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A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research

September 2017

High use of acute care hospital services at age 50 or older

by Michelle Rotermann

Health care spending amounted to an estimated $218 billion in 2016 and represented more than 11% of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product. A small percentage of the population (1% to 5%) accounts for a large share of these health care costs and resource use.

Abstract Full article PDF version The Daily release

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High use of acute care hospital services at age 50 or older

Nutritional risk, hospitalization and mortality among community-dwelling Canadians aged 65 or older

by Pamela L. Ramage-Morin, Heather Gilmour and Michelle Rotermann

Advancing age may bring diet-related challenges. Among seniors, chronic conditions and the medications used to treat them can interfere with appetite, the taste and enjoyment of food, and the absorption of nutrients. Impaired mobility and dexterity, declining health, and lack of transportation can be barriers to purchasing and preparing food. Poor oral health may also hinder eating. Some older people live in “food deserts” devoid of supermarkets and characterized by convenience stores and fast-food outlets with “empty calorie” choices. Changes in living arrangements due to the loss of a spouse can affect seniors’ diets through loneliness and the logistics of cooking for one.

Abstract Full article PDF version The Daily release

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Nutritional risk, hospitalization and mortality among community-dwelling Canadians aged 65 or older

Duration and quality of sleep among Canadians aged 18 to 79

by Jean-Philippe Chaput, Suzy L. Wong and Isabelle Michaud

Insufficient sleep (short duration and poor quality) is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, injuries, all-cause mortality, depression, irritability, and reduced well-being. In today’s 24/7 world, insufficient sleep is common. The factors that may be associated with insufficient sleep include exposure to artificial light at night, caffeine consumption, work demands, social commitments, and family dynamics (for example, working mothers and children with full agendas). Sleep often receives relatively little attention as a component of a healthy lifestyle, and health care professionals and policy-makers tend not to regard it as a public health concern.

Abstract Full article PDF version The Daily release

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Duration and quality of sleep among Canadians aged 18 to 79

  • Insomnia. Tjepkema M. Health Reports (Statistics Canada, Catalogue 82-003) 2005; 17(1): 9-25.
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