Physical Activity and Health Outcome: Evidence from Canada

Health production models include participation in physical activity as an input. We investigate the relationship between participation in physical activity and health using a bivariate probit model. Participation is identifi ed with an exclusion restriction on a variable reflecting sense of belonging to the community. Estimates based on data from Cycle 3.1 of the Canadian Community Health Survey indicate that participation in physical activity reduces the reported incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, and arthritis as well as being in fair or poor health. Increasing the intensity and frequency of participation in physical activity appears to have a diminishing marginal impact on adverse health outcomes above the moderate level.health production; physical activity; lifestyle choices; bivariate probit

Explaining the Health Gap Between Canadian- and Foreign-Born Older Adults: Findings from the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey

Previous research (Gee, Kobayashi, Prus, 2004) indicates that foreign- born older adults (65 years and older) have poorer health than their Canadian-born counterparts. Using data from the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey, the current study tests two hypotheses to explain the health gap between these two groups. Findings indicate support for the differential vulnerability hypothesis but not for the differential exposure hypothesis in explaining the health gap between Canadian- and foreign-born older adults. What this suggests is that differences in health status between these two groups, rather than being the result of different social locations and/or lifestyle behaviours, can instead be attributed to the different “reactions” of Canadian- and foreign- born older adults to various social and lifestyle determinants of health.health, immigrants, aging

Dental care use by immigrant Canadians in Ontario: a cross-sectional analysis of the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

Background: Ontario is home to the largest number of immigrants in Canada. However, very little is known about their dental care utilization patterns. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of poor dental health care use among the immigrant population of Ontario and how various socio-demographic, socio-economic and health-related factors are associated with it. Methods: Analysis was performed on a total of 4208 Ontarian immigrants who participated in the dental care module of the 2014 cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey. Poor dental care use was defined by the two variables: not visiting the dentist in the past year and/or visiting the dentist only for emergency purposes. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the associations between the two outcomes and the socio-demographic, socio-economic and health-related factors. Results: Thirty three percent of immigrants reported not visiting the dentist in the past year and 25% reported visiting only for emergencies. The leading components associated with poor dental care utilization were being a new immigrant, of male gender, having low educational attainment, low household income and lacking dental insurance. Conclusions: This study is the first to highlight oral health care use patterns amongst immigrants in Ontario. Given that a large proportion of the immigrant population in Ontario have poor dental care use, education and outreach programs informing incoming immigrants of preventative dental care may improve overall dental health. Keywords: Oral health, Dental care use, Immigrants, OntarioYork University Librarie

Aggregate Level Community Characteristics and Health

This study links aggregate data from the 2001 census to individual data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, using dissemination areas as the unit of aggregation. Individual-level considerations are found to be more important to self-perceived health than community-level characteristics. Education and income adequacy are the most important considerations. Sense of belonging to community overshadows the features measured at the aggregate level, be they economic, family, cultural or geographic considerations

Beyond description: Understanding gender differences in problem gambling

Background and aims: Though women make up roughly one third of all problem gamblers, research has typically focused on male problem gamblers. Recent research has started to shift its attention toward the importance of gender. However, studies rarely attempt to understand gender differences in problem gambling or subject these differences to thorough multivariate analyses. To address some of the gaps in our knowledge of gender differences, we examine whether patterns of gambling behavior and psychological factors mediate the relationship between gender and problem gambling. Methods: We use logistic multiple regression to analyze two large Canadian datasets — the 2005 Ontario Prevalence Survey and the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey. Results: Variables found to mediate the relationship between gender and problem gambling are the type(s) of game(s) played (in the 2005 Ontario Prevalence Survey) and the number of games played (in the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey). Conclusions: Men are more likely to be problem gamblers than women, and this gender difference is understandable in terms of differences in patterns of gambling behavior. We conclude that men experience problems because they play riskier games and women experience problems because they prefer chance-based games, which are associated with significantly higher odds of problem gambling. We specify the three main ways that women's reasons for gambling — to escape or for empowerment - translate into chance-based games

Ethnic Differences in Health: Does Immigration Status Matter?

This study examines health differences between first-generation immigrant and Canadian-born persons who share the same the ethnocultural origin, and the extent to which such differences reflect social structural and health-related behavioural contexts. Data from the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey show that first generation immigrants of Black and French race/ethnicity tend to have better health than their Canadian-born counterparts, while the opposite is true for those of South Asian, Chinese, and south and east European and Jewish origins. West Asians and Arabs and other Asian groups are advantaged in health regardless of country of birth. Health differences between ethnic foreign- and Canadian-born persons generally converge after adjusting for socio-demographic, SES, and lifestyle factors. Implications for health care policy and program development are discussed.self-rated health; functional health; ethnicity; race; immigration

Daily smoking and lower back pain in adult Canadians: the Canadian Community Health Survey

Fahad Alkherayf1,2,3, Eugene K Wai4,5,6, Eve C Tsai1,3,4,6, Charles Agbi1,3,41University of Ottawa, Division of Neurosurgery, Ottawa, Ontario; 2University of Ottawa, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa, Ontario; 3The Ottawa Hospital, Civic campus, Division of Neurosurgery, Ottawa, Ontario; 4The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, Spine Unit Ottawa, Ontario; 5The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Ottawa, Ontario; 6The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaBackground: Lower back pain (LBP) is one of the primary causes of disability in the Canadian community. However, only a limited number of studies have addressed the association between daily smoking and LBP in Canada. Of the studies that have explored this association, many had small sample sizes and failed to control for confounders.Objective: The primary objective of the study was to determine if daily smoking is associated with an increased risk of having LBP. The secondary objectives were to assess the risk for LBP among occasional smokers and to determine the prevalence of LBP in relation to different covariates.Data and study design: Using the Canadian Community Health Survey (cycle 3.1) data, 73,507 Canadians between the ages of 20 and 59 years were identified. LBP status, smoking level, sex, age, body mass index (BMI), level of activity and level of education were assessed in these subjects.Methods: Stratified analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to detect effect modifications and to adjust for covariates. Population weight and design were taken into consideration.Results: The prevalence of LBP was 23.3% among daily smokers and 15.7% among non-smokers. Age and sex were found to be effect modifiers. The association between LBP and daily smoking was statistically significant in all ages and genders; this association was stronger for younger age groups. The adjusted odds ratio for male daily smokers aged 20 to 29 was 1.87 (95% CI = 1.62, 2.17); findings were similar for women. Occasional smoking slightly increased the odds of having back pain.Conclusion: Young Canadian daily smokers are at higher risk for LBP. This study also suggests a positive correlation between smoking dose and the risk of LBP. These findings indicate that smoking behavioral modification may have an impact on reducing back pain especially among young adults.Keywords: lower back pain, smoking, Canadian Community Health Survey, sex, adult Canadian

The Economic Choice of Participation and Time Spent in Physical Activity and Sport in Canada

The health benefits of participation in physical activity are well documented, yet the prevalence of meeting physical activity guidelines remains low. We examine the determinants of participation in physical activity in Canada by estimating double hurdle models of participation and time spent using data from the 2001 Canadian Community Health Survey (CHHS). We find higher income is associated with a higher probability of participating and less time spent in widely practiced sports like running and swimming, but the size of the income e ffect is relatively small. The hourly wage is generally positive and significant in both the participation and time spent equations suggesting a dominating income eff ect. Distinguishing between the extensive and intensive margins of the participation decision is important for untangling the eff ects of income, age, gender and family structure on these choices.sport participation; physical activity; time allocation; opportunity cost of time

The Effect of Gambling on Health: Evidence from Canada

The relationship between gambling and health has important economic and public policy implications. We develop causal evidence about the relationship between recreational gambling and health using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) cycles 2.1, 3.1 and 4.1. Recreational gamblers are gamblers who are classifi ed as "non-problem" gamblers according to the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI). Gambling is treated as an endogenous regressor in the health equations. The results of instrumental variable and bivariate probit models of participation in gambling and health outcomes indicate that recreational gambling has either no or a negative impact on the probability of having certain chronic conditions. These results diff er from studies that find a positive association between problem gambling and adverse health outcomes. Exogeneity tests suggest that gambling is endogenous; hence, empirical methods that address endogeneity are necessary to develop causal evidence of a relationship between gambling and health.health; government policy; sports; gambling; recreation; tourism

SEXUAL IDENTITY AND THE MARRIAGE PREMIUM

We use the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) to explore the effects of marriage and cohabitation on gay, lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual individuals’ hours worked and full-time earnings. The CCHS is one of the largest national-level data sets containing both income and sexual orientation information (Carpenter, 2008). Partnered gay and bisexual men spend more hours in paid employment than their unattached counterparts. However, for those working more than 30 hours per week, the earnings advantage of partnered gay and bisexual men relative to the unattached is insignificant. The hours worked of partnered and unattached lesbians are indistinguishable, however partnered lesbians earn about ten percent more than the unattached. Bisexual men and women experience some of the worst labor market outcomes of any group. These findings suggest that caution should be employed when generalizing results based on studies of cohabiting gay and lesbian couples to the entire non-heterosexual population.Marriage Premium, Earnings, Hours worked