Health

Description:

When Chiang's "standard" method is used, calculating life expectancy for (small) census agglomerations in Canada can produce estimates whose confidence intervals are too wide to be useful. However, we have been able to show that by combining small area estimation methods and simulation methods, we can obtain narrower confidence intervals.

Description:

Immigrants have health advantages over native-born Canadians, but those advantages are threatened by specific risk situations. This study explores cardiovascular health outcomes in districts of Montréal classified by the proportion of immigrants in the population, using a principal component analysis. The first three components are immigration, degree of socio-economic disadvantage and degree of economic disadvantage. The incidence of myocardial infarction is lower in districts with large immigrant populations than in districts dominated by native-born Canadians. Mortality rates are associated with the degree of socio-economic disadvantage, while revascularization is associated with the proportion of seniors in the population.

Description:

The classification and identification of locations where persons report to be more or less healthy or have more or less social capital, within a specific area such as a health region, is tremendously helpful for understanding place and health associations. The objective of the proposed study is to classify and map areas within the Zone 6 Health Region (Figure 1) of Nova Scotia (Halifax Regional Municipality and Annapolis Valley regions) according to health status (Dimension 1) and social capital (Dimension 2). We abstracted responses to questions about self-reported health status, mental health, and social capital from the master files of the Canadian Community Health Survey (Cycles 1.1, 1.2 and 2.1), National Population Health Survey (Cycle 5), and the General Social Survey (Cycles 13, 14, 17, and 18). Responses were geocoded using the Statistics Canada Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF+) and imported into a geographical information system (GIS) so that the postal code associated with the response will be assigned to a latitude and longitude within the Nova Scotia Zone 6 health region. Kernel density estimators and additional spatial interpolators were used to develop statistically-smoothed surfaces of the distribution of respondent values for each question. The smoothing process eliminates the possibility of revealing individual respondent location and confidential Statistics Canada sampling frame information. Using responses from similar questions across multiple surveys improves the likelihood of detecting heterogeneity among the responses within the health region area, as well as the accuracy of the smoothed map classification.

Description:

Approaches used to select records for tabulation of national injury hospitalization data were identified. Three of the approaches were based on the principal diagnosis in the hospital separation record; the other three required that the record contain a code for an external cause of injury. Differences within these two main groups resulted in identification of six distinct approaches. Each approach was applied to the same set of hospital separation data. The numbers and types of injury records retrieved with the six approaches are compared and implications of the findings for injury surveillance are discussed.

Description:

Traditionally administrative hospital discharge databases have been mainly used for administrative purposes. Recently, health services researchers and population health researchers have been using the databases for a wide variety of studies; in particular health care outcomes. Tools, such as comorbidity indexes, have been developed to facilitate this analysis. Every time the coding system for diagnoses and procedures is revised or a new one is developed, these comorbidity indexes need to be updated. These updates are important in maintaining consistency when trends are examined over time.

Description:

Using survey and contact attempt history data collected with the 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a multi-purpose health survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we set out to explore the impact of participant concerns/reluctance on data quality, as measured by rates of partially complete interviews and item nonresponse. Overall, results show that respondents from households where some type of concern or reluctance (e.g., "too busy," "not interested") was expressed produced higher rates of partially complete interviews and item nonresponse than respondents from households where concern/reluctance was not expressed. Differences by type of concern were also identified.

Description:

Accurate information about the timing of access to primary mental health care is critically important in order to identify potentially modifiable factors which could facilitate timely and on-going management of care. No "gold standard" measure of mental health care utilization exists, so it useful to know how strengths, gaps, and limitations in different data sources influence study results. This study compares two population-wide measures of primary mental health care utilization data: the Canadian Community Health Survey of Mental Health and Well-being (CCHS, cycle 1.2) and provincial health insurance records in the province of British Columbia. It explores four questions: (1) Is 12-month prevalence of contacts with general practitioners for mental heath issues the same regardless of whether survey data or administrative data are used? (2) What is the level of agreement between the survey data and administrative data for having had any contact with a general practitioner for mental heath issues during the 12 month period before the survey interview? (3) Is the level of agreement constant throughout the 12-month period or does it decline over more distant sub-timeframes within the 12-month period? (4) What kinds of respondent characteristics, including mental disorders, are associated with agreement or lack of agreement? The results of this study will provide useful information about how to use and interpret each measure of health care utilization. In addition, it will contribute to survey design research, and to research which aims to improve the methods for using administrative data for mental health services research.

