The Prentice Post: Spotlight on the Pandemic by Prentice Institute

Volume 13 Issue 1 | January 2022

The Prentice Post Spotlight on the Pandemic: Copyright © 2022 by the Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except under academic fair use . For more information: prentice@uleth.ca First edition 2011 https://www.ulethbridge.ca/prentice-institute

Inside: Urban Waves and Rural Ripples The Age of Internetization

The Prentice Post

The Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy L-1184 (LINK Building) University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4 Phone: 403.380.1814 Fax: 403.317.2823 Email: prentice@uleth.ca Website: Prentice Institute

COVID-19 and Well-being Pandemic Trackers

Living with Disability: Pandemic Health Impacts

Director’s Message

Table of Contents 02

Director’s Message

2021 and Beyond...

Funding Opportunities

Current PIRSG and PIRAF Funding Recipients

Prentice Graduate Research Fellowship (PGRF)

Prentice Institute Summer Research Internships 2021

Prentice Institute Data and Fact Sheets

Urban Waves and Rural Ripples of COVID-19

Living with Disability: Pandemic Health Impacts

COVID-19 and Well-being Research

The Age of Internetization

COVID-19 Trackers and Data

A Structural Pandemic: Status, violence, & history

Prentice Institute 2021-22 Seminar Series

When COVID began, despite the concerns about the virulence and severity of the virus, I think many of us saw, or hoped for, a short-lived disruption to our personal, work, and financial lives. What we might not have expected was a multi-year (and ongoing) syndemic (a synergistic pandemic) that has had effects far beyond what might have been expected of an infectious disease. While individuals, families, schools, universities, governments, and employers have all adapted to the virus (and must continue to do so as the Omicron strain starts to escalate caseloads), the realities of COVID-19 lay are not just the economic inequities present within Dr. Lars K. Hallström our societies and communities, but also the related social inequities. The COVID-19 virus has clearly, and repeatedly, revealed that there are "Two categories of disease are interacting within specific populations... These conditions are clustering within social groups according to patterns of inequality deeply embedded in our societies." (Horton, Lancet, p874 September 2020) While the public and population health characteristics and dynamics of the syndemic remain critical and deeply challenging, grappling with the broader questions that this virus raises are also important, not just for policy and elected officials, but for those who work at the intersections of society, economy, and health. As our experience and knowledge grow, we continue to face challenges in terms of science communication, in terms of how to best assess, communicate, and manage risk, to understand how risk (of both virus, and interventions) are understood and accepted, and how to work within a problem set that is fundamentally complex, and therefore dynamic, even in terms of the answers that are "right" (at the time).

As a response to this challenge, and to the transition to new leadership for the Prentice Institute, it seemed apt to leverage the work of the Institute, and its Affiliates, on COVID19, but to do so in a way that steps more toward the syndemic, and less toward infectious disease. In this issue of the Prentice Post, we requested submissions broadly related to COVID-19. The result is a wide range of work from researchers who see, and assess, the ways in which the virus is pushing our societies, our economies, and our communities. As new strains emerge, as governments and decision-makers struggle to balance scientific evidence with politics, equity, and uncertainty, thinking about these issues is critical. Perhaps even more critical is opening the space for conversation between science and policy, between public and policy, and between science and public - this issue of the Prentice Post is a modest attempt to do so.

Director’s Message

Table of Contents 02

Director’s Message

2021 and Beyond...

Funding Opportunities

Current PIRSG and PIRAF Funding Recipients

Prentice Graduate Research Fellowship (PGRF)

Prentice Institute Summer Research Internships 2021

Prentice Institute Data and Fact Sheets

Urban Waves and Rural Ripples of COVID-19

Living with Disability: Pandemic Health Impacts

COVID-19 and Well-being Research

The Age of Internetization

COVID-19 Trackers and Data

A Structural Pandemic: Status, violence, & history

Prentice Institute 2021-22 Seminar Series

Prentice Post 2021

2021 and Beyond…. Welcome to the new (and still evolving) Prentice Post - a venue that is intended to feature not just the work of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy and its many affiliates in Canada and around the world, but also to provide a source of information, connections, opportunities, and engagement for the reader. For those of you familiar with the Post in the past (this is now the 11th year of publication), you will notice that there have been a number of changes, not just to graphic identity and layout, but also to the ways that we approach content and the broader purpose of this publication. This is a necessary and deliberate step and is part of a broader redesign and a re-launch of the Institute, the operationalization of its mission and mandate, the programming and supports that we offer, the ways that we engage with faculty and affiliates, and (of course) the communication and knowledge products that we create. Coming to the Institute just under a year ago (I started the Directorship on January 4th, 2021) I was struck by how many different ways Affiliates had engaged with the Institute, but also by the different perspectives, interpretations, and assumptions (including those of the staff working within the Institute itself) held in different quarters. As an inherently interdisciplinary and "big picture" Institute, this is in some ways to be expected, but having now been able to connect with many more people at the University of Lethbridge, and to gain a better understanding of the how's and why's of the Institute's founding and subsequent operations, I have come to see 2021 as a bridging or transition year. I write this for a number of reasons - not least the fact that working to "re-launch" an Institute during a global syndemic is a challenging task, ranging from how to connect with staff and affiliates, to not having access to physical files or resources, to the simple reality that for many researchers, COVID-19 has put a significant damper on data collection, analyses, travel, and collaboration (myself included). This, coupled with the additional complexities of familial and child-rearing obligations, illness within and beyond the pandemic itself, and the realities (and time) of teaching via zoom, all provide impediments to engaging with an Institute, and with a new (and largely unknown) Director! At the same time, 2021 is somehow decades away from 2019, and we all live and work in a new and changing world.

As we start to see the University population move into whatever the short-lived "new normal" is for the immediate future, I hope that this issue of the Post provides a small snapshot of what the affiliates and staff of the Institute do, and have done. Perhaps more importantly, I hope it starts to provide readers with a sense of what I hope the Institute can do, should do, and will be doing.

To be more explicit, I want to build some clarity around the founding of the Institute, the operations of the Institute as what should be a major research asset at the University of Lethbridge, and where that combination might take us into the future. The founding of the Institute in 2006 was built upon three core pillars: Population and population change, economic development and the reality of significant economic, social, health, and ecological inequities within, and across, nation-states, and the importance of water as a critical natural resource. As the work of the Institute's strategic planning has taken place, what has emerged is a clear emphasis upon a number of more specific, but still broad, areas of inquiry: Demography and an analytic counterpart in life course approaches; Social determinants of health, Planetary Health (the interdependence between human, animal and ecological health), Economic development and human capital (broadly defined to include education, training, intelligence, health and more), and lastly Water (both quality and quantity). Working within and across these pillars and areas of inquiry opens a wide array of research questions to the Institute, but governed by a broader challenge: How do we increase and improve knowledge within, and across, these areas, in a way that informs and supports public knowledge, public discourse, and public decision-making? How do we do so within a global context that is dynamic, complex, and often deeply inequitable? The Institute is, therefore, intended to be more than simply a site of excellent research and knowledge mobilization - it is my hope, and plan, that the Institute will become a major catalyst for faculty, policy-makers, AND community engagement at the University of Lethbridge, and indeed beyond. Our goal, indeed our mandate and our privilege, is to engage in the "Big Questions" that emerge under these pillars - questions of birth, life, and death. Questions of scarcity and plenty. Questions of change and stasis. Questions of adaptation and balance, rather than resolution. Questions of design and accident - of innovation and unintended consequences. Questions of how the past has shaped our present, and may, or may not, shape our future. Questions that have deeply empirical components, but also fall within what Horn and Weber (2007) termed "the social mess". Questions that link and bridge disciplines and practices across the academe, and that perhaps most importantly, link to people. Not just here in Canada or Alberta, but around the world. The Institute has undergone some significant changes in the last year - there will be more to come. I extend an invitation to all with an interest in these pillars, these questions, and these realities, to join with me, and the staff of the Prentice Institute, as we build on the remarkable gift made by John Prentice and his family to the University of Lethbridge.

