Analysis

Description:

Cancer surveillance research requires accurate estimates of risk factors at the small area level. These risk factors are often obtained from surveys such as the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) or the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Unfortunately, no one population-based survey provides ideal prevalence estimates of such risk factors. One strategy is to combine information from multiple surveys, using the complementary strengths of one survey to compensate for the weakness of the other. The NHIS is a nationally representative, face-to-face survey with a high response rate; however, it cannot produce state or substate estimates of risk factor prevalence because sample sizes are too small. The BRFSS is a state-level telephone survey that excludes non-telephone households and has a lower response rate, but does provide reasonable sample sizes in all states and many counties. Several methods are available for constructing small-area estimators that combine information from both the NHIS and the BRFSS, including direct estimators, estimators under hierarchical Bayes models and model-assisted estimators. In this paper, we focus on the latter, constructing generalized regression (GREG) and 'minimum-distance' estimators and using existing and newly developed small-area smoothing techniques to smooth the resulting estimators.

Description:

This study takes a look at the modelling methods used for public health data. Public health has a renewed interest in the impact of the environment on health. Ecological or contextual studies ideally investigate these relationships using public health data augmented with environmental characteristics in multilevel or hierarchical models. In these models, individual respondents in health data are the first level and community data are the second level. Most public health data use complex sample survey designs, which require analyses accounting for the clustering, nonresponse, and poststratification to obtain representative estimates of prevalence of health risk behaviours.

This study uses the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-specific US health risk factor surveillance system conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which assesses health risk factors in over 200,000 adults annually. BRFSS data are now available at the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level and provide quality health information for studies of environmental effects. MSA-level analyses combining health and environmental data are further complicated by joint requirements of the survey sample design and the multilevel analyses.

We compare three modelling methods in a study of physical activity and selected environmental factors using BRFSS 2000 data. Each of the methods described here is a valid way to analyse complex sample survey data augmented with environmental information, although each accounts for the survey design and multilevel data structure in a different manner and is thus appropriate for slightly different research questions.

Description:

The objective of this study was to analyse the influence of community on individual health. The new Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) was used to derive individual health variables for Canadian residents aged 18 or older while community-level data were obtained from the Canadian 1996 Census of Population. Weighted logistic multilevel models and principal component analysis were used to analyse these data. After controlling for individual variables, there was little variation between communities. However, the influence of the community was more important for people with low family income than those with higher income.

Description:

This paper examines the simulation study that was conducted to assess the sampling scheme designed for the World Health Organization (WHO) Injection Safety Assessment Survey. The objective of this assessment survey is to determine whether facilities in which injections are given meet the necessary safety requirements for injection administration, equipment, supplies and waste disposal. The main parameter of interest is the proportion of health care facilities in a country that have safe injection practices.

The objective of this simulation study was to assess the accuracy and precision of the proposed sampling design. To this end, two artificial populations were created based on the two African countries of Niger and Burkina Faso, in which the pilot survey was tested. To create a wide variety of hypothetical populations, the assignment of whether a health care facility was safe or not was based on the different combinations of the population proportion of safe health care facilities in the country, the homogeneity of the districts in the country with respect to injection safety, and whether the health care facility was located in an urban or rural district.

Using the results of the simulation, a multi-factor analysis of variance was used to determine which factors affect the outcome measures of absolute bias, standard error and mean-squared error.

Description:

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second cause of cancer deaths in Canada. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) have shown the efficacy of screening using faecal occult blood tests (FOBT). A comprehensive evaluation of the costs and consequences of CRC screening for the Canadian population is required before implementing such a program. This paper evaluates whether or not the CRC screening is cost-effective. The results of these simulations will be provided to the Canadian National Committee on Colorectal Cancer Screening to help formulate national policy recommendations for CRC screening.

Statistics Canada's Population Health Microsimulation Model was updated to incorporate a comprehensive CRC screening module based on Canadian data and RCT efficacy results. The module incorporated sensitivity and specificity of FOBT and colonoscopy, participation rates, incidence, staging, diagnostic and therapeutic options, disease progression, mortality and direct health care costs for different screening scenarios. Reproducing the mortality reduction observed in the Funen screening trial validated the model.

Description:

Categorical outcomes, such as binary, ordinal and nominal responses, occur often in survey research. Logistic regression investigates the relationship between such categorical responses variables and a set of explanatory variables. The LOGISTIC procedure can be used to perform a logistic analysis on data from a random sample. However, this approach is not valid if the data come from other sample designs, such as complex survey designs with stratification, clustering and/or unequal weighting. In these cases, specialized techniques must be applied in order to produce the appropriate estimates and standard errors.

The SURVEYLOGISTIC procedure, experimental in Version 9, brings logistic regression for survey data to the SAS System and delivers much of the functionality of the LOGISTIC procedure. This paper describes the methodological approach and applications for this new software.

Description:

Some of the most commonly used statistical models are fitted using maximum likelihood (ML) or some extension of ML. Stata's ML command provides researchers and data analysts with a tool to develop estimation commands to fit their models using their data. Such models may include multiple equations, clustered observations, sampling weights and other survey design characteristics. These elements are discussed in this paper.

