The data

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Estimates in this article are based on data from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), conducted by Statistics Canada. The CCHS covers the population aged 12 or older living in private households. It does not include residents of Indian reserves, institutions, and some remote areas, full-time members of the Canadian Forces, and civilian residents of military bases. The data were collected by personal and telephone interviews between January and December 2005. The estimated prevalence of diabetes is based on these national data for the population aged 12 or older (n=132,947).

In 2005, participation in the "diabetes care module" of the CCHS was optional, and all health regions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Yukon Territory chose to participate. Data on individuals aged 18 or older in these provinces were selected for analysis (n=3,924).

Following the collection and processing of the data, the respondents' records were weighted to reflect the sampling and non-response that occurred in the CCHS. Weights were adjusted to demographic projections by age group and province.

Weighted distributions and frequencies were produced. Partial or item non-response accounted for less than 5% of the totals in most analyses; records with item non-responses were excluded from the calculations. The bootstrap technique, which fully adjusts for the design effects of the survey, was used to estimate the variance and confidence intervals; a significance level of p = 0.05 was established.

All 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) respondents aged 12 or older were asked a series of questions about "long-term conditions" that were expected to last, or had already lasted, six months or more and that had "been diagnosed by a health care professional." Individuals who reported having received a diagnosis of diabetes were asked several follow-up questions, including their age at diagnosis and whether they were using insulin.

In 2005, all health regions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Yukon Territory chose to participate in the diabetes care module of the CCHS. Respondents aged 18 or older were asked:

• "In the past 12 months, has a health care professional tested you for hemoglobin A-one-C? (An A-one-C hemoglobin test measures the average level of blood sugar over a three-month period.)" Those who said "yes" were asked how many times they had had the test.
• "In the past 12 months, has a health care professional checked your feet for any sores or irritations?" People who said "yes" were asked how often they had had such checks.
• "Have you ever had an eye exam where the pupils of your eyes were dilated?" Response categories were: less than one month ago; one month to less than one year ago; one year to less than two years ago; and two or more years ago.

These questions were derived in part from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in the United States, which has been used for reporting diabetes care indicators since 1984.⁶

The information respondents provided about their diabetic status and health care (professional and self-care) is based on self-reported data, and has not been clinically validated. The CCHS did not ask respondents specifics about their diagnosis (i.e., whether they had Type I (insulin-dependent) or Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes).