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Description:

In analysis of sample survey data, degrees-of-freedom quantities are often used to assess the stability of design-based variance estimators. For example, these degrees-of-freedom values are used in construction of confidence intervals based on t distribution approximations; and of related t tests. In addition, a small degrees-of-freedom term provides a qualitative indication of the possible limitations of a given variance estimator in a specific application. Degrees-of-freedom calculations sometimes are based on forms of the Satterthwaite approximation. These Satterthwaite-based calculations depend primarily on the relative magnitudes of stratum-level variances. However, for designs involving a small number of primary units selected per stratum, standard stratum-level variance estimators provide limited information on the true stratum variances. For such cases, customary Satterthwaite-based calculations can be problematic, especially in analyses for subpopulations that are concentrated in a relatively small number of strata. To address this problem, this paper uses estimated within-primary-sample-unit (within PSU) variances to provide auxiliary information regarding the relative magnitudes of the overall stratum-level variances. Analytic results indicate that the resulting degrees-of-freedom estimator will be better than modified Satterthwaite-type estimators provided: (a) the overall stratum-level variances are approximately proportional to the corresponding within-stratum variances; and (b) the variances of the within-PSU variance estimators are relatively small. In addition, this paper develops errors-in-variables methods that can be used to check conditions (a) and (b) empirically. For these model checks, we develop simulation-based reference distributions, which differ substantially from reference distributions based on customary large-sample normal approximations. The proposed methods are applied to four variables from the U.S. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

Description:

A semiparametric regression model is developed for complex surveys. In this model, the explanatory variables are represented separately as a nonparametric part and a parametric linear part. The estimation techniques combine nonparametric local polynomial regression estimation and least squares estimation. Asymptotic results such as consistency and normality of the estimators of regression coefficients and the regression functions have also been developed. Success of the performance of the methods and the properties of estimates have been shown by simulation and empirical examples with the Ontario Health Survey 1990.

Description:

In this Issue is a column where the Editor biefly presents each paper of the current issue of Survey Methodology. As well, it sometimes contain informations on structure or management changes in the journal.

Description:

Data from the Longitudinal Administrative Data (LAD) base are used to compare the retirement status and earnings replacement rates achieved by individuals who were, and individuals who were not, Registered Pension Plan members in 1991 and/or 1992, when they were in their mid-fifties. Among men in this cohort, the likelihood of being retired at age 70 to 72 was about 4 to 14 percentage points higher among pension plan members than non-members. Data used for the study do not provide information on why RPP non-members tend to retire later than do members. Among retired individuals, earnings replacement rates did not differ significantly between RPP members and non-members.

Description: The decline in earnings among immigrants over the past quarter century is well-documented, but its impact on various segments of the immigrant population is less well-known. This study examines long-term trends in the incidence of low income among working-age immigrants, immigrant seniors and the children of immigrants. The study looks at two main factors that contribute to the incidence of low income: market income and government transfers.

Description:

This report presents the results of the 3rd Consensus Conference on Health Indicators that was convened in March 2009, including information that was presented at the conference, a summary of the consultation process leading up to the event, and the priority health areas deemed most important for future indicator development work.

The conference marked the 10th anniversary of the Health Indicators project, a collaboration between Statistics Canada and Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The goal of the project is to provide health regions, health care providers and the public in general with reliable and comparable data on the health of Canadians and to assist stakeholders and decision makers in the use and interpretation of the indicator data.

Description: This report contains descriptive analysis of the size, scope and nature of Canada's nonprofit sector in economic terms, statistical tables and information on the concepts, and data sources and methods used to compile the estimates.

Description:

Health indicators are measures of health and of the factors which influence health. As such they can be used to inform health policy, manage the health care system, enhance our understanding of the broader determinants of health, as well as to identify gaps in the health status and outcomes for specific populations. While there are countless indicators that could be calculated, the challenge is to identify which are the most important to measure and track; what types of indicators best reflect the needs of those who use them; which of the current indicators are no longer relevant and may therefore be dropped or replaced by more suitable measures; and finally, how can the cross-cutting dimension of equity be addressed in the evaluation of the indicator set. These and other questions were discussed at the Third Health Indicators Consensus Conference, held in March 2009. The results of the conference are summarized in this report.

Description:

This guide presents information of interest to users of data from the Survey of Household Spending, which gathers information on the spending habits, dwelling characteristics and household equipment of Canadian households. The survey covers private households in the 10 provinces. (The territories are surveyed every second year, starting in 1999.)

This guide includes definitions of survey terms and variables, as well as descriptions of survey methodology and data quality. One section describes the various statistics that can be created using expenditure data (e.g., budget share, market share, aggregates and medians).

Description:

This article examines the relationship between health and work. Poor mental and physical health were found to decrease the probability of being employed, particularly among men. For women, mental health problems were also associated with working fewer hours.

