Acute-care Hospitalizations and Aboriginal Identity in Canada, 2001/2002 - ARCHIVED

Health disparities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in Canada, including differences in life expectancies, have clearly been established. A variety of sources is currently used to measure and document these disparities, yet information gaps persist. Because of limited coverage and sample sizes, reliable health information that reflects the diversity in Canada's Aboriginal population is not always available. By assigning 2001 Census data for small geographical areas to hospital discharge records from the 2001/2002 Hospital Morbidity Database, this report provides estimates of morbidity serious enough to require hospitalization. Acute-care hospitalizations of people living in areas with a relatively high percentage of Aboriginal residents are compared with hospitalizations of residents of areas where the percentage of Aboriginal residents is low. Variations by predominant Aboriginal identity in these areas - First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations -are also explored. Factors that potentially underlie differences in hospitalization rates between residents of high- and low-Aboriginal areas are determined by adjusting for urban/rural residence and area socio-economic characteristics.