Data profile: Expanding the research potential of the Canadian Health Measures Survey using paired respondent data

The family environment is an important influence on the health and behaviours of children. Few large-scale datasets include detailed and objectively measured health data about multiple individuals from the same family who are living in the same household. The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is a repeating, cross-sectional survey that selects two members of a household-a child and a randomly selected older member of the household aged 12 to 79 years-with at least one child aged 3 to 11 years in residence. These paired respondent records, available in the CHMS relationship files, provide unique opportunities to researchers interested in examining associations between two members of the same household for health behaviours and outcomes. This paper highlights the unique features, recommendations for use and research potential of paired data in the CHMS relationship files.