Description:

This product is a series of profiles for a number of census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and communities across Canada with a large Aboriginal population, either in numbers or share of the area's total population. The series aims to present a demographic and socio-economic profile of the total Aboriginal population living in these areas. Demographic Data as well as information on living arrangements of children, education, labour, income, mobility, housing, and health are highlighted. While most of the focus is on adults, there is also limited information provided on children. Data showing comparisons between Aboriginal groups are provided for selected variables, as are comparisons with the non-Aboriginal population. Findings are based on the 2006 Census and the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

Description:

This product is a series of profiles for a number of census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and communities across Canada with a large Aboriginal population, either in numbers or share of the area's total population. The series aims to present a demographic and socio-economic profile of the total Aboriginal population living in these areas. Demographic Data as well as information on living arrangements of children, education, labour, income, mobility, housing, and health are highlighted. While most of the focus is on adults, there is also limited information provided on children. Data showing comparisons between Aboriginal groups are provided for selected variables, as are comparisons with the non-Aboriginal population. Findings are based on the 2006 Census and the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

Description:

This product is a series of profiles for a number of census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and communities across Canada with a large Aboriginal population, either in numbers or share of the area's total population. The series aims to present a demographic and socio-economic profile of the total Aboriginal population living in these areas. Demographic Data as well as information on living arrangements of children, education, labour, income, mobility, housing, and health are highlighted. While most of the focus is on adults, there is also limited information provided on children. Data showing comparisons between Aboriginal groups are provided for selected variables, as are comparisons with the non-Aboriginal population. Findings are based on the 2006 Census and the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

Description:

This product is a series of profiles for a number of census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and communities across Canada with a large Aboriginal population, either in numbers or share of the area's total population. The series aims to present a demographic and socio-economic profile of the total Aboriginal population living in these areas. Demographic Data as well as information on living arrangements of children, education, labour, income, mobility, housing, and health are highlighted. While most of the focus is on adults, there is also limited information provided on children. Data showing comparisons between Aboriginal groups are provided for selected variables, as are comparisons with the non-Aboriginal population. Findings are based on the 2006 Census and the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

Description:

This product is a series of profiles for a number of census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and communities across Canada with a large Aboriginal population, either in numbers or share of the area's total population. The series aims to present a demographic and socio-economic profile of the total Aboriginal population living in these areas. Demographic Data as well as information on living arrangements of children, education, labour, income, mobility, housing, and health are highlighted. While most of the focus is on adults, there is also limited information provided on children. Data showing comparisons between Aboriginal groups are provided for selected variables, as are comparisons with the non-Aboriginal population. Findings are based on the 2006 Census and the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

Description:

The Lower Mainland ecoregion profile is the first in an upcoming series of ecoregion profiles. The information presented includes a brief description of the physical setting, a snapshot of land cover and use as well as selected statistics on the changing socio-economy in the region. This ecoregion will be the site for many of the activities associated with the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Description:

This publication provides quarterly information on operational and financial variables related to the scheduled and charter operations of all Canadian-licensed air carriers classified into reporting levels I and II. Operational data (passengers, passenger-kilometres, goods carried, goods tonne-kilometres, etc.) and financial data (operating revenues, operating expenses, employment expenses) are presented. This publication also includes data highlights and some financial performance indicators and productivity measures.

Description:

The air fare data included in this publication relate to the scheduled operations of major Canadian air carriers. This publication provides information on average fares by sector and fare type group and average domestic fares for ten selected cities of enplanement. It also provides information on the distribution of passengers and passenger-kilometres by sector and fare type group. A series of air fare indexes by sector and fare type group is also presented. In addition to annual data, this publication also presents quarterly data. It also includes data highlights and a brief analysis.

Description:

This publication provides monthly information on key operational variables related to the scheduled and charter operations of Air Canada and WestJet. Operational data include passengers, passenger-kilometres, available seat-kilometres, goods carried, goods tonne-kilometres, hours flown and fuel. In addition to monthly data, this publication also presents annual data. Charts and data highlights supplement the tables.

Description:

This report provides trends on public school enrolments, educators and expenditures. It uses figures provided by provincial and territorial departments of education on public elementary and secondary schools.

