Acute-care hospitalizations among First Nations people, Inuit and Métis: Results from the 2006 and 2011 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts

The objective of this study was to describe sex-specific hospitalization rates among Indigenous people in Canada (excluding Quebec), separately for First Nations people living on and off reserve, Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat (excluding Nunavik), Métis, and the non-Indigenous population. The 2006 and 2011 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts (CanCHECs) were used, allowing hospital records to be examined by Indigenous identity as reported on the census. The following research questions were addressed: (1) How do leading causes of hospitalization and rates from the 2006 cohort compare with those from the 2011 cohort? (2) How do leading causes of hospitalization and rates differ for females and males and by Indigenous group? (3) What are the largest disparities in hospitalization rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous females and males?