Health risks in Canadians

Overview

Students will analyse graphs and data to determine the health risks for selected age categories of Canadians. Students will examine the potential years of life lost by cause, and will discuss, explain and chart the differences in each age category. The lesson incorporates text and data tables from the Canada Year Book 1999 or CD-ROM.

Objectives

• To develop an increased awareness of health issues
• To demonstrate the ability to read tables and interpret data
• To relate health concerns to lifestyle choices

Suggested grade levels and subject areas

Intermediate, Secondary
Health Education, Sociology, Family Studies, World Issues

This activity may be used in sequence after the Level 1 lesson for students in higher grades or of higher ability. The activity presents a higher difficulty level if it precedes the presentation of the text materials used for Level 1.

Duration

60–120 minutes

Vocabulary

Neoplasms — tumours (cancerous and non-cancerous).
Perinatal mortality — deaths associated with childbirth.
Congenital anomalies — inherited health problems.
Respiratory diseases — breathing disorders.
Cerebrovascular diseases — brain disorders, strokes.
Potential years of life lost — total number of potential years of life lost for all people (in specified age groups) who died at an early age.

Materials

• Canada Year Book 1999
  Print version: copies of pp. 110-112, 132
  CD-ROM version: go to The People > Health > The Young and the Reckless, Adulthood, "Seniors; and The People > Health > Tables > "Potential years of life lost, 1996"
  HTML
• Student worksheet 2

Classroom instructions

1. Define the terms used to describe causes of death.
2. Have students refer to the table "Potential Years of Life Lost, by Cause of Death, 1996" to complete the Student worksheet 2.
3. Students may use a computer spreadsheet application.
4. Students may save and transfer the data electronically if using the Canada Year Book 1999 CD-ROM.
5. Discuss with class how students and parents might help each other to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Evaluation

Teachers may mark student responses to the questions on the Student worksheet 2 using the following answers as a guide.

Activity 1. Understanding the data

1. Using the column "Total all Causes" determine whether more people died in the age group 40–44 or the age group 60–64.
   • age group 40–44 lost 112,000 potential years of life to age 70, which is 112,000÷(70-42) = 4,000 lives approximately
   • age group 60–64 lost 96,000 potential years of life to age 70 which is 96,000÷(70-62) = 12,000 lives approximately
     
     Care must be taken to note that declining numbers of potential years of life lost in older age groups does not always mean that fewer people are dying. However, we can assume that rising numbers mean greater number of deaths for the older age groups.
2. Explain why the pattern of numbers differs between one column showing the cause of death as "Neoplasms" and the next column "Accidental deaths."
   • Tumours are more likely to develop at an older age, and this points to an increase in tumours as the population groups age. Young people are as prone to accidents as the elderly, or more so, thus the numbers fall.
3. The numbers in the column referring to childbirth, “Perinatal mortality”, are quite different from those in the other columns. Explain why so few age groups show numbers in this column.
   • The age groups 1–4 and 5–9 record the lives of children lost in childbirth or as a result of childbirth. The 15–19 and 20–24 age groups record the lives of mothers lost in childbirth. These are the ages of greater risk combined with greater number of pregnancies.

Activity 2. Manipulating and analysing the data

Answers will vary in this section, based on the age groups chosen. As an example, the number one danger for 15- to 19-year-olds is accidental death. It represents 29,190÷55,073×100 = 53% of total potential years of life lost. Suicide is next at 12,128÷55,073×100 = 22%.

Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.