Description:

National Food and Nutrition Surveys provide critical information to support the understanding the complex relationship between health and diet in the population. Many of these surveys use 24 hour recall methodology which collects at a detailed level all food and beverages consumed over a day. Often it is the longer term intake of foods and nutrients that is of interest and a number of techniques are available that allow estimation of population usual intakes. These techniques require that at least one repeat 24 hour recall be collected from at least a subset of the population in order to estimate the intra individual variability of intakes. Deciding on the number of individuals required to provide a repeat is an important step in the survey design that must recognize that too few repeat individuals compromises the ability to estimate usual intakes, but large numbers of repeats are costly and pose added burden to the respondents. This paper looks at the statistical issues related to the number of repeat individuals, assessing the impact of the number of repeaters on the stability and uncertainty in the estimate of intra individual variability and provides guidance on required number of repeat responders .

Description:

Growth curves are used by health professionals to determine whether the growth of a child or a foetus, for example, is within normal limits. The growth charts currently used in Canada for height, weight and body mass index (BMI) are based on US data. Child growth curves can now be generated from the latest available data in Canada. One way of estimating and drawing growth curves is the Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) method. The method has been used in various studies by the World Health Organization, the United Kingdom and the United States to generate reference growth curves for children. In this article, the LMS method is used to estimate growth curves in BMI percentiles from weighted cross-sectional data provided by cycle 2.2 of the Canadian Community Health Survey. This article is about the child BMI, one of the anthropometric measures most commonly used to assess growth and obesity.

Description:

This study describes the prevalence of chronic pain among seniors living in private households and in long-term health care institutions. Associations between an increase in chronic pain and unhappiness and negative self-perceived health are examined. Data are from the 1994/1995 through 2002/2003 National Population Health Survey and the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Description:

Special Surveys Division was originally contacted by the Health Council of Canada (HCC) during the summer of 2006 to conduct the first iteration of this survey which resulted in the Canadian Survey of Experiences with Primary Health Care (CSE-PHC), 2006-2007 survey. The HCC was created when the First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal was signed in 2003. Their mandate is to report publicly on the progress of health care renewal in Canada. One of the Council's goals is to provide a system-wide perspective on health care reform to the Canadian public with a particular focus on issues related to accountability and transparency.

Once the results of the 2006-2007 survey were released, work began on the 2007-2008 questionnaire. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) joined members of the HCC and the project team at Statistics Canada to begin shaping the 2007-2008 survey. The CIHI, which became a co-sponsor with the HCC, is an independent, national, not-for-profit organization working to improve the health of Canadians and the health care system by providing quality, reliable and timely health information. The research information they produce focuses on health care services, health spending and human resources working in the health sector, as well as issues surrounding the health of the population.

The 2007-2008 survey differed from the 2006-2007 version in several ways. Along with some content changes, mostly around barriers to access and use of health care, the survey sample was expanded and a sampling strategy was developed to permit national as well as provincial level estimates of survey results. A new questionnaire was developed and tested with focus groups during the month of January 2008, in four cities across the country. The collection mode was also changed from a paper/pencil survey collected over the telephone in 2006-2007 to a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) application in 2007-2008. Collection began in three Statistics Canada regional offices in April and continued until the end of June 2008.

Description: This table contains 18816 series, with data for years 2003 - 2005 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and was last released on 2010-06-15. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (14 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador ...) Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 12 to 19 years; 12 to 14 years; 15 to 19 years ...) Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females ...) Functional health status (4 items: Total population for the variable functional health status; Moderate or severe functional health problems; Functional health status; not stated; Very good or perfect functional health ...) Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons ...).

Description:

This table contains 359856 series, with data for years 2005 - 2005 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (160 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority; Newfoundland and Labrador; Central Regional Integrated Health Authority; Newfoundland and Labrador ...) Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 12 to 14 years; 15 to 19 years; 12 to 19 years ...) Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...) Injuries (7 items: Total population for the variable injuries; No injuries in the past 12 months; Injuries in the past 12 months; sought medical attention; Injuries in the past 12 months; did not seek medical attention ...) Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons ...).

Description:

This table contains 159264 series, with data for years 2000 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over;12 to 14 years;15 to 19 years;12 to 19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females ...), Bicycle helmet use (6 items: Total; bicycle helmet use; Bicycle helmet use; most of the time; Bicycle helmet use; rarely; Bicycle helmet use; always ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons ...).

Description:

This publication contains information on food available for consumption and food nutrition.

Description:

This table contains 267456 series, with data for years 2000 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Geography (199 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Health and Community Services St. John's Region; Newfoundland and Labrador (Peer group H); Health and Community Services Eastern Region; Newfoundland and Labrador (Peer group D) ...), Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 12 to 19 years; 12 to 14 years; 15 to 19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Unmet health care needs (4 items: Total; unmet health care needs; Health care needs; met; Health care needs; not stated; Health care needs; unmet ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons ...).

Description:

This table contains 144480 series, with data for years 2000 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 12 to 14 years; 12 to 19 years; 15 to 19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Feeling of mastery (5 items: Total; feeling of mastery; Low feeling of mastery; High feeling of mastery; Moderate feeling of mastery ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons ...).

Description:

This table contains 334320 series, with data for years 2000 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Geography (199 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Health and Community Services St. John's Region; Newfoundland and Labrador (Peer group H); Health and Community Services Eastern Region; Newfoundland and Labrador (Peer group D) ...), Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 15 to 19 years; 12 to 14 years; 12 to 19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Alcohol dependence (5 items: Total; alcohol dependence; Alcohol dependence; probable non-case; Alcohol dependence; slightly probable case; Alcohol dependence; highly probable case ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons ...).

Description:

This table contains 183456 series, with data for years 2000 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 15 to 19 years; 12 to 14 years; 12 to 19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females ...), Sedentary activities (6 items: Total; sedentary activities; Sedentary activities; under 5 hours; Sedentary activities; 20 to 44 hours; Sedentary activities; 5 to 19 hours ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons ...).

Description:

This table contains 384384 series, with data for years 2000 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Geography (143 items: Newfoundland and Labrador; Health and Community Services St. John's Region; Newfoundland and Labrador (Peer group H); Health and Community Services Eastern Region; Newfoundland and Labrador (Peer group D) ...), Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 12 to 19 years; 12 to 14 years; 15 to 19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females ...), Changes made to improve health (8 items: Total; changes made to improve health; Changes made to improve health; lost weight; Changes made to improve health; eating habits; Changes made to improve health; increase exercise ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons ...).

Description: An extensive literature shows wide variations in life expectancy (LE) across various subnational geographic areas. However, little is known about these variations across very small levels of geographic disaggregation in Canada. This study expands the boundaries for such analyses by focusing on metropolitan areas, allowing an examination of small area variations in LE that cannot be ascribed to provincial or federal-level health, social, and other policies and programs, as more than one metropolitan area per province can be studied.

Description: Income-related food insecurity is an important determinant of health. Persons with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing household food insecurity (HFI) than those without disabilities. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of HFI for persons with different types, numbers, and severity of disabilities, and to examine sociodemographic correlates of HFI among this group.

Description:

Health Reports, published by the Health Analysis Division of Statistics Canada, is a peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research. It is designed for a broad audience that includes health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and the general public. The journal publishes articles of wide interest that contain original and timely analyses of national or provincial/territorial surveys or administrative databases. New articles are published electronically each month.

Health Reports had an impact factor of 5.0 for 2022 and a five-year impact factor of 5.6. All articles are indexed in PubMed. Our online catalogue is free and receives more than 700,000 visits per year. External submissions are welcome.

Description: This infographic details the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy among the Canadian population aged 3 to 79 by focusing on risk factors as well as behaviours that can reduce the likelihood of low vitamin D.

Description: Individuals who are nearing death report a preference to be cared for and to die outside of hospital. The reasons for this preference are complex and multifactorial. This study examined differences in the use of end-of-life acute care and the location of death among residents with dementia in rural long-term care homes, compared with those in urban long-term care homes, in Ontario, Canada.

Description: Mental health disparity is associated with diverse characteristics, such as gender, socioeconomic status, Indigenous identity, immigrant status, race, disability, and sexual orientation. However, intersectional studies on women’s mental health have been rare, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic period. To fill this research gap, this study examines women’s and girls’ self-reported mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using seven characteristics, including Indigenous identity, immigrant status, racialized background, LGB+ sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status (low income and unemployment).

Description: This article provides insights into the rates of COVID-19 mortality among First Nations peoples and Métis living in private dwellings and the social determinants of COVID-19 mortality among these populations using data from the 2016 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts linked to the Canadian Vital Statistics – Death Database from 2016 to 2021.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: The Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) is a national survey of Canadians aged 15 and over whose everyday activities are limited because of a long-term condition or health-related problem.

