The Canadian Health Measures Survey collects key information relevant to the health of Canadians by means of direct physical measurements—such as blood pressure, height, weight and physical fitness—, a clinical oral health examination and the collection of blood and urine samples to test for infectious diseases, nutrition and environment markers.

Through household questionnaires, the survey gathers information related to nutrition, smoking habits, alcohol use, medical history, current health status, sexual behaviour, lifestyle and physical activity, the environment and housing characteristics, as well as demographic and socioeconomic variables.

Collection includes a combination of a computer-assisted interview at home and a visit to a mobile clinic specifically designed for the survey’s collection of the physical measures.

Complete list of physical measures and laboratory tests

The collection of blood and urine samples will be very valuable in improving Canada’s health information system. The Canadian Health Measures Survey will test these samples for a variety of substances related to nutrition, infectious disease and environmental contamination. The tests performed on the samples will help us to evaluate the extent in the Canadian population of such major health concerns as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, exposure to infectious diseases and exposure to environmental contaminants.

With participants’ consent, we also store some of the blood and urine samples for future health research. For participants 20 years old and older, we also ask permission to extract and store their DNA.

More information about blood, urine and DNA storage

The Canadian Health Measures Survey has hired qualified health measures specialists, phlebotomists, dentists and laboratory technologists to staff its mobile clinic. These specialists, typically governed by provincial Colleges or Societies, take universal medical precautions and follow standard clinical procedure when conducting the tests. Specialists are all eligible for membership in national societies and qualified to work in their province. The clinic staff have been hired to collect physical measures across Canada. They do not diagnose or counsel individuals for treatment.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey has been funded and designed to develop national baseline estimates based on direct health measures in areas such as nutrition, fitness patterns and obesity levels, environmental contaminants, oral health, and heart and lung health.

Results of the survey are expected to be disseminated in early 2010.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey gives information about collection protocols and procedures in advance to municipal administrators, local hospitals and the public health authority. As well, family physicians and dentists—who may encounter patients presenting follow-up letters related to this survey—are informed a month in advance of the survey arriving in any given community.

Under the Statistics Act, individuals’ information is collected and used for statistical purposes only. Statistics Canada is prohibited in this legislation from disclosing personal information to any government, police agency or court of law—for any purpose—without the individual’s consent.

For two infectious disease blood tests, concerning hepatitis B and C, Statistics Canada is only performing the tests with participants who agree to have their results disclosed to public health authorities when tests are positive. Participants may decline these tests without any questions asked. No other results will be reported to public health authorities.

Only with participants’ permission, Statistics Canada is authorized by law to share information with another organization that wants to collect similar information—to avoid duplication. Participants must be informed at the time of collection of organizations that wish to have survey responses and the purpose for which they want it. Participants may always decline any sharing request, in which case Statistics Canada will not share the collected information. For this survey, Statistics Canada has data sharing agreements with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Statistics Canada does not disclose individual lab results to anyone without participants’ consent. To protect confidentiality, all specimens going to and coming from any of the three reference laboratories used by the Canadian Health Measures Survey are labeled with generic identification numbers that only authorized Statistics Canada personnel working in head office can match to a participant’s identity.

Survey participants will receive a Report of Measurements at the end of their clinic visit and a Report of Laboratory Tests 8 to 12 weeks later. Results in these reports only indicate if the participant is in a normal range of results according to established guidelines. They say little about a specific individual except, perhaps, in extreme cases. The clinic staff can explain what is written on the reports but they do not diagnose or suggest treatment options. They provide participants with a letter that the participants may use to follow up with health care providers for such extreme cases.

It will be up to participants to seek advice on their results from their health care provider. However, in certain cases—abnormal blood pressure, oral health and lung function results, as well as abnormal blood and urine tests and positive results to hepatitis B and C—we will recommend that they discuss their results with a regulated health professional.

Due to privacy and logistical constraints, Statistics Canada will be unable to inform participants of their results from future studies. When they are available, results of these studies—in the form of aggregate data—will be posted on the Statistics Canada website, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/chms.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey is currently developing an approval process for access to the samples. This information will be available closer to the time of data release, in early 2010.

Statistics Canada developed the survey content through consultations with its partners, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as with health professionals and other experts in Canada and around the world. We have consulted with Health Canada’s research ethics board, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and provincial privacy commissioners.

This process ensures that the survey will provide answers that meet the research needs and priorities of the health research community in Canada.

Many health professionals and organizations in Canada recognize the need for a physical measures survey and, accordingly, key organizations have provided their endorsement and support. The Canadian Health Measures Survey has received the endorsement of the following organizations:

• the Canadian Medical Association
• the Canadian Dental Association
• the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• the Canadian Lung Association
• the Canadian Red Cross
• Dietitians of Canada
• the Canadian Hypertension Society

and the support of

• the College of Family Physicians of Canada
• the Canadian Public Health Association