Health at a Glance
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Each issue of Health at a Glance consists of a short non-technical article on topics that feature statistics from health-related surveys and administrative data.
Difficulty accessing health care services in Canada
by Janine Clarke
This article explores difficulty accessing selected health care services, reported by Canadians aged 15 and older. Some of the sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, level of education) and main reasons associated with difficulty accessing health care are highlighted. Data are from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Updating the standard population and its effect on cancer incidence and mortality rates
by Lawrence Ellison
This article describes the impact on age-standardized cancer incidence and mortality rates of an update to the standard population used to derive them. The impact is assessed by cancer type and by province for 2012, and on trends in cancer rates from 1992 to 2012. Data are from the Canadian Cancer Registry and the Canadian Vital Statistics – Death Database.
Deaths from congenital anomalies in Canada, 1974 to 2012
by Tanya Navaneelan, Caryn Pearson and Teresa Janz
Congenital anomalies, commonly referred to as birth defects, describe conditions that develop in the fetus at the time of conception or during pregnancy. This article presents data on trends in the average age at death, and death rates from five of the most common congenital anomalies: circulatory anomalies; Spina Bifida; and three chromosomal anomalies-Down syndrome, Edwards' syndrome and Patau's syndrome. Data from the 1974 to 2012 Canadian Vital Statistics-Deaths Database will be used to examine differences in the death rate due to congenital anomalies, among infants in Canada.
Understanding your health by using reference ranges
by Janine Clarke, Victoria Higgins, and Khosrow Adeli
This article highlights work that is being done to create laboratory reference ranges for substances measured in blood that are specific for the Canadian population. Results for two laboratory tests are presented to illustrate how reference ranges are created and how age and/or sex can influence normal values in a healthy population. This article uses data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007–2011).
Prostate cancer trends in Canada, 1995 to 2012
by Lawrence Ellison
This article presents national data on the annual rates of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer (incidence) and deaths attributed to this cancer (mortality) from 1995 to 2012. Trends in rates are presented for all ages combined and by age group. The age distribution of both prostate cancer incidence and prostate cancer mortality in 2012 is compared with corresponding data from 1995.
Deaths involving sepsis in Canada
by Tanya Navaneelan, Sarah Alam, Paul A. Peters, and Owen Phillips
This article explores deaths in Canada that involved sepsis, a serious medical condition caused by an overwhelming immune response to an infection. Sepsis-associated mortality rates are presented over time and by sex, age and underlying cause of death. The article uses multiple-causes-of-death data from the Canadian Vital Statistics – Death Database. Data from the years 2000 to 2011 are used when discussing changes over time.
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