest the need for understanding how socio-economic issues may come into play in order to better support Black, Middle Eastern, Latin and South Asian communities with their weight-loss.
Age, previous sports experience, stronger predictors of performance in children than previous concussions, York U study finds
A new study from York University’s Faculty of Health may offer reassuring news for parents whose children have a history of concussion, but want to get back to playing sports. Researchers from York University’s Faculty of Health spent more than a decade scouting fields, rinks and courts across the Greater Toronto Area for participants with a history of concussion and tested their performance on complex eye-hand coordination tasks, finding that age and previous sports experience were larger factors in cognitive-motor integration than a history of multiple concussions.
Breakthrough study discovers genetic mutation could be basis for novel treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Research led by York University’s Faculty of Health reveals how a specific mutation in a protein called TRAF1 can shut down an overactive immune response, dramatically reducing inflammation in mice. Lead researcher Ali Abdul-Sater says this discovery could pave the way for a new class of drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis.