Health

Description:

From 1981 to 1994, the annual number of mammograms performed in Canada increased from less than 200,000 to more than 1.4 million. By 1994, about three in five women aged 40 and over reported having had a mammogram at some time in their lives. Most of the increase that occurred between 1985 and 1991 was because of greater use of mammography for breast screening. In the early 1990s, the annual numbers and rates stabilized as the number of mammograms performed on a fee-for-service basis declined slightly, while those conducted by provincial/territorial breast screening programs rose. Mammography is increasingly targeted to women aged 50-69 for whom screening is considered to be most effective. About 30% of Canadian women aged 50-69 have had a mammogram within the past year, although just one-fifth of these mammograms were obtained through provincial/territorial breast screening programs. Most mammography in Canada is provided through the fee-for-service system, although about 80% of fee-for-service mammograms are done for screening purposes, and the remaining 20% for diagnostic assessment. This article is based on administrative data provided by provincial/territorial departments of health and by breast screening programs, as well as on data from the National Population Health Survey. Some implications of mammography utilization for breast cancer incidence and mortality rates are assessed, but because of the long lead time between detection and death, it may be too early to reach definitive conclusions.

Description:

Analyses based on census data, vital statistics, and data from the Health and Activity Limitation Surveys show that immigrants, especially those from non-European countries, had a longer life expectancy and more years of life free of disability and dependency than did the Canadian-born. But while immigrants were less likely than the Canadian-born to be disabled, they were only slightly less likely to be dependent on others for help with activities of daily living. The reasons for immigrants' longevity and good health are likely related to the "health immigrant effect"

Description:

From 1974 to 1994, the number of children Canadian women are likely to have during their lifetime decreased. This downturn in fertility meant that the annual number of live births rose only slightly during this period, even though it marked the prime childbearing years for the baby-boom generation. As they pursued higher education and employment in the paid workforce, women have postponed childbearing. Consequently, the average age of women giving birth has risen. More than a quarter of women over age 30 who have a baby are first-time mothers. And by starting families later in life, women tend to have fewer children. In addition, largely because of the growing number of common-law relationships, over a quarter of all births are to unmarried women. Using data provided by the provincial and territorial Vital Statistics Registries, this article examines national and provincial/territorial trends in births and fertility from 1974 to 1994.

Description:

The increase in life expectancy that would result from the elimination of certain diseases and the resulting change in hospital utilization vary, depending on the disease. In some cases, life expectancy would rise and total days spent in hospital would decline, while in others, the gain in life expectancy would be accompanied by a increase in hospital days. For instance, if mental health disorders were eliminated, the increase in life expectancy at age 45 would be minimal: from 34.9 to 35.3 years, but time spent in hospital would decline from 168 to 151 days. By contrast, if diseases of the circulatory system were eliminated, life expectancy at age 45 would rise from 34.9 to 41.6 years, but time spent in hospital would also rise: from 168 to 290 days. Elimination of not only mental illnesses but also injuries and poisoning and diseases of the nervous system has the potential of both increasing life expectancy and reducing hospital use.

Description:

Abridged life tables centred on 1991 were produced from the 1991 Canadian census, net census undercoverage estimates, and death data from 1990 to 1992. The sensitivity of life table values to differing methods of estimation and population estimates was investigated. The results from four methods by Greville, Chiang, and Keyfitz were compared, and population undercoverage, were used to test the effects of method and type of population estimate on life table values. The results indicate that the method used to derive the estimates had much less influence on the life table values than did the choice of population estimate. The change life expectancy at birth due to the method of calculation chosen was at most 15 days, whereas the change due to the population estimate chosen was about 73 days. Since there are age, sex and provincial variations in net undercoverage rates, life expectancies differed accordingly.

Description: The official 1990-92 detailed life tables show a continuation of the trend toward longer life expenctancy for Canadians. Life expectancy at birth has reached an all-time high: 80.89 years for females and 74.55 years for males. Recent improvements in life expectancy are attributable to many factors, including declines in infant mortality, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease, and mortality from accidents and poisoning.

Description:

As the population ages, discussion increasingly focuses on how to keep people in the community and out of health care instituions. But when health fails, the only option may be long-term residential care.

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This paper evaluates the results of the questions related to activity limitation and its impact on labour market activity from the January 1993 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) test.

Description:

The National Population Health Survey (NPHS) uses the Labour Force Survey sampling frame to draw a sample of approximately 22,000 households. The sample is distributed over four quarterly collection periods. In each household, some limited information is collected from all household members and one person, aged 12 years and over, in each household is randomly selected for a more in-depth interview.

The questionnaire includes content related to health status, use of health services, determinants of health and a range of demographic and economic information. For example, the health status information includes self-perception of health, a health status index, chronic conditions, and activity restrictions. The use of health services is probed through visits to health care providers, both traditional and non-traditional, and the use of drugs and other medications. Health determinants include smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and in the first survey, emphasis has been placed on the collection of selected psycho-social factors that may influence health, such as stress, self-esteem and social support. The demographic and economic information includes age, sex, education, ethnicity, household income and labour force status.

