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Health Indicators, vol. 2002, no. 2 > Definitions
and data sources >
Community and health system characteristics
Community
Health system
Resources
Community
Population
Definition:
The number of people living in a geographic area by age and sex.
A population’s size and age/sex composition impact the health status
of a region and its need for health services. Population data also provide
the "denominators" used to calculate rates for most health and
social indicators.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Demography Division. Data are derived from the Census
and administrative sources on births, deaths, and migration. Population
growth for Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia were supplied by the Institut
de la statistique du Québec, Alberta Health and Wellness and BC
Stats respectively.
Population density
Definition:
Number of people per square kilometre. Calculated by dividing the total
population by land area.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census, and Geography Division (special tabulations)
Dependency ratio
Definition:
The ratio of the combined child population (aged 0 to 14) and elderly
population (aged 65 and over) to the working age population (aged 15 to
64). This ratio is usually presented as the number of dependents for every
100 people in the working age population.
Canadians aged 65 and over and those under age 15 are more likely to
be socially and/or economically dependent on working age Canadians, and
they may also put certain additional demands on health services.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Demography Division. Data are derived from the Census
and administrative sources on births, deaths, and migration. Population
growth for Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia were supplied by the Institut
de la statistique du Québec, Alberta Health and Wellness and BC
Stats respectively.
Urban population
Definition:
People living in urban areas. An urban area is defined as having a minimum
population of 1,000 and a population density of 400 people per square
kilometre.
This community characteristic allows users to compare regions with similar
proportions of urban/rural population.
Source:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census
Aboriginal population
Definition:
Aboriginal people living in a geographic area. Aboriginal people are those
persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group (e.g.
North American Indian, Métis or Inuit) and/or those who reported
being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian
Act and/or those who were members of an Indian Band or First Nation.
Health status characteristics and non-medical determinants of Aboriginal
people differ from the non-Aboriginal population, for example, infant
mortality, unintentional injury deaths, suicides and smoking rates. Knowing
the proportion of Aboriginal people in a geographic area provides context
to better interpret health indicators.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census (20% sample), 1996 Census Coverage Studies,
and Demography Division (population estimates)
Immigrant population
Definition:
All immigrants living in a geographic area, and those immigrants who came
to Canada from 1981 to 1996.
Canadian, American and Australian studies have shown that immigrants,
particularly non-European immigrants, generally have a longer life expectancy
and lower risk of certain chronic conditions than the native-born population.
However, the Canadian studies have also shown that as the immigrants'
period of residence in Canada increases, so does the prevalence of chronic
conditions, smoking and disability. Understanding the proportion of immigrants
in a geographic area, along with the period of immigration, provides a
context for interpreting health indicators.
Source:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census (20% sample)
Internal migrant mobility
Definition:
Percentage of people that lived in a different Canadian municipality at
the time of the previous Census (5-year internal migrants) or one year
before the current Census (1-year internal migrants). External migrants
who were living outside Canada are excluded.
Source:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census (20% sample)
Strong MIZ
Definition:
Strong MIZ (Census Metropolitan Area and Census Agglomeration Influenced
Zones) represents the proportion of the population living in Census
Metropolitan Areas (CMA), Census Agglomerations (CA) and communities that
fall outside CMAs/CAs that have at least 30% of the employed labour force
commuting to CMAs/CAs. The larger the proportion, the stronger the relationship
between the specific community and a nearby CMA/CA.
The CMAs and CAs are large urban areas with adjacent urban and rural
areas that have a high degree of economic and social integration. These
CMAs and CAs are defined around urban areas that have attained certain
population thresholds: 100,000 for CMAs and 10,000 for CAs.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census (20% sample), Geography Division
Lone-parent families
Definition:
Percentage of lone-parent families among all census families living in
private households. A census family refers to married or common-law couple
or lone parent with at least one never-married son or daughter living
in the same household.
Source:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census (20% sample)
Visible minority
Definition:
Population belonging to a visible minority group. As defined by the Employment
Equity Act (1986), visible minorities are persons (other than Aboriginal
people) who are non-caucasian in race or non-white in colour.
