Health Indicators & Health-based Statistics

Welcome to the
HEALTH INDICATORS & HEALTH STATISTICS guide

"Health indicators are measures of health and of the factors that affect health. They are numbers and statistics that can provide a basis for comparison. In a nutshell, that’s the purpose and power of health indicators. They let you measure, monitor, and compare important factors that influence the health of Canadians and the health care system." (A Citizen's Guide to Health Indicators: A reference guide for Canadians by Health Council of Canada )

This guide will give you an introduction to finding health indicators and health statistics using Canada's two primary sources: Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Don’t forget to check out the related guides for similar topics and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks, and enjoy!

Image source: A Citizen's Guide to Health Indicators: A reference guide for Canadians by Health Council of Canada 

Go beyond the guide

More documentation about Health Indicators:

Covid 19 Data & Statistics

Statistics Canada -
Covid 19 - A data perspective

Providing reliable statistics to Canadians.

Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) -
Covid 19 Resources

CIHI is committed to collecting, analyzing and sharing credible health data to help improve our health care systems and the health of all Canadians. We’ve compiled our key reports and resources containing information related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

International statistics sources

Image source: Pixabay.com

Keep in mind when looking for statistics for particular groups you may need to expand your view. 

Age -- to find data on a specific age range look for tables that have the variable "Age Group"
          ex. Table: 13-10-0111-01 -- Number and rates of new cases of primary cancer, by cancer type, age group and sex
          Note: CIHI does not cover children under 12 or in foster care. 

Indigenous peoples -- data is collected differently on-reserve and off-reserve. There are a couple of different approaches to finding data on indigenous peoples.

• StatsCan variables related to indigenous peoples, click the link for more information and definitions:
  • Aboriginal ancestry of person
  • Aboriginal group of person
  • Aboriginal identity of person
  • Aboriginal status of person
  • Membership in a First Nation or Indian band of person
  • Registered or Treaty Indian status of person
  • Residence inside or outside Inuit Nunangat of person
  • Residence on or off reserve of person

• Look for StatsCan tables that have the word "Aboriginal" ex. Table: 41-10-0003-01 -- Access to and use of health care services by Aboriginal identity
• Look for StatsCan tables that have the word "Inuit" ex. Table: 41-10-0004-01 -- Access to and use of health care services, Inuit population, by Inuit region of residence
• Look for health variables in the Aboriginal Children's Survey and the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.
• Look for CIHI data using the terms "First Nations", "Inuit" or "Metis".

2SLGBTQIA+ Communities -- the tables are challenging to isolate but there is quite a bit of information synthesized - recommend using the search rather than browsing tables. 

Since 2022, RRC Polytech has used the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+ for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, while + stands for other ways individuals express their gender and sexuality outside heteronormativity and the gender binary.

• Search using terms "lesbian", "gay", "bisexual", "lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB)", "intersex", "transgender",  "same-sex" or "sexual orientation"
• Statistics Canada's Page on Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics
• StatsCan variables related to 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples, click the link for more information and definitions:
  • Opposite/same-sex married spouse or common-law partner of person
  • Opposite/same-sex status of couple family
  • Gender of person
  • Sex of person
• Useful documentation:
  • Same-sex couples and sexual orientation... by the numbers
  • Same-sex couples in Canada in 2016 (98-200-X2016007)
  • Perceptions related to gender-based violence, gender equality, and gender expression (85-005-X201900100001)

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We’re equally committed to fostering a safe campus environment by ensuring everyone has the chance to work, learn, and access services in an inclusive and welcoming manner.

The terms outlined in this guide are for navigating search tools that may be external to RRC Polytech and may use alternative terms that are not reflective of the values at Red River College Polytechnic.