Description:

Using data from Statistics Canada's 1988 and 1993 General Social Survey (GSS), this article examines the incidence and consequences of accidents in Canada and the characteristics of respondents aged 15 and over who were involved in them. In 1993, an estimated 3.9 million Canadians reported that they had been involved in 4.8 million accidents in the previous 12 months. Motor vehicle accidents and sports accidents were the most frequent, each accounting for about 27% of incidents, followed by accidents at work (21%) and at home (14%). Accidents were most common among young people, particularly men. However, from 1988 to 1993, there was a decline in the proportion of adults reporting accidents, and the sharpest drop was for the age group most at risk - 15-to 24-year-olds. Most of the downturn was attributable to a decrease in the motor vehicle accident rate. Since alcohol is known to be associated with accidents, reduced consumption during the same period may have been partly responsible for the decline in accident rates. Other factors that may have contributed include stricter enforcement of impaired driving legislation and speeds limits, and improvements in automobile safety. Nonetheless, despite the decline in accidents rates, the toll taken by accidents reported in 1993 was considerable: 80% of accidents caused personal injury, and almost half of these resulted in medical attention in a hospital. Overall, 62% of accidents resulted in activity-loss days, and 29% involved bed-disability days. Hospital utilization costs associated with these accidents in 1993 were about $1.5 billion. As well, about one-third of accidents involved out-of-pocket expenses, totalling $791 million. Moreover, accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among persons under age 44.

Description:

Number of live births and fetal deaths (stillbirths), by type of birth (single or multiple), 1991 to most recent year.

Description:

Number and percentage of live births and fetal deaths (stillbirths), by place of birth (hospital or non-hospital), 1991 to most recent year.

Description: Estimated annual number of deaths by 5-year age groups and gender for Canada, provinces and territories.

Description: Estimated annual number of births by gender for Canada, provinces and territories.

Description: Components of natural increase, quarterly: births and deaths.

Description: This interactive dashboard permits the visualization of various fertility indicators and how they have changed over time for Canada, provinces and territories. The dashboard shows the total fertility rate, the average age of childbearing, the fertility rate by age group of mother, the number of births and the associated annual change. Data can be visualized for Canada or for a selected province or territory by single year as well as historically.

Description: Number and percentage of children and youth with changes or no change in their functional difficulties between 2019 and 2023 by gender and age group, Canada (excluding territories) and provinces.

Description: Number and percentage of youth who report changes or no change in their health characteristics between 2019 and 2023 by gender and age group, Canada (excluding territories) and provinces.

Description: Drug metabolites in wastewater, presented as load per capita, in select Canadian cities, by type of drug. The 95% confidence interval, standard error, and imputation rate of the load per capita of the drug metabolites in wastewater are included.

Description: This dashboard presents provisional monthly estimates of the levels of amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine (benzoylecgonine), codeine, fentanyl (norfentanyl), ecstasy, methadone, methamphetamine, morphine, and oxycodone in the wastewater of Halifax, Montréal, Toronto, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Edmonton, and Metro Vancouver. The data that are relevant for monitoring the use of these substances in Canadian cities.

Description:

Using Canadian mortality data from 1974 to 1995, this article examines seasonal and daily patterns of death by cause.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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:

Breast cancer is the leading form of cancer diagnosed in Canadian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), accounting for about 30% of all new cases. After age 30, incidence rates begin to rise, and the highest rates are among women aged 60 and over. Canadian incidence rates have increased slowly and steadily since 1969, rising most rapidly among women aged 50 and over. Canada's rates are among the highest of any country in the world, ranking second only to those in the United States. After decades of little change, breast cancer mortality rates for all ages combined have declined slightly since 1990. While not dramatic, this decline is statistically significant and is consistent with similar decreases in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Breast cancer survival rates are relatively more favourable than those of other forms of cancer. Survival rates are better for younger women and for women whose cancer was detected at an early stage. This article presents breast cancer data from the Canadian Cancer Registry, the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System, and vital statistics mortality data, all of which are maintained by the Health Statistics Division of Statistics Canada. These data are provided to Statistics Canada by the provincial and territorial cancer and vital statistics registrars.

Description: The data will be used by Health Canada, the Health Promotion Directorate as well as Researchers for alcohol and other drug use in Canada. Information will be used to inform the decision making and program planning efforts of policy makers, practitioners and researchers.

Description: The main purpose of this survey is to collect data to monitor cigarette smoking in Canada and attempt to measure the effect of cigarette price reductions on smoking behaviour.

Description: The results from this survey will be used to develop new programs to educate and inform the public, and to determine the need for new services.

Description: The main objective of the survey is to provide continual and reliable data on tobacco, alcohol and drug use and related issues, with the primary focus on 15 to 24 year olds.

Description: The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest. The purpose of this survey is to provide a snapshot of the lives of caregivers and care receivers in today's Canada.

Description: The objective of the survey was to provide information on the experiences of respondents in using some selected health care services. The survey focused on two main topics: waiting for specialized services for a new illness or condition and access to basic health care.

Description: The NPHS Health Institutions Component survey data support national level estimates only.

Description: The National Population Health Survey (NPHS) collects information related to the health of the Canadian population and related socio-demographic information.

Description: The purpose of the Canadian Community Health Survey - Mental Health (CCHS - Mental Health) is to collect information about mental health status, access to and perceived need for formal and informal services and supports, functioning and disability, and covariates.

Description: The Maternity Experiences Survey (MES) is the first Canadian survey devoted to pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum experiences. It is a core project of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System of the Public Health Agency of Canada who sponsored this survey.