Source:
Statistics Canada, 1996 Census (20% sample)
Teen pregnancy
Definition:
Number and rate of pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19.
Pregnancies are composed of live births, induced (therapeutic) abortions
and fetal loss, including stillbirths (at least 20 weeks gestation or
fetal weight of at least 500 grams) and cases of spontaneous abortion,
illegally induced abortion, other and unspecified abortion treated in
general and allied hospitals in Canada.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Vital Statistics, Birth and Stillbirth Databases; Canadian
Institute for Health Information, Hospital Morbidity Database, and Therapeutic
Abortion Survey
Health system
Inflow/outflow ratio
Definition:
A ratio of the number of separations from acute care hospitals within
a given region divided by the number of acute care hospital discharges
generated by residents of that region. An overall ratio is calculated
for discharges associated with any diagnosis or procedure and separately
for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), total hip replacement,
total knee replacement and hysterectomy procedures.
(CABG: CCP code 48.1 or ICD-9-CM procedure code 36.1, Hip replacement:
CCP code of 93.51 or 93.59 or ICD-9-CM procedure code of 81.51or 81.53,
Knee replacement: CCP code of 93.41 or ICD-9-CM procedure code of 81.54or
81.55, Hysterectomy: CCP code of 80.2-80.6, or ICD-9-CM procedure code
of 68.3-68.7, 68.9).
This indicator reflects the balance between the quantity of hospitals
stays provided to both residents and non-residents by all acute care hospitals
in a given region and the extent of acute care utilization by residents
of that region, whether they receive care within or out of the region.
A ratio less than one indicates that hospital stays utilized by residents
of a region exceeded hospital care provided within that region, suggesting
an outflow effect. A ratio greater than one indicates hospital stays provided
by a region exceeded the quantity of stays utilized by its residents,
suggesting an inflow effect. A ratio of one indicates that the volume
of hospital discharges in the region is equivalent to that generated by
its residents, suggesting that inflow and outflow activity, if it exists
at all, is balanced.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Hospital Morbidity Database
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
Definition:
Age-standardized rate of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery performed
on inpatients in acute care hospitals per 100,000 population age 20 and
over.
(CCP code 48.1 or ICD-9-CM procedure code 36.1).
Variations in CABG surgery rates can be attributed to numerous factors,
including differences in population demographics, physician practice patterns,
and availability of services. In some cases, coronary angioplasty (an
alternative intervention to improve blood flow to the heart muscle) may
be used. Variations in the extent of the procedure may result in variations
in bypass surgery.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Hospital Morbidity Database
Hip replacement
Definition:
Age-standardized rate of total unilateral or bilateral hip replacement
surgery performed on inpatients in acute care hospitals per 100,000 population.
(CCP code of 93.51 or 93.59 or ICD-9-CM procedure code of 81.51or 81.53).
Hip replacement surgery has the potential to result in considerable improvement
in functional status, pain relief, as well as other gains in health-related
quality of life. Over the past two decades, rates of surgery have increased
substantially. Wide inter-regional variation in the hip replacement rate
may be attributable to numerous factors including the availability of
services, provider practice patterns, and patient preferences.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Hospital Morbidity Database
Knee replacement
Definition:
Age-standardized rate of total unilateral or bilateral knee replacement
surgery performed on inpatients in acute care hospitals per 100,000 population.
(CCP code of 93.41 or ICD-9-CM procedure code of 81.54or 81.55).
Knee replacement surgery has the potential to result in considerable
improvement in functional status, pain relief, as well as other gains
in health-related quality of life. Over the past two decades, rates of
surgery have increased substantially. Wide inter-regional variation in
the knee replacement rate may be attributable to numerous factors including
the availability of services, provider practice patterns, and patient
preferences.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Hospital Morbidity Database
Hysterectomy
Definition:
Age-standardized rate for hysterectomies provided to inpatients in acute
care hospitals, per 100,000 women age 20 and older.
(CCP code of 80.2-80.6 or ICD-9-CM procedure code of 68.3-68.7, 68.9).