Description:

In analysis of sample survey data, degrees-of-freedom quantities are often used to assess the stability of design-based variance estimators. For example, these degrees-of-freedom values are used in construction of confidence intervals based on t distribution approximations; and of related t tests. In addition, a small degrees-of-freedom term provides a qualitative indication of the possible limitations of a given variance estimator in a specific application. Degrees-of-freedom calculations sometimes are based on forms of the Satterthwaite approximation. These Satterthwaite-based calculations depend primarily on the relative magnitudes of stratum-level variances. However, for designs involving a small number of primary units selected per stratum, standard stratum-level variance estimators provide limited information on the true stratum variances. For such cases, customary Satterthwaite-based calculations can be problematic, especially in analyses for subpopulations that are concentrated in a relatively small number of strata. To address this problem, this paper uses estimated within-primary-sample-unit (within PSU) variances to provide auxiliary information regarding the relative magnitudes of the overall stratum-level variances. Analytic results indicate that the resulting degrees-of-freedom estimator will be better than modified Satterthwaite-type estimators provided: (a) the overall stratum-level variances are approximately proportional to the corresponding within-stratum variances; and (b) the variances of the within-PSU variance estimators are relatively small. In addition, this paper develops errors-in-variables methods that can be used to check conditions (a) and (b) empirically. For these model checks, we develop simulation-based reference distributions, which differ substantially from reference distributions based on customary large-sample normal approximations. The proposed methods are applied to four variables from the U.S. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

Description:

A semiparametric regression model is developed for complex surveys. In this model, the explanatory variables are represented separately as a nonparametric part and a parametric linear part. The estimation techniques combine nonparametric local polynomial regression estimation and least squares estimation. Asymptotic results such as consistency and normality of the estimators of regression coefficients and the regression functions have also been developed. Success of the performance of the methods and the properties of estimates have been shown by simulation and empirical examples with the Ontario Health Survey 1990.

Description:

In this Issue is a column where the Editor biefly presents each paper of the current issue of Survey Methodology. As well, it sometimes contain informations on structure or management changes in the journal.

Description:

Data from the Longitudinal Administrative Data (LAD) base are used to compare the retirement status and earnings replacement rates achieved by individuals who were, and individuals who were not, Registered Pension Plan members in 1991 and/or 1992, when they were in their mid-fifties. Among men in this cohort, the likelihood of being retired at age 70 to 72 was about 4 to 14 percentage points higher among pension plan members than non-members. Data used for the study do not provide information on why RPP non-members tend to retire later than do members. Among retired individuals, earnings replacement rates did not differ significantly between RPP members and non-members.

Description: The decline in earnings among immigrants over the past quarter century is well-documented, but its impact on various segments of the immigrant population is less well-known. This study examines long-term trends in the incidence of low income among working-age immigrants, immigrant seniors and the children of immigrants. The study looks at two main factors that contribute to the incidence of low income: market income and government transfers.

Description: This report contains descriptive analysis of the size, scope and nature of Canada's nonprofit sector in economic terms, statistical tables and information on the concepts, and data sources and methods used to compile the estimates.

Description:

Health indicators are measures of health and of the factors which influence health. As such they can be used to inform health policy, manage the health care system, enhance our understanding of the broader determinants of health, as well as to identify gaps in the health status and outcomes for specific populations. While there are countless indicators that could be calculated, the challenge is to identify which are the most important to measure and track; what types of indicators best reflect the needs of those who use them; which of the current indicators are no longer relevant and may therefore be dropped or replaced by more suitable measures; and finally, how can the cross-cutting dimension of equity be addressed in the evaluation of the indicator set. These and other questions were discussed at the Third Health Indicators Consensus Conference, held in March 2009. The results of the conference are summarized in this report.

Description:

This article examines the relationship between health and work. Poor mental and physical health were found to decrease the probability of being employed, particularly among men. For women, mental health problems were also associated with working fewer hours.

Description:

Between 1980 and 2005, parental work time increased by substantial margins, especially for families located at the bottom and in the middle of the earnings distribution. However, this increase occurred against a backdrop of a stronger increase in earnings for families at the top of the earnings distribution. This study finds that high earnings families earned more in 2005 than in 1980 for a given amount of parental work time, likely because of higher wages.

Description:

Although it has received some attention in the Canadian literature, the issue of work life balance of older workers remains largely understudied. This article addresses that gap using data from the 2005 General Social Survey. Overall, 14% of Canadian workers age 55 and over reported being dissatisfied with their work life balance in 2005. The sources of conflict most frequently cited were too much time on the job and too little time for the family. Work life balance dissatisfaction was associated with having a disability, providing elder care, working long hours, occupying a managerial position and being a woman. At the same time, having an employed partner, being self-employed and enjoying one's job reduced the probability of work life conflict. When the self-selection of older individuals out of employment was taken into account, the risk of work life conflict did not vary with age.

Description:

This report presents the results of the 3rd Consensus Conference on Health Indicators that was convened in March 2009, including information that was presented at the conference, a summary of the consultation process leading up to the event, and the priority health areas deemed most important for future indicator development work.

The conference marked the 10th anniversary of the Health Indicators project, a collaboration between Statistics Canada and Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The goal of the project is to provide health regions, health care providers and the public in general with reliable and comparable data on the health of Canadians and to assist stakeholders and decision makers in the use and interpretation of the indicator data.

