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Friday, August 06, 2010
Tattooing linked to higher risk of hepatitis C: UBC study
Youth, prison inmates and individuals with multiple tattoos that cover large parts of their bodies are at higher risk of contracting hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases, according to a University of British Columbia study. The researchers reviewed and analysed 124 studies from 30 countries, including Canada, Iran, Italy, Brazil and the United States, and found the incidence of hepatitis C after tattooing is directly linked with the number of tattoos an individual receives. The findings are published in the current issue of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. “Since tattoo instruments come in contact with blood and bodily fluids, infections may be transmitted if instruments are used on more than one person without being sterilized or without proper hygiene techniques,” says lead author Dr. Siavash Jafari, a Community Medicine Resident in the UBC School of Population and Public Health (SPPH). “Furthermore, tattoo dyes are not kept in sterile containers and may play a carrier role in transmitting infections,” says Jafari. “Clients and the general public need to be educated on the risks associated with tattooing, and tattoo artists need to discuss harms with clients.” Co-authors of the study include Assoc. Prof. Jane Buxton from SPPH and the BC Centre for Disease Control; Mahyar Etminan, a scientist with the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation at Vancouver General Hospital and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute; Dr. Ray Copes, clinical professor at SPPH and Dr. Souzan Baharlou with the Department of Urology at BC Children’s Hospital. Read the full media release on the UBC Public Affairs website.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010
School Director candidates’ presentations and vision statements now available
The four candidates for the new Director position at SPPH presented their research and vision statements for the School in July. Download Dr. Giles Paradis’ presentation, Building Public Health Capacity through Research Partnerships: the Experience of the Quebec Population Health Research Network. Download Dr. Laura Siminoff’s presentation, Advancing Health Policies through Multi-Method Research. Download Dr. Erica Frank’s presentation, Accomplishing Outside the Box: case studies in global knowledge translation. Download Dr. David Patrick’s presentation, Interdisciplinarity in Research, Service and Institutional Growth.