Description:

In 1997, the US Office of Management and Budget issued revised standards for the collection of race information within the federal statistical system. One revision allows individuals to choose more than one race group when responding to federal surveys and other federal data collections. This change presents challenges for analyses that involve data collected under both the old and new race-reporting systems, since the data on race are not comparable. The following paper discusses the problems encountered by these changes and methods developed to overcome them.

Since most people under both systems report only a single race, a common proposed solution is to try to bridge the transition by assigning a single-race category to each multiple-race reporter under the new system, and to conduct analyses using just the observed and assigned single-race categories. Thus, the problem can be viewed as a missing-data problem, in which single-race responses are missing for multiple-race reporters and needing to be imputed.

The US Office of Management and Budget suggested several simple bridging methods to handle this missing-data problem. Schenker and Parker (Statistics in Medicine, forthcoming) analysed data from the National Health Interview Survey of the US National Center for Health Statistics, which allows multiple-race reporting but also asks multiple-race reporters to specify a primary race, and found that improved bridging methods could result from incorporating individual-level and contextual covariates into the bridging models.

While Schenker and Parker discussed only three large multiple-race groups, the current application requires predicting single-race categories for several small multiple-race groups as well. Thus, problems of sparse data arise in fitting the bridging models. We address these problems by building combined models for several multiple-race groups, thus borrowing strength across them. These and other methodological issues are discussed.

Description:

Although the use of school vouchers is growing in the developing world, the impact of vouchers is an open question. Any sort of long-term assessment of this activity is rare. This paper estimates the long-term effect of Colombia's PACES program, which provided over 125,000 poor children with vouchers that covered half the cost of private secondary school.

The PACES program presents an unusual opportunity to assess the effect of demand-side education financing in a Latin American country where private schools educate a substantial proportion of pupils. The program is of special interest because many vouchers were assigned by lottery, so program effects can be reliably assessed.

We use administrative records to assess the long-term impact of PACES vouchers on high school graduation status and test scores. The principal advantage of administrative records is that there is no loss-to-follow-up and the data are much cheaper than a costly and potentially dangerous survey effort. On the other hand, individual ID numbers may be inaccurate, complicating record linkage, and selection bias contaminates the sample of test-takers. We discuss solutions to these problems. The results suggest that the program increased secondary school completion rates, and that college-entrance test scores were higher for lottery winners than losers.

Description:

The census data are widely used in the distribution and targeting of resources at national, regional and local levels. In the United Kingdom (UK), a population census is conducted every 10 years. As time elapses, the census data become outdated and less relevant, thus making the distribution of resources less equitable. This paper examines alternative methods in rectifying this.

A number of small area methods have been developed for producing postcensal estimates, including the Structural Preserving Estimation technique as a result of Purcell and Kish (1980). This paper develops an alternative approach that is based on a linear mixed modelling approach to producing postcensal estimates. The validity of the methodology is tested on simulated data from the Finnish population register and the technique is applied to producing updated estimates for a number of the 1991 UK census variables.

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

Description: This infographic uses data from the 2018 and 2022 Canadian Internet Use Survey to examine patterns and trends in online banking by population groups.

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

Description: From January 2nd to February 5th, 2024, Statistics Canada conducted the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions. The purpose of this survey is to collect information on businesses in Canada related to emerging issues. This iteration of the survey focuses on business expectations and business conditions in Canada. In addition, the questionnaire for the first quarter of 2024 includes a component specifically for non-profit organizations (NPOs). The intent of this set of questions is to address a present data gap and to provide a better understanding of the non-profit sector. This infographic presents key results from this.

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

Description: This infographic presents some highlights from the 2022 Canadian Income Survey data.

Description: Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy introduced the Official Poverty Line for Canada and a dashboard of 12 indicators to track progress on poverty reduction for Canadians and their households. This infographic presents trend information for Canada's official poverty rate and the associated 12 indicators.

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

Description: The availability of measures to operationalize allostatic load—the cumulative toll on the body of responding to stressor demands—in population health surveys may differ across years or surveys, hampering analyses on the entire sampled population. In this study, the impacts of variable selection and calculation method were evaluated to generate an allostatic load index applicable across all cycles of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). CHMS data were used to compare individual and population-level changes in scores for allostatic load indexes in which other commonly used measures were substituted for waist-to-hip ratio. Associations between the various constructs and indicators of socioeconomic position were then assessed to evaluate whether relationships were maintained across indexes.

Description: This series of regional maps shows the number of school-aged children eligible to primary and secondary instruction in English in Quebec by census subdivision, and the proportion of these children who attend or have attended an English-language school in Canada. All the information provided comes from the 2021 Census of Population and the 2022 Open Database of Educational Facilities.

Description: While many Canadians prefer to live in low-density housing, the supply of these units is linked to urban sprawl and attendant environmental and economic implications. This article examines recent trends of new housing supply and areas of urban sprawl in select Canadian cities. It also analyzes the characteristics of homeowners who live in neighbourhoods which have recently experienced urban sprawl.