Utilization rates may reflect the level of uncertainty about the appropriate
use of this surgical procedure. The "right" level of utilization
is not known. In Canada, inter-regional hysterectomy rates vary two to
three-fold.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Hospital Morbidity Database
Contact with alternative health care providers
Definition:
Population aged 12 and over who have consulted with alternative health
care providers in the past 12 months.
Alternative health care providers include: massage therapists, acupuncturists,
homeopaths or naturopaths, Feldenkrais or Alexander teachers, relaxation
therapists, biofeedback teachers, rolfers, herbalists, reflexologists,
spiritual healers, religious healers, etc.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01, health file;
Statistics Canada, National Population Health Survey, 1994/95, 1996/97
and 1998/99, cross sectional sample, health file; Statistics Canada, National
Population Health Survey, 1994/95 and 1996/97, cross sectional sample,
North component
Contact with medical doctors
Definition:
Population aged 12 and over who have consulted with a medical doctor/pediatrician
in the past 12 months.
Medical doctor includes family or general practitioners as well as specialists
such as surgeons, allergists, orthopaedists, gynaecologists, or psychiatrists.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01, health file;
Statistics Canada, National Population Health Survey, 1994/95, 1996/97
and 1998/99, cross sectional sample, health file; Statistics Canada, National
Population Health Survey, 1994/95 and 1996/97, cross sectional sample,
North component
Contact with mental health professionals
Definition:
Population aged 12 and over who have consulted with a health professional
about their mental health in the past 12 months.
Mental health professionals include: family doctors or general practitioners,
psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and counsellors.
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01, health file;
Statistics Canada, National Population Health Survey, 1994/95, 1996/97
and 1998/99, cross sectional sample, health file; Statistics Canada, National
Population Health Survey, 1994/95 and 1996/97, cross sectional sample,
North component
Contact with dental professionals
Definition:
Population aged 12 and over who have consulted with a dental professional
in the past 12 months.
Dental professionals include dentists, orthodontists or dental hygienists
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01, health file;
Statistics Canada, National Population Health Survey, 1994/95, 1996/97
and 1998/99, cross sectional sample, health file; Statistics Canada, National
Population Health Survey, 1994/95 and 1996/97, cross sectional sample,
North component
Resources
Health expenditures
Definition:
Health expenditures in current dollars; expenditures per capita; percent
of Gross Domestic Product; public sector expenditures as a percent of
total spending; expenditures by use of funds.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure
Database
Doctors
Definition:
General practitioners (including uncertified specialists) or family practitioners
(family medicine and emergency family medicine specialists) per 100,000
population on December 31st of the reference year. Specialist physicians
(specialty based on most recent certified specialty) on December 31st
of the reference year, per 100,000 population.
Physician to population ratios are used to support health human resource
planning. Physician density ratios do not take into account workload or
type of services provided. In some regions, health facilities and personnel
provide services to a larger community than the residents of the immediate
region. In others, residents may seek care from physicians and specialists
outside the region where they live. The ratio of physicians to population
reflects the number of doctors in a region and has not been adjusted to
take these movements into account. The extent to which this affects individual
regions is likely to vary.
Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Southam Medical Database
Other health professionals
Definition:
Number of health professionals (selected professions) per 100,000 population.
Physician data include physicians in clinical and non-clinical practice
and exclude interns and residents. Specialty is based on the most recent
certified specialty. Registered nurses (RN) rates are based on RNs employed
in nursing and will differ from provincial/territorial data due to the
CIHI collection period, the removal of interprovincial duplicates, and
provincial territorial data cleaning at year-end. Licensed practical nurses
(LPN) figures represent total registrants, regardless of activity/employment
status. Other health professional data reflect the number of: licensed
pharmacists, excluding non-practicing and honorary pharmacists and certified
clerks; active dentists licensed in general practice and certified specialists;
active physiotherapists registered with the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy
Regulators; active registered psychologists ("active" refers
to self-employed, or employed by agencies, e.g. hospitals or clinics);
licensed dental hygienists; licensed chiropractors; and registered optometrists.
Sources:
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Health Personnel Database;
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Registered Nurses Database;
Canadian Institute for Health Information, Southam Medical Database
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