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute Funding Opportunities Overview The Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy is announcing a second release of four different funding streams with the broader goals of: (1) conducting research on the changing human populations and the potential impacts on social, environmental, and economic issues; (2) seeking to understand long-term changes in human and economic environments, within an historical context, with particular attention to the role human actions play in influencing these outcomes; and (3) communicating Institute and Affiliate work to stimulate further research and to enable individuals, governments, and corporations to make better-informed decisions. Funding is available to support multiple grants in each stream, but applicants cannot hold more than one grant from any stream simultaneously.

Prentice Institute Research Seed Grant (PIRSG) Description & Objectives This funding opportunity is part of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy’s set of granting awards at the University of Lethbridge. Broadly, the mandate of the Prentice Institute is to conduct and support research focused on changing human populations and the potential impacts of these changes on social, environmental, and economic factors. The Institute also conducts and supports research on long-term changes in human and economic environments, with an emphasis on the role human actions play in influencing these outcomes. From the perspective of knowledge translation, the Institute also seeks to communicate research in effective ways to communities, governments, organizations.

Eligibility for these funding opportunities is limited to University of Lethbridge-based Affiliates of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy. Funding for “bench” science, travel, events, hosting or visiting scholars is not usually considered eligible.

Within the context of this mandate, the Prentice Institute funds research projects focused on one or more of the following areas (1) Populations, (2) Economy, (3) Ecosystems, and (4) Health. The objective of the Prentice Institute Seed Grant is to foster the development of projects across institutions and organizations focused on one or more of these core areas, and that address a clear research-related knowledge gap or need.

Application & Deadline: Due no later than 5 pm, 01 March 2022

The maximum amount per grant is $8,500 over one year.

Eligibility

Applicants should complete the proposal, with attachments, as a single-spaced, 12pt font document, and send in PDF format to prentice@uleth.ca. Please include the appropriate acronym for the funding stream you are applying for in the subject line. For questions about the application process, or to discuss the potential fit and alignment of the proposal with the mandate and operations of the Institute with the Director, please contact the Institute at prentice@uleth.ca or (403)-380-1814.

Prentice Institute Knowledge Synthesis Grant (PIKSG) Description & Objectives This funding stream will support a small number of very targeted projects using knowledge synthesis methodologies (meta-analyses, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, etc.) to: (a) assess the current state of knowledge; (b) identify gaps, bias, or opportunities; (c) identify key or consistent results, methods, or practices; and (d) inform new research activities. The grants are limited to the synthesis of subjects that are aligned with the research priorities of the Institute and may be considered a pathway to future applications to comparable programs (e.g., the SSHRC KS grants). Primary research (including data collection) and/or travel (other than a modest amount (15%) for knowledge mobilization) will NOT be supported from this fund. Priority will be given to projects that integrate equity considerations (social, economic, health or environmental) within the themes identified above. The maximum amount per grant is $10,000 over one year. 05

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute Research Affiliate Fund (PIRAF) Description & Objectives This funding opportunity is part of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy’s set of granting awards at the University of Lethbridge. Broadly, the mandate of the Prentice Institute is to conduct and support research focused on changing human populations and the potential impacts of these changes on social, environmental, and economic factors. The Institute also conducts and supports research on long-term changes in human and economic environments, with an emphasis on the role human actions play in influencing these outcomes. From the perspective of knowledge translation, the Institute also seeks to communicate research in effective ways to communities, governments, organizations. Within the context of this mandate, the Prentice Institute funds research projects focused on one or more of the following areas (1) Populations, (2) Economy, (3) Ecosystems, and (4) Health. The objective of the Prentice Institute Research Affiliate Fund is to foster the development of projects across institutions and organizations focused on one or more of these core areas, and that address a clear research-related knowledge gap or need. The maximum amount per grant is $20,000 over two years. In exceptional cases and with detailed justification, funding of up to $30,000 may be available for this round of projects only, subject to availability of funds and review. 06

Application & Deadline: Due no later than 5 pm, 01 March 2022

The maximum amount per grant is $8,500 over one year.

Eligibility

Prentice Post 2021

Current Affiliate PIRSG and PIRAF Funding Recipients The Prentice Institute Research Seed Grant (PIRSG) and the Prentice Institute Research Affiliate Fund (PIRAF) have been developed to support the research, collaboration, and knowledge mobilization/ synthesis activities of the Institute’s Affiliates.

PIRAF Recipients: Project Title: “Relationship and Spirituality in Counselling Intake Assessment During and Following COVID-19”

Research Team: Bonnie Lee, PhD, Principal Investigator, Prentice Institute

PIRSG Recipients:

Research Affiliate, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge; Chance Bell, PhD, Co-Investigator, University of Nebraska; Samuel Ofori-Dei, Co-

Project Title: “Gender and the Economics of Disaster Aid: Transnational Flows Between

Investigator, Prentice Institute Research Analyst, Postdoctoral Fellow,

Japan and the Philippines”

University of Lethbridge; Andrew Greenshaw, PhD, Co-investigator,

Principal Investigator: Dr. Glenda Bonifacio, Prentice Institute

University of Alberta

Research Affiliate, Women & Gender Studies, University of Lethbridge

Dates: February 2021 to January 2022

Dates: February 2021 to July 2022 Amount: $5,000 Project description: The study aims to achieve the following: a) determine the economic modes of participation among Filipino immigrants and migrant workers in Hiroshima,

Japan; b) identify the role of gender in transnational flows between Japan and the Philippines; c) contribute to fill the gaps in the intersections of feminist disaster studies, economics, and migration studies; and d) recommend measures for policy-making about transnational inter-civic contributions among labour migrants towards global disaster aid. Project Title: “Tracking shifting trajectories: Understanding employment status, Musculoskeletal discomfort, and total physical activity amongst active older Albertans”

Amount: $20,000 Project Description: The research aims to stimulate rethinking of policies and practices around counsellors’ training and services to support recovery from pandemic challenges. Alignment with Prentice Institute: The collaboration of 4 researchers at different career

stages, from 3 academic institutions across 2 countries further the Prentice Institute’s aims to foster synergistic international partnerships and mentoring of early-stage researchers. Project Title: “Gender Inequality, Globalization, and the Fallout of COVID-19” Principal Investigator: Pascal Ghazalian, PhD, Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, Economics, University of Lethbridge

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jon Doan, Prentice Institute

Dates: Oct 1, 2020 to Mar 31, 2022

Research Affiliate, Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of

Amount: $20,000

Lethbridge

Project Description: The first objective is to empirically analyze the effects of globalization

Dates: June 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2022

on gender inequality. The second objective is to use the empirical output to carry out an

Amount: $7,746

analysis of the expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global and geo-economic

Project description: The purpose of this research was to survey peri-retirement Albertans

patterns of gender inequality.

about their transitional employment status and lifetime work history, along with leisure and

work-related physical activity and work-related musculoskeletal discomfort.

Prentice Post 2021

PIRAF Recipients: Project Title: “Relationship and Spirituality in Counselling Intake Assessment During and Following COVID-19”

Research Team: Bonnie Lee, PhD, Principal Investigator, Prentice Institute

PIRSG Recipients:

Research Affiliate, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge; Chance Bell, PhD, Co-Investigator, University of Nebraska; Samuel Ofori-Dei, Co-

Project Title: “Gender and the Economics of Disaster Aid: Transnational Flows Between

Investigator, Prentice Institute Research Analyst, Postdoctoral Fellow,

Japan and the Philippines”

University of Lethbridge; Andrew Greenshaw, PhD, Co-investigator,

Principal Investigator: Dr. Glenda Bonifacio, Prentice Institute

University of Alberta

Research Affiliate, Women & Gender Studies, University of Lethbridge

Dates: February 2021 to January 2022

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jon Doan, Prentice Institute

Dates: Oct 1, 2020 to Mar 31, 2022

Research Affiliate, Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of

Amount: $20,000

Lethbridge

Project Description: The first objective is to empirically analyze the effects of globalization

Dates: June 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2022

on gender inequality. The second objective is to use the empirical output to carry out an

Amount: $7,746

analysis of the expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global and geo-economic

Project description: The purpose of this research was to survey peri-retirement Albertans

patterns of gender inequality.

about their transitional employment status and lifetime work history, along with leisure and

work-related physical activity and work-related musculoskeletal discomfort.

