Environmental health

Industry and government interest in Quebec mineral development, particularly in the region targeted by the Plan Nord, is leading public health actors to study development activities and their repercussions on health. To help the public health network better understand the health repercussions of mining activities, a review of the literature has been carried out. This review…

• In Québec, like elsewhere in the world, diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans (zoonoses), which account for about 60% of diseases communicable to humans, are currently emerging. The complex dynamics of zoonoses can be affected by climate change. In response to this complexity, the Observatoire initiated a zoonosis prioritization approach in 2015 in the context of…

• Greening is taking place in cities, primarily to adapt to climate change and its effects, like heat islands. This literature review describes the impacts of green spaces on health. Some observations are also put forward for optimal green space use and design.
• Green spaces are beneficial for physical health, particularly because they provide opportunities for physical…

Second of a two-part series, this document presents the results of an ethnographic research project entitled Préoccupations, opinions, apprentissages et souhaits quant aux risques et à la gestion des risques de la population de la région de Lac-Mégantic [Concerns, opinions, lessons learned, and wishes respecting risk and risk management among the population of the Lac-Mégantic region]…

Since 2002, the number of road traffic deaths in Québec has been falling steadily, even though the number of motor vehicles on the road – automobiles, in particular – has increased considerably. Nevertheless, the use of alcohol, drugs and medications is frequently cited as a cause of road traffic accidents by public authorities, since these psychoactive substances have the potential to…

• Environmental noise, defined as noise emitted from all sources excluding those in the workplace, is pervasive and constitutes a risk to health and quality of life.

• The review of the scientific literature shows that noise is a public health issue that can have multiple consequences, both physical and psychosocial. Environmental noise can be a source of…

The objectives of the Impact de la Ventilation sur l’Air intérieur et la Respiration des Enfants asthmatiques dans les habitations (IVAIRE) project were to evaluate the impact of ventilation on indoor air quality and the frequency of respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children living in single family homes. The two-phase project was broken down into two one-year periods: the pre-intervention…

Since the 2010 summer season, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) has been producing an annual report on the impact of extreme heat waves on the health of the population, using the Fichier hebdomadaire des décès of the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ). The main purpose of this study is to verify the validity of this data source. The study also aims to measure…