Description:

Introductory video for the survey provided to respondents at the household and posted on the Canadian Health Measures Survey Respondent relations (Statcan) website.

Description:

The Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) is a national survey of Canadians aged 15 and over whose everyday activities are limited because of a long-term condition or health-related problem.

The 2012 CSD Concepts and Methods Guide is designed to assist data users by providing relevant information on survey content and concepts, sampling design, collection methods, data processing, data quality and product availability. Chapter 1 of this guide provides an overview of the 2012 CSD by introducing the survey's background and objectives. Chapter 2 explains the key concepts and definitions and introduces the indicators measured by the CSD questionnaire modules. Chapters 3 to 6 cover important aspects of survey methodology, from sampling design to data collection and processing. Chapters 7 and 8 cover issues of data quality, including the approaches used to minimize and correct errors throughout all stages of the survey. Users are cautioned against making comparisons with data from previous Participation and Activity Limitations Surveys. Chapter 9 outlines the survey products that are available to the public, including data tables, a fact sheet and reference material. Appendices provide more detail on survey indicators as well as a glossary of terms.

Description:

Mental illnesses largely involve alterations in mood, thinking, and behaviour, as well as other domains of mental functioning, and affect almost all Canadians in some way, either directly or indirectly. They routinely cause significant impairments in emotional functioning, which may lead to social or physical limitations. In some cases, such as in agoraphobia, individuals cannot even leave their homes due to intense anxiety; depression can cause an individual to lose all interest in life. This document describes the mental illnesses that have the greatest impact on Canadians in terms of prevalence or severity of disability, and how they affect the health status of Canadians.

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:

Since 2007/2008, Statistics Canada has centred analysis of data holdings related to health as well as our program of dissemination of health research within the new Health Information and Research Division (HIRD).

The new division has launched a comprehensive approach to analytical planning including environmental scanning and consultation; establishment of strategic multi-year priorities for health research at Statistics Canada; a process of project selection and review that ensures that analytical effort addresses our priorities; metrics to measure our adherence to priorities and the impact of our analytical effort; and communication and dissemination of analytical plans.

This multi-year analytical plan identifies the key high-level priority areas for Statistics Canada's investment in health research for 2008/2009 to 2010/2011, and serves as a blueprint for subsequent operational research planning.

Description:

This special methodological paper will help readers understand and assess reports that rank the health status or health system performance of a country, province or jurisdiction. The report outlines the components and processes that underlie health rankings, explores why such rankings can be difficult to interpret and includes a plain-language checklist to use as a critical evaluative resource when reading health-ranking reports.

Description:

This report highlights the latest developments and rationale behind recent cycles of the General Social Survey (GSS). Starting with an overview of the GSS mandate and historic cycle topics, we then focus on two recent cycles related to families in Canada: Family Transitions (2006) and Family, Social Support and Retirement (2007). Finally, we give a summary of what is to come in the 2008 GSS on Social Networks, and describe a special project to mark 'Twenty Years of GSS'.

The survey collects data over a twelve month period from the population living in private households in the 10 provinces. For all cycles except Cycles 16 and 21, the population aged 15 and older has been sampled. Cycles 16 and 21 sampled persons aged 45 and older.

Cycle 20 (GSS 2006) is the fourth cycle of the GSS to collect data on families (the first three cycles on the family were in 1990, 1995 and 2001). Cycle 20 covers much the same content as previous cycles on families with some sections revised and expanded. The data enable analysts to measure conjugal and fertility history (chronology of marriages, common-law unions, and children), family origins, children's home leaving, fertility intentions, child custody as well as work history and other socioeconomic characteristics. Questions on financial support agreements or arrangements (for children and the ex-spouse or ex-partner) for separated and divorced families have been modified. Also, sections on social networks, well-being and housing characteristics have been added.

Description:

The Record Linkage Overview describes the process used in annual internal record linkage of the Canadian Cancer Registry. The steps include: preparation; pre-processing; record linkage; post-processing; analysis and resolution; resolution entry; and, resolution processing.

Description:

The compendium of Canadian Cancer Registry procedures manuals set out the rules for reporting cancer data to the CCR for all provincial and territorial cancer registries.

Description:

The Record Linkage Overview describes the process used in annual internal record linkage of the Canadian Cancer Registry. The steps include: preparation; pre-processing; record linkage; post-processing; analysis and resolution; resolution entry; and, resolution processing.