Prentice Post 2021

PIRAF Recipients (cont’d): Project Title: “Investigating how the Wellbeing & Quality of Work Life of Health Professionals relate to the Quality of Care at Selected Tertiary Health Institutions in Southwest Nigeria”

Principal Investigator: Olu Awosoga, PhD, Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge Dates: June 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2022

Prentice Graduate Research Fellowship (PGRF) The Prentice Graduate Research Fellowship is adjudicated under the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Prentice institute, with the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) of the University of Lethbridge administering the applications and granting process. This Fellowship will be an annual award going forward.

PGRF Recipients:

Amount: $20,000

Project Description: The overarching objective of this study is to assess the levels

Name

Department

Program

Start Sept.

End Aug.

Johura Begum

Economics

2018

2020

Kelsey Berg

Population Studies in Health

PhD

2018

2022

Project Title: “Gender, Migration, and Mental Health Support Needs among

Mariah Besplug

Geography

2019

2021

Immigrants to Southern Alberta”

Ophelia Bonsu

Economics

2019

2021

Principal Investigators: Peter Kellett, PhD, Prentice Institute

Sara Al-Mahbshi

Women & Gender Studies

2019

2021

Research Affiliate, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge and

Winfred Gachigi

DSB—Finance

MSc

2019

2020

Toupey Luft, PhD, Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, Health

Roya Mousavi

Geography

PhD

2020

2021

Tanzi Hoover

Neuroscience

PhD

2020

2021

Rabindra Chaulagain

Women & Gender Studies

PhD

2020

2021

Tanzi Hoover ***

Neuroscience

PhD

2021

2022

shifting gender-identity and other intersectional influences on immigrants’ social

Ulises Charles Rodriguez

Health Sciences

PhD

2021

2022

location affect their mental health and well-being; 2) to examine what resources or

Fatemeh Salehi Shahrabi

Health Sciences

PhD

2021

2022

strategies southern Alberta immigrants’ access (or choose not to access) to cope

Roya Mousavi**

Geography

PhD

2021

2022

with their mental health challenges; 3) to document what members of southern

Health Sciences

MSc

2021

2022

Alberta immigrant communities identify as their mental health support needs and

Suha Abdelkarim Qasem Damag

to communicate these to relevant stakeholders.

Rabindra Chaulagain**

Women & Gender Studies

PhD

2021

2022

Daniel Agyapong

Health Sciences

MSc

2021

2022

Abreham Mekonnen **Renewed Award

Health Sciences

PhD

2021

2022

and correlations of wellbeing, quality of work life, and quality of care of health professionals at selected tertiary health institutions in Southwest Nigeria.

Sciences, University of Lethbridge

Dates: June 1,2021 to Dec 31, 2022 Amount: $17,890 Project Description: The study has three aims: 1) to explore how

Prentice Post 2021

Principal Investigator: Olu Awosoga, PhD, Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge Dates: June 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2022

PGRF Recipients:

Amount: $20,000

Project Description: The overarching objective of this study is to assess the levels

Name

Department

Program

Start Sept.

End Aug.

Johura Begum

Economics

2018

2020

Kelsey Berg

Population Studies in Health

PhD

2018

2022

Project Title: “Gender, Migration, and Mental Health Support Needs among

Mariah Besplug

Geography

2019

2021

Immigrants to Southern Alberta”

Ophelia Bonsu

Economics

2019

2021

Principal Investigators: Peter Kellett, PhD, Prentice Institute

Sara Al-Mahbshi

Women & Gender Studies

2019

2021

Research Affiliate, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge and

Winfred Gachigi

DSB—Finance

MSc

2019

2020

Toupey Luft, PhD, Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, Health

Roya Mousavi

Geography

PhD

2020

2021

Tanzi Hoover

Neuroscience

PhD

2020

2021

Rabindra Chaulagain

Women & Gender Studies

PhD

2020

2021

Tanzi Hoover ***

Neuroscience

PhD

2021

2022

shifting gender-identity and other intersectional influences on immigrants’ social

Ulises Charles Rodriguez

Health Sciences

PhD

2021

2022

location affect their mental health and well-being; 2) to examine what resources or

Fatemeh Salehi Shahrabi

Health Sciences

PhD

2021

2022

strategies southern Alberta immigrants’ access (or choose not to access) to cope

Roya Mousavi**

Geography

PhD

2021

2022

with their mental health challenges; 3) to document what members of southern

Health Sciences

MSc

2021

2022

Alberta immigrant communities identify as their mental health support needs and

Suha Abdelkarim Qasem Damag

to communicate these to relevant stakeholders.

Rabindra Chaulagain**

Women & Gender Studies

PhD

2021

2022

Daniel Agyapong

Health Sciences

MSc

2021

2022

Abreham Mekonnen **Renewed Award

Health Sciences

PhD

2021

2022

and correlations of wellbeing, quality of work life, and quality of care of health professionals at selected tertiary health institutions in Southwest Nigeria.

Sciences, University of Lethbridge

Dates: June 1,2021 to Dec 31, 2022 Amount: $17,890 Project Description: The study has three aims: 1) to explore how

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute Summer Research Internships 2021

Prentice Institute Undergraduate Research Interns 2021

The Institute hosted three (3) summer intern students this year. The interns were immersed in various research programs and the daily activities of our Institute. Working with the Director, Post-doctorial Fellow, Research Associate, and Administrative Assistant, the interns were able to assist with numerous stages of research and producing work of their own. We look forward to many more summers working with undergraduate students.

•

Payton Grant is a fifth year New Media undergraduate student who has been working with Lars in various capacities at both the University of Alberta Augustana campus and the University of Lethbridge since the summer of 2018. Her work has included scoping the prevalence of mental health in post-secondary students, researching welcoming and inclusive rural communities, and most recently analyzing and comparing different sustainability indicator systems. This summer, she began working with the Prentice Institute through their summer internships on a variety of projects, including the assembly of several data sheets targeting key areas of focus for the Institute, as well as more broadly with administrative assistance, such as redesigning the Prentice Institute's old website.

•

Josh Pagdilao worked as a summer research intern under the supervision of Kamrul Islam, PhD, Post-doctoral Research Fellow. It was a very good experience for everyone involved. Josh has keen interest in gathering experience on empirical data analysis. During his research internship (May-August, 2021), they analyzed data from Statistics Canada's Survey on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians (ICC)-Living with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities, 2020 to examine health impacts of COVID-19 among Canadians living with disability. They also covered topics related to graphical presentation of quantitative data. It was a good opportunity for Josh to receive hands -on training on data analysis using large survey datasets. They also prepared a research note based on their work which will be published in this issue of the Prentice Post (see page 20). Josh is one of the co-authors of this work. Kamrul thinks introducing summer research internship in the Prentice Institute was a very good initiative.

•

Sara Thompson, a 5th-year undergraduate student in Kinesiology, University of Lethbridge, intern in the Prentice Institute Undergraduate Summer Internship Program 2021, May-August 2021, explored literature on the complexity of gender differences in health around the world. She worked with Adebiyi Boco, PhD, Research Associate. Her research interests include the ways and means to determine the physical and psychological barriers preventing both older adults and university-aged students from going to fitness facilities as well as continued research into Parkinson’s Disease.

We are committed to support the undergraduate population with the following programs: 1) Employment opportunities as research assistants on trustfunded projects. 2) Summer internships with the Prentice Institute. 3) Prentice Institute Undergraduate Research Scholarship for facultysupervised research.

