Health

Description: The Health of Canadians report brings together important health data, both for the population overall and for specific groups, to provide a comprehensive portrait of population health and to shed light on health disparities. It includes key statistics on population health such as health outcomes (e.g., chronic conditions), health behaviours (e.g., exercise, nutrition), access to health care (e.g., unmet health care needs) and determinants of health (e.g., age, income).

The Health of Canadians report is meant to be used by our federal, provincial and territorial partners, as well as health professionals, researchers, and policymakers across the country to inform policies and plans, leading to better, more equitable health outcomes for all Canadians.

Description: This infographic highlights trends from the Health of Canadians annual report. It is based on data from the 2021 to 2023 Canadian Community Health Survey and the 2021 and 2022 Canadian Income Survey and includes key statistics on the health of Canadians, such as perceived health, and access to health care.

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Number of coroner and medical examiner investigated deaths, mortality rates, and percentage of coroner and medical examiner investigated deaths per all deaths, by age group, 2006 to most recent year.

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Number of coroner and medical examiner investigated deaths, mortality rates, and percentage of coroner and medical examiner investigated deaths per all deaths, by sex, 2006 to most recent year.

Description: Utilizing data from the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability, this infographic highlights the trends and experiences of persons with hearing disabilities. This release is part of a series of infographics that focus on specific disability types.

Description: Studies have shown that excess all-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic caused declines of life expectancy at birth (LE0) in most countries around the world, after decades of improvement prior to the pandemic. However, those studies rarely examined the contributions from specific causes of death other than COVID-19. This study aimed to quantify the changes from 2019 to each year during the pandemic and the contributions from COVID-19, unregulated drug toxicity, and other causes of death in British Columbia, Canada.

Description: The prevalence of Canadian adults with obesity has been steadily increasing over the past four decades. Nine percent of Canadian adults had obesity in 1981, 27.2% had obesity in 2018 and the most recent estimates from 2022 indicate that 30% of Canadian adults have obesity. The purpose of this study is to describe the obesity change pattern among Canadian adults aged 28 to 79 years and to examine associations between obesity history and health outcomes.

Description: Interactive dashboard showing cause of death trends in Canada since 2000. The trends can also be broken down by several age groups between 0 to 90 years of age and by sex. Metrics visualized on this dashboard are: number of deaths, death rate per 100,000 people, and the proportion of deaths represented by each selected cause of death. The data in this dashboard is from the Canadian Vital Statistics - Death Database (CVSD).

Description: This article updates recently published information on Canadian breast cancer mortality, highlighting a lower rate in 1995, a marked decline in the rate since 1990, and possible factors contributing to this trend.

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Context : Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer deaths in Canadian males for many years, and since 1994, this has been the case for Canadian femalesas well. It is therefore important to evaluate the resources required for its diagnosis and treatment. This article presents an estimate of the direct medical costsassociated with the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer calculated through the use of a micro-simulation model. For disease incidence, 1992 was chosen as thereference year, whereas costs are evaluated according to the rates that prevailed in 1993.Methods : A model for lung cancer has been incorporated into the Population Health Model (POHEM). The parameters of the model were drawn in part fromStatistics Canada's Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR), which provides information on the incidence and histological classification of lung cancer cases in Canada.The distribution of cancer stage at diagnosis was estimated by using information from two provincial cancer registries. A team of oncologists derived "typical" treatment approaches reflective of current practice, and the associated direct costs were calculated for these approaches. Once this information and the appropriatesurvival curves were incorporated into the POHEM model, overall costs of treatment were estimated by means of a Monte Carlo simulation.Results: It is estimated that overall, the direct medical costs of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment were just over $528 million. The cost per year of life gained as aresult of treatment of the disease was approximately $19,450. For the first time in Canada, it was possible to estimate the five year costs following diagnosis, bystage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. It was possible to estimate the cost per year of additional life gained for three alternative treatments of non small-cell lungcancer (NSCLC). Sensitivity analyses showed that these costs varied between $1,870 and $6,860 per year of additional life gained, which compares favourablywith the costs that the treatment of other diseases may involve.Conclusions: Contrary to widespread perceptions, it appears that the treatment of lung cancer is effective from an economic standpoint. In addition, the use of amicro-simulation model such as POHEM not only makes it possible to incorporate information from various sources in a coherent manner but also offers thepossibility of estimating the effect of alternative medical procedures from the standpoint of financial pressures on the health care system.

