Have you ever wondered what measures are considered to determine whether you are healthy, or if you are living within a healthy community? The Government of Canada has identified many factors that have an influence on our health which include individual genetics and lifestyle choices, where we are born, grow, live, work and our age. (Government of Canada, 2020). Kirst et al. identified in their study that almost all respondents (98%) felt that everyone in Ontario should have the same opportunity for a long and healthy life, however less than half of the respondents (47%) felt that everyone does have the same opportunity to live a long and healthy life. (Kirst et al., 2017) As members of the healthcare community, this means that we still have work to do to ensure everyone in Ontario has access to the necessary services they require.
The main determinants of health, as listed by the Government of Canada (2020) include:
Income and social status; Employment and working conditions; Education and literacy;
Childhood experiences; Physical environments; Social supports and coping skills;
Healthy behaviours; Access to health services; Biology and genetic endowment;
Gender; Culture Race / Racism
Public Health Ontario (PHO) has summarized our populations determinants of health by measuring and presenting data on immigration, income, age distribution, education, employment and aboriginal population. (Public Health Ontario, 2015) The PHO website also has an interactive tool that shares data measured using Social Determinants of Health Snapshots (Public Health Ontario, 2020). Some of their measures include: alcohol harms; healthy child development, oral health, maternal health and reproductive health.
Looking closer to home, my local public health unit has a section on their website dedicated to health equity. They define health equity as “addressing differences in health that are avoidable, unfair and unjust”. (Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit, n.d.) Some of the elements they identify as being social determinants of health include: race, gender, income level, sexual orientation, housing and access to affordable health food. The Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit also identifies priority populations as:
“individuals and groups at greater risk of negative health outcomes due to their
social and/or economic position within society. Examples include, but are not
limited to, those living in poverty, those who are marginalized due to language,
gender, sexual orientation, culture or social status and those who live in rural
and/or isolated communities.” (Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit, n.d.)
As was identified in the Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait report, reducing health inequalities in Canada is a complex undertaking and remains an important challenge for our public health agenda. (Government of Canada, 2018) Increasing our awareness and understanding of the determinants of health and the inequities that exist will only serve to improve the healthcare landscape we are helping to shape.
Government of Canada. (2018). Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait –
Executive Summary. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/
science-research-data/key-health-inequalities-canada-national-portrait-executive-
summary.html
Government of Canada. (2020, October 7). Social determinants of health and health
inequities. Retrieved February 7, 2021 from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-
Halidmand Norfolk Health Unit. (n.d.) Health Equity. Retrieved February 10, 2021 from
https://hnhu.org/health-topic/health-equity/
Kirst, M., Shankardass, K., Singhal, S., Lofters, A., Muntaner, C., & Quiñonez, C. (2017).
Addressing health inequities in Ontario, Canada: what solutions do the public support?
BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3932-x
Public Health Ontario. (2015). Ontario’s Population: Determinants of Health.
https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/o/2014/ohp-population.pdf?la=en
14.pdf
Public Health Ontario. (22 October 2019). Social Determinants of Health Snapshot.
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