Table 12
Changes, by category, in self-rated health between 1994/1995 and 2004/2005, Canada and provinces


                                            Persons who rated their health as "good", "very good" or "excellent" in:
  1996/1997 1998/1999 2000/2001 2002/2003 2004/2005
  Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Persons who rated their health as "good", "very good" or "excellent" in 1994/1995  
Canada 20,215,243 86.0 19,491,422 85.6 18,700,073 84.0 18,240,270 83.8 18,013,752 84.5
Newfoundland and Labrador 416,952 87.1 387,668 84.7 376,012 83.9 373,786 85.2 372,327 86.4
Prince Edward Island 89,801 84.0 87,700 85.2 82,864 82.7 79,616 81.6 81,001 84.5
Nova Scotia 599,921 80.8 584,752 80.1 565,732 79.4 544,459 78.5 524,895 78.3
New Brunswick 506,602 82.1 474,125 79.7 466,081 80.2 457,839 80.0 448,069 80.4
Quebec 5,138,977 86.8 4,977,155 87.0 4,718,463 84.4 4,641,379 84.9 4,544,247 84.7
Ontario 7,619,475 85.8 7,304,325 85.1 7,107,518 84.6 6,911,336 84.3 6,796,110 84.6
Manitoba 729,050 83.3 714,900 85.1 666,468 82.6 651,038 82.8 627,887 82.1
Saskatchewan 655,834 84.1 636,283 84.7 597,839 81.9 588,215 83.1 572,315 83.1
Alberta 1,878,112 87.6 1,834,981 87.9 1,757,090 84.9 1,685,970 82.7 1,729,034 86.2
British Columbia 2,580,518 86.8 2,489,533 85.8 2,362,005 83.8 2,306,632 83.4 2,317,867 85.1
Persons who rated their health as "fair" or "poor" in 1994/1995  
Canada 1,097,168 4.7 1,108,960 4.9 1,009,767 4.5 898,019 4.1 924,870 4.3
Newfoundland and Labrador 22,981 4.8 22,967 5.0 23,435 5.2 20,858 E 4.8 E 14,806 E 3.4 E
Prince Edward Island 4,967 E 4.6 E 5,751 5.6 4,830 E 4.8 E 5,369 E 5.5 E 4,556 E 4.8 E
Nova Scotia 49,258 E 6.6 E 44,068 E 6.0 E 49,272 6.9 41,027 E 5.9 E 47,646 E 7.1 E
New Brunswick 36,912 6.0 37,277 6.3 35,380 E 6.1 E 29,263 5.1 21,891 E 3.9 E
Quebec 289,977 4.9 273,803 4.8 278,252 5.0 236,033 4.3 227,596 4.2
Ontario 388,070 4.4 419,841 4.9 348,494 4.1 304,612 3.7 329,606 4.1
Manitoba 54,385 E 6.2 E 41,462 E 4.9 E 40,198 E 5.0 E 41,938 E 5.3 E 34,783 E 4.5 E
Saskatchewan 42,839 5.5 39,062 5.2 37,423 5.1 35,050 5.0 35,978 E 5.2 E
Alberta 95,791 4.5 95,096 4.6 78,758 E 3.8 E 83,871 E 4.1 E 88,480 E 4.4 E
British Columbia 111,987 3.8 129,633 4.5 113,726 4.0 99,998 E 3.6 E 119,526 4.4

                                            Persons who rated their health as "fair" or "poor" in:
  1996/1997 1998/1999 2000/2001 2002/2003 2004/2005
  Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Persons who rated their health as "good", "very good" or "excellent" in 1994/1995  
Canada 1,057,685 4.5 1,230,067 5.4 1,705,003 7.7 1,797,940 8.3 1,695,979 8.0
Newfoundland and Labrador 18,373 E 3.8 E 30,239 6.6 35,673 8.0 32,150 7.3 30,918 E 7.2 E
Prince Edward Island 4,737 E 4.4 E 4,114 4.0 7,092 7.1 7,426 E 7.6 E 5,444 5.7
Nova Scotia 31,683 E 4.3 E 39,173 5.4 46,915 6.6 51,832 7.5 56,610 8.4
New Brunswick 29,688 4.8 46,246 7.8 46,182 7.9 51,705 9.0 44,171 7.9
Quebec 225,909 3.8 239,692 4.2 409,384 7.3 398,110 7.3 411,775 7.7
Ontario 437,654 4.9 534,730 6.2 639,136 7.6 699,590 8.5 681,382 8.5
Manitoba 45,242 E 5.2 E 40,210 E 4.8 E 63,693 7.9 62,755 8.0 72,293 E 9.5 E
Saskatchewan 45,897 E 5.9 E 46,224 E 6.2 E 67,598 9.3 61,281 8.7 65,713 9.5
Alberta 85,907 4.0 89,928 E 4.3 E 163,009 7.9 200,260 9.8 132,119 6.6
British Columbia 132,596 4.5 159,510 5.5 226,322 8.0 232,831 8.4 195,555 7.2
Persons who rated their health as "fair" or "poor" in 1994/1995  
Canada 1,148,631 4.9 942,957 4.1 841,568 3.8 835,572 3.8 695,598 3.3
Newfoundland and Labrador 20,176 4.2 17,065 E 3.7 E 13,300 E 3.0 E 11,958 E 2.7 E 12,701 E 2.9 E
Prince Edward Island 7,409 6.9 5,392 5.2 5,426 5.4 5,190 5.3 4,809 E 5.0 E
Nova Scotia 62,052 8.4 62,080 8.5 50,404 7.1 56,590 E 8.2 41,595 E 6.2 E
New Brunswick 44,018 7.1 37,359 6.3 33,335 5.7 33,805 E 5.9 E 43,302 E 7.8 E
Quebec 267,649 4.5 233,465 4.1 183,384 3.3 193,562 3.5 179,341 3.3
Ontario 432,976 4.9 323,238 3.8 305,579 3.6 285,520 3.5 224,339 2.8
Manitoba 46,117 E 5.3 E 43,155 5.1 36,210 E 4.5 30,759 E 3.9 E 29,803 E 3.9 E
Saskatchewan 35,109 4.5 29,384 E 3.9 E 27,046 E 3.7 E 22,895 E 3.2 E 14,996 E 2.2 E
Alberta 83,774 3.9 68,158 3.3 69,710 E 3.4 E 68,769 E 3.4 E 55,562 E 2.8 E
British Columbia 149,350 5.0 123,661 4.3 117,174 4.2 126,525 4.6 89,151 E 3.3 E

