"Childhood poverty, not individual lifestyle, is a more accurate predictor of heart and other diseases no matter how healthy and wealthy you become as an adult."
Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts considers 14 social determinants of health:
1. Income and Income Distribution
2. Education
3. Unemployment and Job Security
4. Employment and Working Conditions
5. Early Childhood Development
6. Food Insecurity
7. Housing
8. Social Exclusion
9. Social Safety Network
10. Health Services
11. Aboriginal Status
12. Gender
13. Race
14. Disability
The publication outlines why they are important; how Canada is doing in addressing them; and what can be done to improve their quality. The purpose of the report is to provide promote greater awareness of the social determinants of health and the development and implementation of public policies that improve their quality.
1. Income and Income Distribution
2. Education
3. Unemployment and Job Security
4. Employment and Working Conditions
5. Early Childhood Development
6. Food Insecurity
7. Housing
8. Social Exclusion
9. Social Safety Network
10. Health Services
11. Aboriginal Status
12. Gender
13. Race
14. Disability
The publication outlines why they are important; how Canada is doing in addressing them; and what can be done to improve their quality. The purpose of the report is to provide promote greater awareness of the social determinants of health and the development and implementation of public policies that improve their quality.
NEWS:
May 11, 2010
April 29, 2010
Sobering statistics cited by the report include:
- 15 per cent of Canadian children are living in poverty, putting Canada at a rank of 20th out of 30 of the world's wealthiest nations as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
- Only 17 per cent of Canadian families have access to regulated child care. Canada ranked last among 25 wealthy, developed nations in meeting various early childhood development objectives.
- Canada is amongst the lowest in its coverage of total health-care costs. Medicare covers only 70 per cent of total health-care costs, giving Canada a rank of 22nd of 30 OECD nations for public coverage of health-care costs.
- Canada is among the nations with the greatest gap between men's and women's earnings. Canada ranks 19th of 22 OECD nations in reducing the earnings gap between men and women.
- Over 40 per cent of Canadians with disabilities are not in the labour force, forcing many of them to rely upon social assistance benefits. Canada ranks 27th of 29 in public spending on disability-related issues.