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute Summer Research Internships 2021

Prentice Institute Undergraduate Research Interns 2021

•

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute Data and Fact Sheets As a population and economy research entity, the Prentice Institute is well positioned to provide an observatory-type function for key demographic, economic, environmental and health data. This work aligns with several related projects currently undertaken by the Institute’s Director, Dr. Lars Hallström. These projects include the ECHO Network, Environment, Community, Health Observatory (CIHR Team Grant), the Carrying Capacity (SSHRC Synthesis Grant), and the recent release of the Canadian Standards Association Rural Data Standard (Dr. Hallström chaired the Technical Committee). As a result, the Institute is currently developing a series of data and fact sheets.

“Despite the clear lead Alberta has when it comes to income in Canada, trends show Albertan income stagnating, and even declining slightly over the last half of the 2010s.”

Core housing need indicators: •

Affordability

•

Adequacy

•

Suitability

Conclusions:

Findings: 28% of female-led houses are in core housing need

Across Canada, Indigenous households are 1.4 times more likely to be in core housing need than non-Indigenous households

Trends show that Alberta has seen growth in its median incomes, but that Alberta’s growth may be less than that of less well-off provinces. Income is higher on average in Alberta’s cities than in rural areas by about $7,200 on average. 14

Prentice Post 2021

“Despite the clear lead Alberta has when it comes to income in Canada, trends show Albertan income stagnating, and even declining slightly over the last half of the 2010s.”

Core housing need indicators: •

Affordability

•

Adequacy

•

Suitability

Conclusions:

Findings: 28% of female-led houses are in core housing need

Across Canada, Indigenous households are 1.4 times more likely to be in core housing need than non-Indigenous households

Prentice Post 2021

Figure 2 highlights that 165 municipalities (51.1%) fail to meet the provincial average and 174 (53.9%) fail to meet the national average, regarding achievement of a secondary school diploma or equivalency certificate,

Trend: The Government of Alberta’s projections suggest that 1/5 residents will be seniors by 2046.

Conclusions:

The Alberta high School graduation rate declined following a significant increase in 2006. This trend is similar to what is seen in most provinces and territories. Differences in the classification and recording of “Graduation Rates” may impact the significance of this indicator. Rural communities have an average graduation rate 3.3% lower than urban counterparts.

Conclusions: Trends show that Alberta’s median age has been increasing over decades and is projected to continue to increase. A higher dependency ratio is seen in rural communities, suggesting that there is a larger discrepancy between working and non-working individuals in these municipalities.

Prentice Post 2021

Trend: The Government of Alberta’s projections suggest that 1/5 residents will be seniors by 2046.

Conclusions:

Prentice Post 2021

Urban Waves and Rural Ripples:

COVID-19 progression differed between urban and rural communities

At the provincial level, COVID-19 infection rates peaked during 4 observable waves around May 2020, December 2020, May 2021, and October 2021. However, due to the large populations in urban centres compared to rural communities, the first 3 waves were largely reflective of the COVID-19 rates in Calgary, Edmonton, and the suburbs. Many rural communities did not experience COVID-19 peaks at the same time as urban areas – rather, these graphs show how the infection rates in rural areas occurred in less predictable patterns. Most (but not all) rural communities avoided the first wave altogether, then had “ripples” of increasing and decreasing infection rates that did not align with the waves in Edmonton and Calgary.

By disaggregating the provincial COVID-19 data, we can better understand how the disease progressed in rural communities and plan pandemic response that accounts for this variability across communities. Over 70% of Alberta’s population is now vaccinated against COVID-19 with two doses. However, vaccinations are not equally distributed across the province’s population. There are major differences in how many people are vaccinated across space and demographic groups. By mapping the vaccination rate by community and age cohort, we paint a more complex picture of vaccine uptake in Alberta. These maps show the percent of the population vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the Local Geographic Area level (approximately equivalent to municipalities or counties). By disaggregating vaccine data in this way, we see exactly where and for whom vaccine coverage is lagging behind the provincial average.

“Our goal is to use up-to-date publicly available data to enable taking notice and taking action.”

Local Analysis of Alberta’s COVID-19 Pandemic Provincial-level reporting of any data, including for Infectious diseases like COVID-19, can obscure local variability and spatial patterns across the province. Given the wide range of social and environmental conditions in Alberta’s rural communities – from the grasslands to the foothills to the boreal forest – provincially aggregated data may not accurately describe local realities. Therefore, community-level data is needed to make better decisions that account for differences between urban and rural communities, and between rural communities themselves. With this in mind, our goal is to use up-to-date, publicly available COVID-19 data to enable taking notice and taking action around pandemic response.

Nick Varmey, MSc Research Associate, Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy University of Lethbridge

nicholasyarmey.weeby.com

Data: retrieved on Dec 13, 2021 from Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Alberta statistics (https://www.alberta.ca/stats/covid-19-albertastatistics.htm#data-export). 17

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Urban Waves and Rural Ripples:

COVID-19 progression differed between urban and rural communities

“Our goal is to use up-to-date publicly available data to enable taking notice and taking action.”

Nick Varmey, MSc Research Associate, Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy University of Lethbridge

nicholasyarmey.weeby.com

Data: retrieved on Dec 13, 2021 from Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Alberta statistics (https://www.alberta.ca/stats/covid-19-albertastatistics.htm#data-export). 17

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Over 12 Years

20 to 39 Years Old

Eligible Population

12 to 19 Years Old

40 to 59 Years Old

Data: retrieved on Dec 13, 2021 from Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Alberta statistics (https://www.alberta.ca/stats/covid-19alberta-statistics.htm#data-export).

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Over 12 Years

20 to 39 Years Old

Eligible Population

12 to 19 Years Old

40 to 59 Years Old

Data: retrieved on Dec 13, 2021 from Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Alberta statistics (https://www.alberta.ca/stats/covid-19alberta-statistics.htm#data-export).

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Living with Disability: Pandemic Health Impacts

60 to 74 Years Old

“Individuals living with disability are more susceptible to greater negative health impacts because of limited access to social support and difficulty in accessing health care services.”

Kamrul Islam, PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow The Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy University of Lethbridge md.islam6@uleth.ca

75+ Years Old

Data: retrieved on Dec 13, 2021 from Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Alberta statistics (https://www.alberta.ca/stats/covid-19alberta-statistics.htm#data-export).

Lars Hallström, PhD Director The Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy Professor of Political Science University of Lethbridge lars.hallstrom@uleth.ca Joshua Pagdilao, Post Diploma BSc Candidate Intern The Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy Department of Geography, Agricultural Science University of Lethbridge seinfeldjoshuap@yahoo.com

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Living with Disability: Pandemic Health Impacts

60 to 74 Years Old

“Individuals living with disability are more susceptible to greater negative health impacts because of limited access to social support and difficulty in accessing health care services.”

Kamrul Islam, PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow The Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy University of Lethbridge md.islam6@uleth.ca

75+ Years Old

Data: retrieved on Dec 13, 2021 from Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Alberta statistics (https://www.alberta.ca/stats/covid-19alberta-statistics.htm#data-export).

Health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians living with disability Introduction With more about 200 million cases and four million deaths so far (Johns Hopkins University, 2021) COVID-19 pandemic has become a global concern. Examining health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among the general populations has received extensive focus in recent studies (Kola et al., 2021; O’Connor et al., 2021). However, limited attention has been given in examining the health impacts of the pandemic among people living with disability. This study, as part of a larger study, examines three aspects of the health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians living with disability: (1) perceived physical health, (2) perceived mental health, and (3) unmet healthcare needs during the pandemic. Both for physical and mental health, we looked at perceived health since the start of the pandemic and perceived health compared to before the pandemic. Findings of this study will provide important insight for policy makers and health service providers in generating effective policies for ensuring adequate access to quality healthcare services for people living with disability.

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We calibrated multivariate logistic regression out to examine the health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among people living with disability. In the multivariate analysis, respondents’ age, sex, education, employment status before the pandemic, change in monthly household income compared with before COVID-19 pandemic, living arrangement, visible minority status, community size, and province of residence were included as control variables. We reported results that were statistically significant at 0.05 level.