Description: This study used Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) administrative data within the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform to compare enrolment and persistence in postsecondary education (PSE) among high school graduates in British Columbia with and without special needs across five cohorts from 2010/2011 to 2014/2015 before and after controlling for several sociodemographic characteristics and academic achievement.

Description: This analysis compares the investment efforts of official language minority (OLM) owned businesses depending on whether they are located in a rural or urban area. The study is based on a model that uses a seemingly unrelated regression equation (SURE) system estimator to simultaneously assess the impact of determinants that explain the investment of businesses in rural and urban areas and to statistically test the differences between the two areas.

Description: This article examines the association between parents' housing wealth and the values of houses owned by their adult children. It also documents parent and child co-ownership arrangements. The article follows a previous article that examined the role that parents' property ownership played in the likelihood of homeownership for children born in the 1990s. These articles use residential property and ownership information from the Canadian Housing Statistics Program for the 2021 reference year for all provinces and territories, except Quebec and Saskatchewan.

Description: This thematic series groups different statistical products related to Indigenous peoples. It features analytical documents of varying scopes, such as population profiles, reference materials, data products (including tables and factsheets), among other document types.

Description: This article uses 12 months of data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and LFS supplement for 2022, and the 2016 General Social Survey on Canadians at Work and Home to explore several quality of employment indicators based on Statistics Canada's Statistical Framework on Quality of Employment among the core working age First Nations people living off reserve and Métis (18 to 64 years), in the 10 provinces.

Description: This Juristat article explores recent trends in police-reported sexual assault and other selected types of violent crime, following the implementation of changes to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey in 2018. Analysis includes a focus on clearance status and victim, accused person and incident characteristics, comparing results from 2017 to the years that followed the changes.

Description: The Canadian Income Survey (CIS) has introduced improvements to the methods and data sources used to produce income and poverty estimates with the release of its 2022 reference year estimates. Foremost among these improvements is a significant increase in the sample size for a large subset of the CIS content. The weighting methodology was also improved and the target population of the CIS was changed from persons aged 16 years and over to persons aged 15 years and over. This paper describes the changes made and presents the approximate net result of these changes on the income estimates and data quality of the CIS using 2021 data. The changes described in this paper highlight the ways in which data quality has been improved while having little impact on key CIS estimates and trends.

Description: This publication features short, informative articles focusing on specific justice-related issues. For more in-depth articles on justice in Canada, see also Juristat, Catalogue no. 85-002-X.

Description:

Each issue contains a short article highlighting statistical insights on themes relating to agriculture, food and rural issues.

Description: This publication presents energy balance sheets in natural units and heat equivalents in primary and secondary forms, by province. Each balance sheet shows data on production, trade, interprovincial movements, conversion and consumption by sector. Analytical tables and details on non-energy products are also included. It includes explanatory notes, a historical energy summary table and data analysis. The publication also presents data on natural gas liquids, electricity generated from fossil fuels, solid wood waste and spent pulping liquor.

Description: Once every five years, the Census of Population provides a detailed and comprehensive statistical portrait of Canada that is vital to our country. It is the primary source of sociodemographic data for specific population groups such as lone-parent families, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, seniors and language groups.

In order to help users of census products to better understand the various Census of Population concepts, Statistics Canada has developed, in the context of the activities of the 2021 Census and previous censuses, a collection of short videos. These videos are a reference source for users who are new to census concepts or those who have some experience with these concepts, but may need a refresher or would like to expand their knowledge.

Description: The Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) outlines departmental actions, with measurable performance indicators, that support the implementation strategies of the 2022-2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. The DSDS further outlines Statistics Canada’s sustainable development vision to produce data to help track whether Canada is moving toward a more sustainable future and highlights projects with links to supporting sustainable development goals.

Description: This series provides detailed documentation on the issues, concepts, methodology, data quality and other relevant research related to household expenditures from the Survey of Household Spending, the Homeowner Repair and Renovation Survey and the Food Expenditure Survey.

Description: This report summarizes the annual achievements of the Methodology Research and Development Program (MRDP) sponsored by the Modern Statistical Methods and Data Science Branch at Statistics Canada. This program covers research and development activities in statistical methods with potentially broad application in the agency’s statistical programs; these activities would otherwise be less likely to be carried out during the provision of regular methodology services to those programs. The MRDP also includes activities that provide support in the application of past successful developments in order to promote the use of the results of research and development work. Selected prospective research activities are also presented.

Description: The series covers environment accounts and indicators, environmental surveys, spatial environmental information and other research related to environmental statistics. The technical paper series is intended to stimulate discussion on a range of environmental topics.

Description: This series of analytical articles provides insights on the socio-economic environment in rural communities in Canada. New articles will be released periodically.

Description: Statistics Canada is committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise to help all Canadians develop their data literacy skills by developing a series of data literacy training resources. Data literacy is a key skill needed in the 21st century. It is generally described as the ability to derive meaning from data. Data literacy focuses on the competencies or skills involved in working with data, including the ability to read, analyze, interpret, visualize data, as well as to drive good decision-making.