1. The table shows the changes in self-rated health of the 1994/1995 household population aged 12 and over every 2 years, at each cycle of the National Population Health Survey. Population, age, sex, Canada and province are based on the first survey cycle (cycle 1) in 1994/1995.
2. The table excludes persons who died or who were institutionalized after cycle 1 survey interview in 1994/1995. Estimated number of persons who have died: 287 persons after cycle 2, 599 persons after cycle 3, 957 persons after cycle 4, 1,279 persons after cycle 5 and 1,640 persons after cycle 6. These data are not all confirmed yet with the Canadian Vital Statistics Database. Persons living in an institution are excluded because they are not asked certain questions. Estimated number of persons who have been institutionalized: 62 persons at cycle 2, 114 persons at cycle 3, 135 persons at cycle 4, 161 persons at cycle 5 and 144 persons at cycle 6.
3. The table also excludes children under 12 and non-response (missing values), that is, "not applicable", "don't know", "refusal" and "not stated".
4. No estimates for self-rated health are provided for 1994/1995; what is shown instead are the changes in self-rated health. For estimates on self-rated health in 1994/1995, please refer to Health Indicators CANSIM table 104-0022, "Health status, Well-being".
5. Percentages are based on the population with a specific characteristic (one category) in a given cycle as the numerator divided by the total population in 1994/1995 having all possible characteristics (all categories) as the denominator, excluding missing values.
6. Bootstrapping techniques were used to produce the coefficient of variation (CV) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
7. Data with a coefficient of variation (CV) from 16.6% to 33.3% are identified by an (E) and should be interpreted with caution.
8. Data with a coefficient of variation (CV) greater than 33.3% were suppressed (F) due to extreme sampling variability.
9. Changes in self-rated health in 1996/1997 of the 1994/1995 population are based on the 1996/1997 longitudinal full data file. This file contains all panel members with a complete (full) response in cycle 1 (1994/1995) and cycle 2 (1996/1997). Number of respondents for this table (excluding missing values): 13,427.
10. Changes in self-rated health in 1998/1999 of the 1994/1995 population are based on the 1998/1999 longitudinal full data file. This file contains all panel members with a complete (full) response in cycle 1 (1994/1995), cycle 2 (1996/1997) and cycle 3 (1998/1999). Number of respondents for this table (excluding missing values): 12,129.
11. Changes in self-rated health in 2000/2001 of the 1994/1995 population are based on the 2000/2001 longitudinal full cycle 1 and cycle 4 subset of respondents (from the 2000/2001 longitudinal data file). It contains all panel members with a complete (full) response in cycle 1 (1994/1995) and cycle 4 (2000/2001), regardless of their response pattern in cycle 2 (1996/1997) and cycle 3 (1998/1999). Number of respondents for this table (excluding missing values): 11,439.
12. Changes in self-rated health of the 1994/1995 population in 2002/2003 are based on the 2002/2003 longitudinal full cycle 1 and cycle 5 subset of respondents (from 2002/2003 longitudinal data file). This subset contains all panel members with a complete (full) response in cycle 1 (1994/1995) and cycle 5 (2002/2003), regardless of their response pattern in cycle 2 (1996/1997), cycle 3 (1998/1999) and cycle 4 (2000/2001). Number of respondents for this table (excluding missing values): 10,438.
13. Changes in self-rated health of the 1994/1995 population in 2004/2005 are based on the 2004/2005 longitudinal full cycle 1 and cycle 6 subset of respondents (from 2004/2005 longitudinal data file). This subset contains all panel members with a complete (full) response in cycle 1 (1994/1995) and cycle 6 (2004/2005), regardless of their response pattern in cycle 2 (1996/1997), cycle 3 (1998/1999), cycle 4 (2000/2001) and cycle 5 (2002/2003). Number of respondents for this table (excluding missing values): 9,657.
Note(s): When comparing estimates, it is important to use confidence intervals to determine if differences between values are statistically significant. Confidence intervals describe sampling variability and give an indication of the precision of a given estimate. Please note that confidence intervals and coefficient of variations are provided in the CANSIM tables.
Source(s): Statistics Canada, National Population Health Survey, 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 2000/2001, 2002/2003 and 2004/2005 longitudinal data files (CANSIM table 104-7018).