Results

Physical health Figure 1 presents descriptive results related to health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among respondents by disability status. Respondents living with disability had higher percentage of reporting poor health since the start of the pandemic (60%) than those living without disability (32%). Respondents living with disability also had higher percentage of reporting worse health (57%) than those living without disability (42%). Figure 1: Physical health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians by disability

status (%) (N=8,872)

Data and Methods Data for this study came from Statistics Canada’s survey on Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians (ICC)-Living with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities, 2020. The total sample size for this study was 12,210 respondents ages 15 years and older, living in any of the ten provinces. Because of non-probabilistic nature of the ICC 2020 dataset findings of this study are only representation of the study population (Statistics Canada, 2020). The main independent variable of disability status was coded into two categories: without disability and with disability. The first outcome variable of physical health since the start of the pandemic was coded into two categories: poor (comprising poor and fair) and good (comprising good, very good and excellent). The second outcome variable of physical health compared to before the pandemic was also coded as dichotomous: worse (comprised of much worse now and somewhat worse now) and not worse (comprised of about the same, somewhat better now, and much better now). The two outcome variable related to mental health—mental health during the pandemic and mental health compared to before the pandemic—were also coded as similar to the outcome variables on physical health. Finally, unmet healthcare needs—services needed but did not received—during the pandemic was coded as dichotomous: yes and no. The unmet healthcare needs was measured based on 10 services: physiotherapy/message therapy/chiro, speech therapy, occupational therapy, counselling from psych/social worker, professional nursing care at home, support groups/ lines/addiction services, medical testing unrelated to COVID-19, medical treatments/ appointments unrelated to COVID-19, surgery, and other therapies/services.

Data source: Statistics Canada’s Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians (ICC)-Living with Long-term Conditions and

Disabilities, 2020

Multivariate findings showed that respondents living with disability experience greater negative health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic than those living without disability, even when the other important factors influencing health are taken into account. More specifically, we observed that respondents living with disability were 2.72 times more likely to experience poor health since the start of the pandemic than those living without disability. Respondents living with disability were 1.67 times more likely to report worse health than those living without disability.

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Results

status (%) (N=8,872)

Data source: Statistics Canada’s Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians (ICC)-Living with Long-term Conditions and

Disabilities, 2020

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Mental health

Conclusion

Figure 2 presents descriptive results of mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians by disability status. Respondents living with disability had higher percentage of experiencing poor mental health (65%) than those without disability (53%). Similarly, respondents living without disability also had higher percentage of having worse mental health compared to before the pandemic (63%) than those with disability (57%).

In this study, we examined three aspects of the health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians living with disability: physical health, mental health, and unmet healthcare needs. Our findings revealed greater negative health impacts of the pandemic among the individuals living with disability. Individuals living with disability are more susceptible to the greater negative health impacts because of limited access to social support and difficulty in accessing healthcare services. Their vulnerabilities are further exacerbated by the decline in income and access to recreational facilities (Emerson et al., 2021; Banks, Davey, Shakespeare, & Kuper, 2021). Future research should focus on quantifying the health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among individuals based on their number of disability related difficulties to better illuminate the impacts. Another potential extension of the study may be examining health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among people living with disability based on their number of unmet healthcare needs to better comprehend the impacts. Our findings suggests that healthcare services during the pandemic should be tailored to the needs of people living with disability.

Figure 2: Mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians by disability status (%)

References Banks, L. M., Davey, C., Shakespeare, T., & Kuper, H. (2021). Disability-inclusive responses to COVID19: Lessons learnt from research on social protection in low- and middle-income countries. World Development, 137, 105178. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105178 Data source: Statistics Canada’s Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians (ICC)-Living with Long-term Conditions and

Disabilities, 2020

Multivariate findings revealed that respondents living with disability also experience greater negative impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health, even after adjusting for the relevant factors that influence mental health. More specifically, respondents living with disability were 1.51 times more likely to experience poor mental health during the pandemic than those living without disability. Similarly, respondents living with disability were 1.26 times more likely to report worse mental health compared to before the pandemic than those living without disability.

Unmet healthcare needs Regarding access to healthcare services, 84% of the respondents living with disability reported having unmet healthcare needs during the pandemic compared to 73% of those living without disability. Applying multivariate regression, we noticed that respondents living with disability were 1.94 times more likely to report having unmet healthcare needs during the pandemic than those without disability even after adjusting for the other factors that influence unmet healthcare needs. 27

Emerson, E., Stancliffe, R., Hatton, C., Llewellyn, G., King, T., Totsika, V., Aitken, Z., & Kavanagh, A. (2021). The impact of disability on employment and financial security following the outbreak of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdaa270. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa270 Johns Hopkins University. (2021). COVID-19 Map – Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Centre. Electronic resource available at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html [Date Accessed: July 30, 2021] Kola, L., Kohrt, B. A., Hanlon, C., Naslund, J. A., Sikander, S., Balaji, M., . . . Gonsalves, P. (2021). COVID -19 mental health impact and responses in low-income and middle-income countries: reimagining global mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry. O'Connor, R. C., Wetherall, K., Cleare, S., McClelland, H., Melson, A. J., Niedzwiedz, C. L., . . . Scowcroft, E. (2021). Mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal analyses of adults in the UK COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 218(6), 326-333. Statistics Canada. (2020). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians-Living with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities, 2020

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Mental health

Conclusion

Figure 2: Mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic among Canadians by disability status (%)

Disabilities, 2020

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COVID-19 and Well-being Research Dr. Cheryl Currie, Prentice Institute Research Associate, is conducting research that is instrumental to our understanding of how the current pandemic is affecting our well-being. She has actively sharing her findings in numerous ways, including: media interviews, conference participation, projects, studies, and article publication. In the News “Albertans turning to alcohol, cannabis as they deal with symptoms of PTSD throughout prolonged pandemic” UNews, University of Lethbridge, can be viewed here. “New study: Albertans turning to alcohol and cannabis to cope with pandemic related PTSD” CTV News, Calgary, can be found here. “Southern Albertans dealing with ‘mental toll’ as COVID-19 continues” Global News, can be viewed here. “U of L study shows Albertans turning to alcohol and cannabis more through pandemic” Chat News Today, can be viewed here.

Conference “Adverse childhood experiences are associated with increased gambling frequency among Alberta adults during the COVID-19 pandemic“ by, Maegan Trottier, James Sanders, Cheryl Currie, University of Lethbridge. Published by: Alberta Gambling Research Institute Annual Meeting, April 2021. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased addictive behaviour worldwide. The purpose of this study was to assess whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) influenced changes in adult gambling frequency during the pandemic. Methods: In August 2020 an online survey was completed by Albertan adults who gambled in the past year (N = 1,274, M age 35.2 years, 56% female). The 10-item ACEQuestionnaire was used, and participants indicated whether gambling frequency had increased, decreased, or remained stable since the pandemic began in March 2020. Logistic regression models and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) assessed the impact of ACEs on gambling frequency changes adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, and income. Cheryl Currie, PhD Associate Professor of Public Health Head, Social Epidemiology in Action Laboratory Chair, Graduate Public Health Program Faculty of Health Sciences University of Lethbridge cheryl.currie@uleth.ca 29

University of Calgary, Alberta Gambling Research Institute

Results: Half the sample (49%) reported no change in gambling, while 11% had increased and 40% decreased their gambling. Every 1-point increase in ACE score was associated with 21% higher odds of increased gambling during the pandemic (95% CI 1.1, 1.3). Those with ≥4 ACEs were 2.5 times more likely to have increased their gambling than those with <4 ACEs (95% CI 1.7, 3.8). Associations between ACEs and decreased gambling were not significant. Conclusion: Childhood trauma was associated with a significant increase in adult gambling frequency during the pandemic.

Project “Covid-19, mental health, and health behaviour change “ by, Cheryl L Currie, Maegan Trottier, and Mahala Morris, University of Lethbridge. To view this project, please visit the project page at ResearchGate. Goal: As outlined by the Secretary General of the United Nations, the mental health and well-being of societies have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and a priority that must be urgently addressed. There is also a need for programs that assist adults in making lifestyle changes to strengthen their health in preparation for possible COVID-19 infection. Thus, my lab has begun a project to help address this need. Our project is rolling out in three phases.

