Community Health Status Report
Issue Number 9 - December 2002
SUMMARY
This report is the latest in a series produced by the Renfrew County and
District Health Unit. The series profiles health status in the communities
served by the RCDHU which include the County of Renfrew, City of Pembroke and
Township of South Algonquin, Ontario.
The current report is based primarily on data collected and analyzed by
Statistics Canada as part of its Canadian Community Health Survey, the first
cycle of which was completed in 2000/2001. Complete results are posted on the
Statistics Canada website (1).
Presented in this report are selected indicators for the Renfrew County and
District population, some of which have been reported on before and some of
which are new.
Key findings are as follows:
Health Status
Health status is generally not as good among residents of Renfrew County and
District as in residents of Ontario, Canada or Peer Group G. (Peer group G is a
group of about 20 health areas from across Canada with which RCD shares several
similar sociodemographic characteristics).
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The proportion of RCD residents who perceive their health to be very good or
excellent is lower than the corresponding group in Peer Group G, Ontario or
Canada. In RCD the proportion is 54% whereas in Peer Group G, Ontario and Canada
it is 60% or greater.
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Forty percent of RCD residents are overweight according to the Canadian standard
( Body Mass Index greater than 27). This proportion is up from 32% in 1990. As
was the case in 1990, more RCD residents are overweight than their Canadian or
Ontario counterparts. This is partly due to increasing average age of the
population, but food consumption also plays a role: in particular, portion
sizes, and consumption of sugar, soft drinks and fast food have all increased in
the past decade.
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According to international standards, 56% of RCD residents are overweight or
obese. The problem is worse among males: 63% fall into the overweight or obese
category as compared with 49% of RCD females. The proportions of both the
Canadian and Ontario populations that are overweight or obese by international
standards are significantly lower at 47% and 48% respectively.
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More RCD residents report that they have arthritis or rheumatism than their
counterparts in Peer Group G, Ontario or Canada. (23% vs. 18%, 17% and 15%
respectively). More women than men have arthritis. In RCD, 29% of females
surveyed suffered from the disease as compared with 17% of RCD males and 19% of
Canadian females.
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High blood pressure appears to be more prevalent among RCD residents than in
comparison groups. The proportions of males and females in RCD with high blood
pressure were 17% and 29 % respectively, as compared with 13% and 21% for
Ontario males and females.
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A greater proportion of RCD residents than provincial or Canadian counterparts
reported one or more disability days in the previous two weeks.
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Five percent more males and females in RCD have an activity limitation than
their Canadian counterparts. (28% vs. 23%)
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Disability-free life expectancy is lower in RCD than in Canada or Ontario. A
woman in RCD can expect to live disability-free for three years less than her
Canadian counterpart, whereas for a man in RCD the difference is four years.
Determinants of Health
Smoking, physical activity, diet and stress are all known to affect health
outcomes.
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One-quarter of RCD residents still smoke daily. Men and women are equally likely to be
smokers in RCD, whereas elsewhere, fewer women than men smoke.
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Forty-four percent of smokers in RCD started young (14 years of age or younger)
as compared with 35% in Ontario and 38% in Canada.
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One-third of non-smokers in RCD are exposed to second-hand smoke most days,
compared with one-quarter of non-smokers in Ontario.
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The proportion of the population in RCD that is moderately or more active during
leisure time is almost 10% greater than the corresponding proportions in Canada
and Ontario.
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Two-thirds of RCD residents fall short of consuming the recommended number of
servings of fruit and vegetables for good health (5 servings). The proportions
of Canadians and Ontarians who also fall short of five per day are slightly
lower.
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One-quarter of RCD residents experience high life stress, with women being more
likely to fall into this category . Males in RCD are slightly less likely than
their Canadian and Ontario counterparts to report high life stress while the
opposite is true for RCD females.
Health System Performance
Two indicators of health system performance are included in the current report:
contact with doctors and influenza immunization.
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RCD residents report more contact with doctors than their counterparts in either
Canada, Ontario or peer Group G.
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More RCD residents had a flu shot in the previous twelve months than
counterparts in Ontario or Canada.