Description:

This guide presents information of interest to users of data from the Survey of Household Spending, which gathers information on the spending habits, dwelling characteristics and household equipment of Canadian households. The survey covers private households in the 10 provinces. (The territories are surveyed every second year, starting in 1999.)

This guide includes definitions of survey terms and variables, as well as descriptions of survey methodology and data quality. One section describes the various statistics that can be created using expenditure data (e.g., budget share, market share, aggregates and medians).

Description:

With the latest release of the bilateral Purchasing Power Parities estimates for Canada and the U.S., an improved projection methodology for the non-benchmark year has been employed. This note summarizes the new methodology and its rationale.

Description:

Statistics Canada produces monthly import and export merchandise trade price indexes. For the majority of these prices, Statistics Canada uses a variety of proxy measures to derive the price index in lieu of collecting observed import and export prices. The ability of these proxy measures to reflect international trade price movements during times of exchange rate volatility is limited. For this reason, the constant dollar trade estimates derived using these proxy price indexes have been refined with constant dollar adjustments following the appreciation of the Canadian exchange rate beginning at the end of 2002. This paper explains the rational and methodology behind these adjustments, as well as the impact on published trade and GDP estimates.

Description:

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a parent-reported instrument designed to provide information on children's behaviours and relationships. The SDQ consists of 25 items which are grouped into five subscales: (1) pro-social, (2) inattention-hyperactivity, (3) emotional symptoms, (4) conduct problems, and (5) peer problems. The SDQ was used to provide information on children aged 2 to 5 years in the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey (ACS). Though validated on general populations, the constructs of the SDQ have not been validated for off-reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit children in Canada. The first objective of this evaluation is to examine if the five subscales of the SDQ demonstrate construct validity and reliability for off-reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit children. The second objective is to examine if an alternative set of subscales, using the 25 SDQ items, may be more valid and reliable for off-reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit children.

Description:

With the release of the Financial Flow Accounts (FFA) on December 1st and the National Balance Sheet Accounts (NBSA) on December 14th, the Income and Expenditure Accounts Division will be publishing revised sector and category detail on CANSIM.

Description:

This report describes sampling and weighting procedures used in the 2006 Census. It reviews the history of these procedures in Canadian censuses, provides operational and theoretical justifications for them, and presents the results of the evaluation studies of these procedures.

Description:

Government financial reports are based on the organisation of each individual government and on their accounting and reporting practices. There is therefore little uniformity from one level of government to another or from one province to another. The Financial Management System (FMS) is an analytical framework designed to produce statistical series that are both consistent and compatible.

Written in plain English, the Financial Management System (FMS) manual was designed to assist you in better understanding the framework of the Financial Management System (FMS). It will explain the strengths and caveats of the FMS and will provide you with clear explanations of what is included in each revenue source and each expenditure function.

Description:

In 2008, Statistics Canada conducted the first Agricultural Water Use Survey. This pilot survey is part of the Canadian Environment Sustainability Indicators initiative and collects information on volumes of water used for irrigation, irrigated areas, irrigation practices and the quality of water used for agricultural purposes. This technical paper describes the methodology used for the pilot survey and includes recommendations for future cycles of the survey. The validation process seems to indicate that the method used to estimate the volumes of water used and the irrigated areas calculated underestimates the results. The report gives recommendations to minimize this bias in the next iterations of the survey. First, it is recommended to simplify the level of information collected by the survey; to review the sampling methodology; and to examine other means of collecting information on volumes of water used for irrigation. This pilot version of the survey remains a reliable source for consistent data on agricultural water use.

Description: In this paper, we present the methodology developed by Statistics Canada to calculate the average annual water yield for Canada. Water yield, for the purposes of this paper, is defined as the amount of freshwater derived from unregulated flow (m³ s^-1) measurements for a given geographic area over a defined period of time. The methodology is applied to the 1971 to 2000 time period.

This research was conducted to fill data gaps in Statistics Canada's water statistics program. These gaps exist because estimates of freshwater flow for Canada have not been calculated regularly and have been produced using a variety of methods that do not necessarily generate comparable results. The methodology developed in this study produced results that are coherent through space and time. These results will be used in the future to investigate changes in water yield on a more disaggregated basis.

To achieve the water yield estimate a database of natural streamflow observations from 1971 to 2000 was compiled. The streamflow values were then converted to a runoff depth and interpolated using ordinary kriging to produce spatial estimates of runoff. The spatial estimates were then scaled to create a National estimate of water yield as a thirty-year average. The methodology and results were then validated using a stability analysis and several techniques involving uncertainty. The result of the methodology indicates that the thirty-year average water yield for Canada is 3435 km³.