Acute-care hospitalizations and Aboriginal identity in Canada, 2001/2002

by Gisèle Carrière, Rochelle Garner, Claudia Sanmartin, and LHAD Research Team

Executive summary

Health disparities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in Canada, including differences in life expectancies, have clearly been established. A variety of sources is currently used to measure and document these disparities, yet information gaps persist. Because of limited coverage and sample sizes, reliable health information that reflects the diversity in Canada’s Aboriginal population is not always available.

Hospital discharge records contain information about serious morbidity and include populations not regularly covered by national health surveys. However, Aboriginal identity information about patients is not recorded consistently across the country in hospital administrative data.

By assigning 2001 Census data for small geographical areas to hospital discharge records from the 2001/2002 Hospital Morbidity Database, this report provides estimates of morbidity serious enough to require hospitalization. Acute-care hospitalizations of people living in areas with a relatively high percentage of Aboriginal residents are compared with hospitalizations of residents of areas where the percentage of Aboriginal residents is low. Variations by predominant Aboriginal identity in these areas—First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations—are also explored.

Factors that potentially underlie differences in hospitalization rates between residents of high- and low-Aboriginal areas are determined by adjusting for urban/rural residence and area socio-economic characteristics.

Key findings

• Residents of areas with a relatively high percentage of Aboriginal people had significantly higher hospitalization rates, compared with residents of areas where the percentage of Aboriginal people was low.
• Hospitalizations of patients from areas with a high percentage of Aboriginal people had a significantly younger age distribution than did hospitalizations of patients from areas with a low percentage of Aboriginal people.
• The highest hospitalization rates were among residents of areas where the predominant Aboriginal identity was First Nations.
• Hospitalization rates for respiratory diseases, injuries and mental disorders were much higher among residents of areas with a high percentage of Aboriginal people.
• Urban/Rural location and housing conditions had the strongest associations with differences in hospitalization rates between residents of high- and low-Aboriginal areas.