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In 1994, an estimated 6% of Canadians aged 18 and over - 1.1 million adults - experienced a Major Depressive Episode (MDE). Although depression is amenable to treatment, fewer than half (43%) the people who met the criteria of having experienced an MDE in the past year (approximately 487,000) reported talking to a health professional about their emotional or mental health. Furthermore, only 26% of those who had an MDE reported four or more such consultations. As expected, depression that was not chronic was more likely to be untreated. In addition, MDE sufferers whose physical health was good and those who had not recently experienced a negative life event were less likely to be treated. However, after controlling for these factors, a multivariate model suggests that lower educational attainment and inadequate income acted as barriers to treatment. Relatively few contacts with a general practitioner substantially reduced the odds of being treated. Also, men and married people who were depressed were less likely to receive treatment. With data from Statistics Canada's 1994-95 National Population Health Survey (NPHS), this article examines the characteristics of people who met the criteria for having had an MDE, but who discontinued or did not receive treatment. The selection of explanatory variables was informed by an established theoretical framework of individual determinants of health service utilization, proposed by Andersen and Newman. Logistic regression was used to predict the probability of not being treated among people who experienced an MDE.

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Meeting the need for physician care outside of urban centres has long been a health policy concern. The challenges of providing such services in these areas stem from relatively fewer physicians and greater travel distances. In 1993, nearly all (99%) residents of large urban centres (with one million or more people) were less than 5 km from the nearest doctor. But outside of urban centres, only 56% of residents were situated that close to a physician. As well, proximity to physicians varied with income in less urbanized and rural areas, but not in more urbanized areas. And while Canadians in the southernmost parts of the country enjoyed very short distances to a physician, in northern latitudes, physicians tended to be much farther away. For instance, in 1993, at 65-69o north latitude, with 3,974 people for every physician, nearly two-thirds of the population (64%) was 100 km or more from the nearest doctor. By contrast, below 45o north latitude, which includes Halifax, Toronto and all of southwestern Ontario, the population to physician ratio was 476, and 91% of the population was within 5 km of a physician. Using the Canadian Medical Association's 1993 address registry of physicians, this article analyses the distance to the nearest physician (57,291 physicians) from a representative point within each of Canada's 45,995 census Enumeration Areas. Distance to the nearest physician by their specialty is also considered.

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The period between fiscal years 1986/87 and 1994/95 has seen a reduction in the number of hospitals in Canada and fundamental changes in the way they deliver their services. During this time, the number of public hospitals fell by 14%, and the number of approved beds in these hospitals declined by 11%. As a result, the number of staffed beds per 1,000 population dropped from 6.6 to 4.1. Much of the decrease in approved beds in public hospitals can be attributed to the reduction in the hospital extended care sector. In fact, some hospitals with long-term care units have been re-designated residential care facilities. As well, a common trend emerged in all categories of public hospitals: the number of outpatient visits increased, while inpatient-days decreased. Between 1986/87 and 1991/92, public hospitals' average annual increase in operating expenses (in current dollars) was 8%. However, from 1991/92 to 1994/95, public hospitals posted negative average annual growth in their expenditures (-2.4%), which reflects efforts made by various provinces to control hospital costs. This article presents data from reports compiled by Statistics Canada: Annual Return of Health Care Facilities - Hospitals, 1986/87 to 1993/94 and Preliminary Annual Report of Hospitals, 1994/95.

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In 1997, there will be an estimated 130,800 new cases of cancer and 60,700 deaths from the disease, an increase of one third and one quarter, respectively, over 1987. These increases are due mainly to the growth and aging of the population. (All figures exclude non-melanoma skin cancer.) In 1997, three types of cancer will account for at least half of all new cases in men and women: prostate, lung and colorectal cancer for men; breast, lung and colorectal cancer for women. Lung cancer will be the leading cause of cancer death in 1997, resulting in one-third of cancer deaths for men and almost one-quarter of cancer deaths for women. Among women, overall trends in age-standardized rates of cancer incidence and mortality have remained relatively stable since 1985, as large increases in the rate of lung cancer have been offset by declining or stable rates for most other forms. Among men, the overall incidence rate is rising slightly as a result of the sharp increase in the incidence of prostate cancer. The mortality rate for men peaked in 1988 and has since declined, because of decreases in the rates for lung, colorectal and some other cancers. This article presents information on trends since the mid-1980s in cancer incidence and mortality, adapted from Canadian Cancer Statistics 1987.

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The prevalence of dementia increases sharply in old age and is higher among women than men. Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, affects a greater proportion of women. On average, the number of years lived with dementia is longer for women, and women with dementia are more likely to be living in institutions than men with the condition. This article examines age-standardized rates of dementia among men and women aged 65 and over. The data are from the 1991 Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA), a joint effort of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine at the University of Ottawa and the federal government's Laboratory Centre for Disease Control. Life expectancy estimates from Statistics Canada were combined with CSHA data to estimate the average proportions of life that are lived with and without dementia, in the community and in institutions.

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Between 1977 and 1994, smoking rates declined among men and women, but the decline was steeper for men. While smoking rates fell among people at all levels of education, the smallest drop was among those with high school graduation or less, particularly women. For those who had stopped smoking, health concerns had been the overriding factor. Smokers with lower education reported encountering fewer smoking restrictions in their daily activities than did those with higher education. All smokers cited the mass media as their major source of information about smoking, but those with lower education reported the mass media less often than did smokers with higher levels of attainment, and were less likely to obtain information from books, pamphlets or magazines. In addition, smaller percentages of smokers with lower education recalled printed warnings about heart disease on cigarette packages. Variations in the decline of smoking suggest that health promotion and smoking cessation programs should consider sex and educational differences when targeting the smoking population. Differences in rates of smoking among people aged 20 and over were examined by educational attainment using selected health surveys conducted between 1977 and 1994. A Health Canada-sponsored supplement to Statistics Canada's National Population Health Survey was used for data on other aspects of smoking such as cutting back or attempting to quit, sources of health information, and awareness of smoking restrictions and cigarette package warnings.

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Men constitute a small minority of registered nurses (RNs) in Canada, but their numbers have risen sharply in the last decade. In 1995, almost 4% of RNs were men, up from just over 2% in 1985. The proportion of male nurses is particularly high in Quebec, where the 1995 figure was 8%. Some areas of nursing are more likely than others to employ male nurses: psychiatry, critical care, emergency care, and administration. By contrast, relatively few male RNs have jobs in maternal/newborn care, pediatrics, or community care. Rising male enrollement in college and university nursing programs suggests that men's representation in nursing will continue to rise. The older age profile of male nurses may indicate that some men are choosing nursing as a second career. As well, a shift in the age distribution of male nurses would seem to suggest that those who enter the profession tend to stay. This analysis of the demographic and employment characteristics of male nurses is based on information compiled annually in the Registered Nurses Database maintained by Statistics Canada. Figures on enrolment and graduation in nursing are collected by Statistics Canada as part of annual surveys.

Description: The present study examined and compared four measures that assessed child difficulties, long-term conditions, activity limitations or disabilities to shed light on the use of non-parental child care among young children with disabilities at a national level.

Description: Health regions are defined by the provinces and represent administrative areas or regions of interest to health authorities. This product contains correspondence files (linking health regions to latest Census geographic codes) and digital boundary files. User documentation provides an overview of health regions, sources, methods, limitations and product description (file format and layout).

In addition to the geographic files, this product also includes Census data (basic profile) for health regions.

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This report deals with Indigenous identity, Indigenous ancestry, Indigenous group, Registered or Treaty Indian status, Membership in a First Nation or Indian band, Membership in a Métis organization or Settlement, and Enrollment under an Inuit land claims agreement, and contains explanations of concepts, data quality, historical comparability and comparability with other sources, as well as information on data collection, processing and dissemination.

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Created in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), this user guide with appended data dictionary provides Canadians and researchers with required information to be able to utilize the Detailed preliminary information on confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Revised) table.

The user guide with appended data dictionary describes background information of COVID-19 as well as objectives, coverage, content, limitations and data quality concerns of the table.

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 2022 CSD Concepts and Methods Guide is designed to assist CSD data users by providing relevant information on survey content and concepts, sampling design, collection methods, data processing, data quality and product availability.

Description: The Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) is an area-based index which uses Census of Population microdata to measure four key dimensions of deprivation at the dissemination area (DA)-level: residential instability, economic dependency, situational vulnerability and ethno-cultural composition.

The CIMD allows for an understanding of inequalities in various measures of health and social well-being. While it is a geographically-based index of deprivation and marginalization, it can also be used as a proxy for an individual. The CIMD has the potential to be widely used by researchers on a variety of topics related to socio-economic research. Other uses for the index may include: policy planning and evaluation, or resource allocation.

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The Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) is an area-based index which uses Census of Population microdata to measure four key dimensions of deprivation at the dissemination area (DA)-level: residential instability, economic dependency, situational vulnerability and ethno-cultural composition. The CIMD allows for an understanding of inequalities in various measures of health and social well-being. While it is a geographically-based index of deprivation and marginalization, it can also be used as a proxy for an individual. The CIMD has the potential to be widely used by researchers on a variety of topics related to socio-economic research. Other uses for the index may include: policy planning and evaluation, or resource allocation.

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The User Guide for the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) outlines uses for the index, as well as it provides a brief description of the methodology behind the development of the index. This User Guide also provides instructions on how to use the index, and lists considerations when using the CIMD data.

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The mandate of the Analytical Studies Branch (ASB) is to provide high-quality, relevant and timely information on economic, health and social issues that are important to Canadians. The branch strategically makes use of expert knowledge and a large range of statistical sources to describe, draw inferences from, and make objective and scientifically supported deductions about the evolving nature of the Canadian economy and society. Research questions are addressed by applying leading-edge methods, including microsimulation and predictive analytics using a range of linked and integrated administrative and survey data. In supporting greater access to data, ASB linked data are made available to external researchers and policy makers to support evidence-based decision making. Research results are disseminated by the branch using a range of mediums (i.e., research papers, studies, infographics, videos, and blogs) to meet user needs. The branch also provides analytical support and training, feedback, and quality assurance to the wide range of programs within and outside Statistics Canada.