Baseline indicators of mortality for monitoring health disparities

We are now working on a major initiative that examines disparities in health, especially among targeted population groups such as families with low income or low education and Aboriginals. This study’s objectives are guided by the latest First Ministers’ Accord on Health Care Renewal which calls for governments at all levels to continue their efforts to reduce disparities in health and to report on progress toward achieving this goal.

The first phase of the project, a probabilistic linkage of a 15% sample of the 1991 Census with death records up to and including 2001, is well underway. This linkage will allow the production of baseline mortality and life expectancy indicators for selected populations. Two important research questions will also be addressed: does where a person lives affect longevity? Do work conditions, especially those with high demands and low control, affect heart disease mortality?

Preliminary results are expected in early 2006. More information about the record linkage phase is available at /record-enregistrement/2003-eng.htm#0312