Phase 1, which was completed in early June 2020 was a cross-sectional study that examined the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health and substance use among 1000 adults. (cont’d) 30

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University of Calgary, Alberta Gambling Research Institute

Phase 1, which was completed in early June 2020 was a cross-sectional study that examined the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health and substance use among 1000 adults. (cont’d) 30

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Project (cont’d) Phase 2, currently underway, is a systematic review that will contribute to the COVID-19 global response by summarizing the evidence for online counselling support programs that can be delivered to populations in a group format, and thus in a cost-effective way without losing the element of therapist interaction, which often plays such an important role in online treatment success.

In Phase 3, we will launch an intervention identified in our systematic review and examine its impacts on COVID-19 related mental health and substance misuse among adults.

Study “Finding Wellness in the Pandemic” U.S. National Library of Medicine. Sponsor: University of Lethbridge, Dr. Cheryl Currie.

Results: The majority of adults (56.2%) reported past-month discrimination including 26.7% who attributed it to their race. Asian adults reported more racial discrimination and discrimination due to people believing they had COVID-19 than other visible minorities. Racial discrimination during the pandemic was strongly associated with increased substance use (OR: 4.0, 95% CI 1.2, 13.4) and decreased sleep (OR: 7.0, 95% CI 2.7, 18.4), and weakly associated with decreased exercise (OR: 2.2, 95% CI 1.1, 4.5). Non-racial discrimination was strongly associated with decreased sleep (OR: 4.8, 95% CI 1.8, 12.5). Conclusion: Racial discrimination may have a particularly important effect on intensifying adverse health behavior changes among racialized adults during a time of global crisis.

View the Study Record Detail on

Article

Brief Summary: There is an immediate need for population-level intervention research to address the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its containment measures on mental health and substance use (MHSU). While online programs are available to address these issues, they are often delivered in an asynchronous format with relatively low therapist or health coaching guidance. As highlighted by a recent systematic review, positive outcomes for online mental health programs are tied to the intensity of therapist or coaching guidance, which increases cost and reduces population access to more effective online options. A way to offset cost while maintaining effectiveness is to offer MHSU programs to groups online, rather than individually. In 2019, the investigators launched an RCT to test gender-stratified group interventions to address MHSU among community-based Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults in southern Alberta. The investigators implemented the interventions with more than 200 adults before the study was paused due to COVID-19.

“Adult PTSD symptoms and substance use during Wave 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic” by Cheryl L. Currie, University of Lethbridge

Article “The Impact of Racial and Non-racial Discrimination on Health Behavior Change Among Visible Minority Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic” by, Erin K. Higa, Cheryl L. Currie, M. Lauren Voss, University of Lethbridge.

Published in: Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. DOI: 10.1007/s40615021-01189-z Introduction: Pre-pandemic health behavior has been put forward as a reason for excess COVID-19 infection and death in some racialized groups. At the same time, scholars have labeled racism the other pandemic and argued for its role in the adverse COVID-19 outcomes observed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of discrimination on health behavior change among racialized adults in the early stages of the pandemic.

Published in: Addictive Behaviors Reports, Volume 13, June 2021, 100341. Introduction: This study examined associations between pandemic-related PTSD symptoms and substance use among adults, the role of gender and socioeconomic status in these outcomes, and the supports that adults needed to address these problems during Wave 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada. Results: More women (19%) than men (13%) met criteria for high pandemic-related PTSD symptomology, while a similar percentage (13.4% of women, 13.2% of men) reported significant increases in substance use during the pandemic. Adults 18–35 years; those who believed they would become infected with the virus; and those with low income, education, or pandemic-related job loss were more likely to report PTSD symptoms. High pandemicrelated PTSD symptomology was associated with a significant substance use increase among both women (OR = 2.2) and men (OR = 2.3) in adjusted models. Many adults (50% of women, 40% of men) reported they needed help to address these problems. Conclusions: Pandemic-related PTSD symptoms were common among adults during Wave 1 of COVID-19. These symptoms were associated with a significant increase in substance use among women and men. Many adults voiced a need for help with these problems. Findings suggest substance use interventions that consider and address pandemic-related PTSD symptoms may be needed.

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In Phase 3, we will launch an intervention identified in our systematic review and examine its impacts on COVID-19 related mental health and substance misuse among adults.

Study “Finding Wellness in the Pandemic” U.S. National Library of Medicine. Sponsor: University of Lethbridge, Dr. Cheryl Currie.

View the Study Record Detail on

Article

“Adult PTSD symptoms and substance use during Wave 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic” by Cheryl L. Currie, University of Lethbridge

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of discrimination on health behavior change among racialized adults in the early stages of the pandemic.

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The Age of Internetization “There is no denying that we are living through a period of sustained crises. In the Chinese language, the word for crisis is composed of two characters. One denotes danger and the other opportunity. This is the spirit that should define our pathway to the future. Even during a crisis there are always opportunities to build a better future.” INTRODUCTION

The 21st century has transformed our modus vivendi in a profound and indelible manner. The new global landscape has become a catalyst for geopolitical symbiosis, economic integration, trade liberalization, technological change, environmental awareness, and financial interconnectedness. Four interactive forces define our contemporary existence. They are internetization, trade liberalization, climate change, and the information technology and communications revolution. Internetization has melted national borders and redefined global outreach. Free trade has enhanced global economic integration and extended the economic architecture. Climate change has forced humanity to come to grips with the need for sustainable development. The Information Technology (IT) Revolution has made the constraints of geography and time irrelevant. All these pillars are driven by a virtually borderless world with a tremendous capacity for electronic connectivity. Internetization is a new word and concept that I have coined to describe the electronic empowerment of the new global order of the 21st century. My operational definition of internetization consists of global outreach and electronic connectivity. The birth of the concept of internetization is associated with a moment of intellectual serendipity. It was coined to replace the word globalization which has become an anachronism. There is nothing new about the concept of globalization. In fact, the practice of globalization has been a permanent fixture in humanity’s journey since time immemorial. World history reveals that global linkages between countries and societies have existed through trade, military conquest, colonization, and cultural outreach for a very long time. Globalization is a throwback to a previous age prior to electronic connectivity and with more limited means of information accessibility and rapid communication. Indeed, the word globalization has passed its best before date.

Constantine E. Passaris, PhD

Professor of Economics, Dobbin Scholar (Ireland) & Onassis Foundation Fellow (Greece) Department of Economics University of New Brunswick passaris@unb.ca

INTERNETIZATION ASCENDING The new word internetization, was constructed from the foundational role of the Internet that serves as a catalyst for empowering global connectivity. Internetization is globalization on steroids. It captures the pervasive influence of technological change and electronic innovations in the new global economy and all aspects of human endeavour for civil society in the 21st century. In short, internetization is a more appropriate and improved descriptor for the contemporary transformational change precipitated by the spectacular technological innovations of our time. Internetization extends the process of digitalization to include electronic connectivity and global outreach. There is no denying that internetization has enhanced the quality of our lives and made our daily tasks easier and quicker. Internetization is a marriage of opportunity between globalization and digitalization. It embraces the global outreach of globalization and enhances it with the electronic capacity of digitalization. The electronic prefix that is appearing before an increasing number of our daily interactions such as e-commerce, e-mail, e-learning, e-shopping, e-banking, e-democracy, and e-government is a tangible expression of internetization in action. In consequence, internetization is the process that is empowered by technological innovations in a borderless world with a tremendous capacity for virtual connectivity. Internetization underlines the empowerment of the IT Revolution on civil society and the new global economy of the 21st century. In short, the Age of Internetization has triggered transformational change and precipitated the spectacular contemporary technological innovations. ASSESSING COVID-19 COVID-19 was the most cataclysmic medical, social, and economic event of our collective lifetimes. It permeated shock and awe around the world. Indeed, the global pandemic will be recorded as one of humanity’s most devastating medical exigencies with 197 million infections and 4.2 million deaths and counting.

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Constantine E. Passaris, PhD

Professor of Economics, Dobbin Scholar (Ireland) & Onassis Foundation Fellow (Greece) Department of Economics University of New Brunswick passaris@unb.ca

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The economic impact of COVID-19 was catastrophic on the national economies of most countries and triggered negative economic growth and massive unemployment. It impacted the economic profile of governments, communities, organizations, businesses, individuals, and families. The magnitude of the economic disruption because of COVID-19 is comparable to that of the Great Depression of the 1930’s and has surpassed that of the Great Recession of the 21st century.

It took a devastating pandemic for us to realize how dependent we have become on internetization. Computers and electronic connectivity have become an essential and necessary enabler of our contemporary existence. The Age of Internetization has empowered us to transport our office to our residence, conduct our children’s schooling at home, shop online, watch our favourite sports teams virtually, and seek our entertainment through the auspices of the Internet. All of this confirms the importance of internetization in the context of the new global order of the 21st century. DIGITAL DIVIDE The Age of Internetization has revealed a novel form of economic disparity between developed and developing countries. The digital divide is the modern expression of the marginalization of developing countries from the electronic empowerment and economic benefits of the IT Revolution. It signals a significant impediment and a perpetuation of the vicious cycle of underdevelopment for developing countries. COVID-19 also proved to be a stress test for the world-wide education system. It revealed that the digital divide had become not only an economic but also an educational barrier for developing countries. Most countries around the world temporarily closed their educational institutions to contain the spread of COVID-19. More than one billion students were affected world-wide. In consequence, students were forced to stay at home and educational institutions defaulted to teaching and learning moving online. Internetization emerged as the effective platform for transforming school and university-based pedagogy to online learning. During the coronavirus pandemic one of the more glaring disparities between developed and developing countries was reflected in the delivery of education. Developed countries were able to initiate a seamless transition to online delivery methods for their curriculum. On the other hand, developing countries had no operational alternative but to shut down their schools and universities until further notice because they did not have the capacity of defaulting to online education.

GLOBAL ASYMMETRY The economic impact of COVID-19 has been uneven and asymmetric. It has revealed the economic and social fault lines and inequalities within and between countries. The economic impact of COVID-19 is best understood by a global comparison between developed and developing countries. Most developing countries have been disproportionately affected. Their GDP has shrunk and poverty has increased. The social safety net that kicked in for developed countries was nonexistent for developing countries. Only developed countries were able to rely on the security of a well-oiled machinery of economic governance, a national financial support system to assist their citizens and businesses, and a robust health care system. These were luxuries that were not available to the citizens of the developing world who number more than 6.5 billion people or 85 % of the world’s population. Government lockdowns and stay at home directives stalled the economies of the developed countries but they brought the economies of developing countries to a standstill. Internetization emerged as the saviour of the economic landscape for developed countries as the work force defaulted to working from home through the services of the Internet. That was not an option for the millions of rice planters, rickshaw pullers, and street vendors in developing countries.

FUTURE HORIZONS The first three decades of the 21st century are best described as our saeculum horrible (horrible century). The reason being that they have recorded a cataclysmic trifecta. Starting with the global financial crisis of 2008 which adversely affected our financial institutions. This was followed by the protracted Great Recession which triggered unprecedented levels of unemployment. In the third decade, COVID-19 created a tsunami of economic devastation and a medical catastrophe. There is no denying that we are living through a period of sustained crises. In the Chinese language, the word for crisis is composed of two characters. One denotes danger and the other opportunity. This is the spirit that should define our pathway to the future. Even during a crisis there are always opportunities to build a better future. The ascendance of internetization is reshaping our future. In essence, our future will be defined by an accelerated speed of constant change. We will witness significant disruptions in the form of industrialization, automation, robotics, internetization, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things. The paradigm for the wealth of nations will no longer be confined by the resources under our feet but unleashed by the brainpower between our ears.

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In my opinion, there are three axioms for ensuring success after this global pandemic has ended. First, we must embrace internetization as our ally in the service of humanity. Second, we should construct a new economic development model that has internetization as its core enabler and has the capacity to eliminate the digital divide and close the gap of economic disparity between developed and developing countries. Third, launch a new era of collaborative multilateralism that will resolve in a purposeful manner our contemporary economic, social, and environmental hot button issues. In effect, the contemporary challenges facing humanity require our concerted efforts to develop a new formula for tripolar transformational change that integrates an economic, social, and environmental dimension. REFERENCES

Passaris, Constantine. (2019). "The Economics of Internetization", ed. M. KhosvowPour, Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in Network Architecture, Mobile Computing, and Data Analytics, Hershey (USA): IGI Global, pp. 1714-1729.

CHI’s COVID-19 Data Tracker “Emergency responses surrounding COVID-19 have moved rapidly. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30th, 2020 and subsequently followed with a pandemic declaration on March 11th. The Centre for Health Informatics (CHI), under the direction of the University of Calgary’s (UofC) COVID-19 Task Force, is supporting the following initiative. The Centre for Health Informatics is working collaboratively with the province of Alberta and the City of Calgary in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Alberta Health (AH) to create a data visualization dashboard with up-to-date information tracking the progression of the COVID-19 across the province and the country at large. A special thanks to COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group, Alberta Health Services, and John Hopkins University, for their data contributions.” ~ Cumming School of Medicine, Centre for Health Informatics, University of Calgary

Passaris, Constantine. (2020). “Economic Governance in the Aftermath of the Great Recession”, eds. A. Hermann & M.A. Madi, The 2008 Crisis Ten Years On: in Retrospect, Context and Prospect, pp.345-374. Passaris, Constantine. (2021) “The Moral Dilemma and Asymmetric Economic Impact of COVID-19”, Real World Economics Review, 95, pp. 62-70.

Passaris, Constantine. (2021) “Empowering Democracy Through Internetization”, HAPSc Journal Policy Briefs Series, 1(2), pp. 59-66.

Professor Constantine Passaris presented “The Age of Internetization” online in March 2021.

Data Integrated COVID-19 Tracking System for Decision-Making and Public Use “The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) at the University of Calgary has quickly responded to this pandemic, by prioritizing and accelerating research to develop countermeasures needed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. CSM turned to the experts at the Centre for Health Informatics (CHI) to spearhead the development of a surveillance tool. Our experts at CHI (data scientists, academics, clinicians statisticians, epidemiologists, and visualization specialists) teamed up and developed an interactive and comprehensible dashboard. We want to help all Albertans and Canadians stay informed on the current COVID19 situation, with the best data that is available.” ~ Centre for Health Informatics (CHI)

Access the CHI Tracker and Data here.

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Passaris, Constantine. (2021) “Empowering Democracy Through Internetization”, HAPSc Journal Policy Briefs Series, 1(2), pp. 59-66.

Professor Constantine Passaris presented “The Age of Internetization” online in March 2021.

Access the CHI Tracker and Data here.

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Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker “Governments are taking a wide range of measures in response to the COVID19 outbreak. This tool aims to track and compare policy responses around the world, rigorously and consistently. “ ~ Blavitnik School of Government

About the project “The Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) collects systematic information on policy measures that governments have taken to tackle COVID-19. The different policy responses are tracked since 1 January 2020, cover more than 180 countries and are coded into 23 indicators, such as school closures, travel restrictions, vaccination policy. These policies are recorded on a scale to reflect the extent of government action, and scores are aggregated into a suite of policy indices. The data can help decision-makers and citizens understand governmental responses in a consistent way, aiding efforts to fight the pandemic. Our core working paper (BSG-WP-2020/032) provides more information on methodology and data collection.” ~ Credit for media use (CC BY License): Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

Access tracker here.

Blavatnik School Working Paper “Variation in the Canadian Provincial and Territorial Responses to COVID-19” Emily Cameron-Blake, Charles Breton, Paisley Sim, Helen Tatlow, Thomas Hale, Andrew Wood, Jonathan Smith, Julia Sawatsky, Zachary Parsons, Katherine Tyson (2021). “Variation in the Canadian Provincial and Territorial responses to COVID-19”. Blavatnik School of Government Working Paper. Available: www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/ Abstract: Canadian provinces and territories took highly divergent approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic...the benefits of federalism have been unevenly leveraged, a lack of coordination in planning and communication between the provinces and territories is an area of opportunity for improved future pandemic planning.

Access working paper here. 39

COVID-19 Data Resources Government of Canada Interactive data visualizations of COVID-19 “Interactive data map of COVID-19 cases across Canada. Shows number of cases, tests, and deaths over time for province and territories.”

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update COVID-19 daily epidemiology update “Epidemiological update of COVID-19 cases across Canada. Shows number and rate of active, recovered, and total cases, tests, and deaths over time for province and territories and health regions.”

COVID-19 vaccination in Canada: Vaccines administered “Daily interactive data map of COVID-19 vaccines administered in Canada.”

COVID-19 vaccination in Canada: Vaccination Coverage “Weekly report of COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada.”

Demographics “Chart showing the age and sex of COVID-19 cases in Canada.”

Reported side effects following COVID-19 vaccination in Canada “Weekly report of information about any adverse events following immunization (AEFI) that individuals have reported after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in Canada. These adverse events are not necessarily related to the vaccine.” 40

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Access tracker here.

Access working paper here. 39

COVID-19 vaccination in Canada: Vaccines administered “Daily interactive data map of COVID-19 vaccines administered in Canada.”

COVID-19 vaccination in Canada: Vaccination Coverage “Weekly report of COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada.”

Demographics “Chart showing the age and sex of COVID-19 cases in Canada.”

Prentice Post 2021

Statistics Canada StatsCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada

“A Structural Pandemic: On Statues, Colonial Violence, and the Importance of History” Parts I, II, and III A blog by: Kristine Alexander & Mary Jane Logan

“A series of articles on various subjects which explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic landscape. New articles will be released periodically.”

COVID-19 in Canada: A One-year Update on Social and Economic Impacts COVID-19 in Canada: A One-year Update on Social and Economic Impacts “This dashboard presents selected data that are relevant for monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on economic activity in Canada. It includes data on a range of monthly indicators—real GDP, consumer prices, employment, merchandise exports and imports, retail sales, hours worked and manufacturing sales—as well as monthly data on aircraft movements, railway carloadings, and travel between Canada and other countries.”

Coronavirus: Key indicators

CDC (USA) Data & Surveillance: COVID-19

“2020 has been intense. Living in lockdown, uncertain about the future, watching the body count from Covid-19 and police violence continue to rise. Time, shaped by anger, grief, and fear, moves differently, as the pandemic – like other disease outbreaks before it – exposes and deepens socioeconomic divisions and inequalities. Despite the best efforts of conservative politicians and social commentators, it is no longer possible to deny or ignore the fact that racist violence and dispossession are at the core of national histories and still shape social relations and institutions in the twenty-first century.” ~Kristine Alexander & Mary Jane McCallum Background Picture: Guides and Scouts at Old Sun School, Alberta, Ca. 1930 Credit: Archives of the Girl Guides of Canada, APH2374

To read these blog posts, published online at Active History: History Matters, go here for Part I, here for Part II, and here for Part III.

Kristine Alexander, PhD

Research Affiliate, Prentice Institute Associate Professor of History Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Child and Youth Studies Director, Institute for Child and Youth Studies, University of Lethbridge.

Mary Jane Logan McCallum, PhD

Professor of History, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People History and Archives University of Winnipeg 41

Prentice Post 2021

Statistics Canada StatsCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada

“A Structural Pandemic: On Statues, Colonial Violence, and the Importance of History” Parts I, II, and III A blog by: Kristine Alexander & Mary Jane Logan

“A series of articles on various subjects which explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic landscape. New articles will be released periodically.”

Coronavirus: Key indicators

CDC (USA) Data & Surveillance: COVID-19

To read these blog posts, published online at Active History: History Matters, go here for Part I, here for Part II, and here for Part III.

Kristine Alexander, PhD

Mary Jane Logan McCallum, PhD

Professor of History, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People History and Archives University of Winnipeg 41

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute 2021-22 Seminar Series SEP 29 OCT 20

NOV 17 NOV 24 DEC 08 JAN 20 FEB 10

MAR 18 MAR 24 APR 07 43

Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Eric Miller, MES, BA, BSc

Our Seminar Series is presented via zoom. Visit the Prentice Institute website for presentation details.

Director, York University Ecological Footprint Initiative

Data for Decisions in Public Policy, Sustainability, and Health Stacey Haugen, MA, Prentice Institute, “Carrying Capacity Surveillance:…” Nicholas Yarmey, MSc, Prentice Institute, “ECHO Screen:…” Paul Steenhof, PhD, Project Manager, CSA Group, “Indicators for Rural Communities…” Eric Miller, Director, York University Ecological Footprint Initiative (Discussant)

Previous Seminar Presentations: Fall 2021

5 Steps to Conducting a Knowledge Synthesis Project Cheryl Currie, PhD Associate Professor, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge

How Can We Manage a Just Transition? Tamara Krawchenko, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria

Familial Dynamics, Mental Health, and Continuing Care Katie Aubrecht, PhD

Assistant Professor, Sociology, Canada Research Chair in Health Equity and Social Justice, St. Francis Zavier University

Demography of Human Capital Formation & Sustainable Devt. Wolfgang Lutz, PhD

Founding Director, Wittgenstein Centre for Demography & Global Human Cap.

An Ecological Study of Religion and COVID-19 Mortality Adebiyi Boco, PhD Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Lethbridge

Dreams of Finparpea: The Rise and Fall of Finlay Forks, 1912-1968 Daniel Sims, PhD Associate Professor, Chair, First Nations Studies, University of Northern B.C.

Canadian Immigrants’ Mental Health Status Across the Life Course Peter Kellett, PhD, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences, U of L Md. Kamrul Islam, PhD., Post-doctoral Fellow, The Prentice Institute, U of L

When the Carer Needs Care; Cry from a Developing Nation

Olu Awosoga, PhD, Associate Professor, Health Sciences, U of L Adesola Odole, PhD, Associate Professor, Clinical Sciences, University of Ilbadan

For more information contact Prentice Institute

Prentice Post 2021

Prentice Institute 2021-22 Seminar Series SEP 29 OCT 20

NOV 17 NOV 24 DEC 08 JAN 20 FEB 10

MAR 18 MAR 24 APR 07 43

Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Eric Miller, MES, BA, BSc

Our Seminar Series is presented via zoom. Visit the Prentice Institute website for presentation details.

Director, York University Ecological Footprint Initiative

Previous Seminar Presentations: Fall 2021

5 Steps to Conducting a Knowledge Synthesis Project Cheryl Currie, PhD Associate Professor, Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge

How Can We Manage a Just Transition? Tamara Krawchenko, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria

Familial Dynamics, Mental Health, and Continuing Care Katie Aubrecht, PhD

Assistant Professor, Sociology, Canada Research Chair in Health Equity and Social Justice, St. Francis Zavier University

Demography of Human Capital Formation & Sustainable Devt. Wolfgang Lutz, PhD

Founding Director, Wittgenstein Centre for Demography & Global Human Cap.

An Ecological Study of Religion and COVID-19 Mortality Adebiyi Boco, PhD Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Lethbridge

Dreams of Finparpea: The Rise and Fall of Finlay Forks, 1912-1968 Daniel Sims, PhD Associate Professor, Chair, First Nations Studies, University of Northern B.C.

When the Carer Needs Care; Cry from a Developing Nation

Olu Awosoga, PhD, Associate Professor, Health Sciences, U of L Adesola Odole, PhD, Associate Professor, Clinical Sciences, University of Ilbadan

For more information contact Prentice Institute

Volume 13 Issue 1 | January 2022

Inside: Urban Waves and Rural Ripples The Age of Internetization

The Prentice Post

COVID-19 and Well-being Pandemic Trackers

Living with Disability: Pandemic Health Impacts