A PROFILE OF WOMEN’S HEALTH INDICATORS IN CANADA J ULY , 2003 Prepared for the Women’s Health Bureau, Health Canada by Ronald Colman, Ph.D GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX ii Measuring Sustainable Development ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Andrea Hilchie-Pye and Shelene Morrison in data collection, Laura Landon in proof-reading, and Anne Monette in formatting this report. This report was funded by the Women’s Health Bureau, Health Canada. It draws substantially on on materials developed by the author for the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health (ACEWH). The report does not necessarily reflect the official policy of the ACEWH. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada. All analysis, interpretations and viewpoints expressed, as well as any errors or misinterpretations, are the sole responsibility of the author and GPIAtlantic. This work was reproduced with permission of Health Canada. GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX iii Measuring Sustainable Development TABLE OF CONTENTS Why a Gender Perspective? xi Economic Determinants of Health 1. Income & Equity 2 1.1 Gender wage gap 5 1.2 Quintile gap 9 1.3 GINI coefficient measure of equality 13 1.4 Incomes of female lone parents 15 1.5 Low income rates 21 1.6 Housing affordability 26 1.7 Financial security 28 2. Employment 36 2.1 Women’s employment rates 39 2.2 Part-time and temporary work 44 2.3 Self-employment 48 2.4 Union coverage 49 2.5 Changes in occupational and professional status 51 2.6 Job tenure 53 2.7 Decision latitude at work 57 2.8 Unemployment 61 2.9 Long-term unemployment 66 2.10 Youth unemployment 68 3. Balancing Paid & Unpaid Work 71 Social-Psychological Determinants of Health 4. Educational Attainment & Literacy 89 5. Social Support 92 5.1 Social support – personal 93 5.2 Social support – societal: volunteerism 97 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX iv Measuring Sustainable Development 6. Crime 109 6.1 Crime rate: adults and youths charged 109 6.2 Crime – family violence 112 7. Life Stress 121 8. Social Exclusion & Vulnerability 124 8.1 Aboriginal women’s health 126 Health Behaviours & Lifestyle Determinants of Health 9. Dietary Practices – Consumption of Fruits & Vegetables 133 10. Alcohol Consumption – Frequency of Heavy Drinking 140 11. Tobacco Use 142 11.1 Smoking prevalence 142 11.2 Age of smoking initiation 148 12. Leisure Time Physical Activity 150 13. Healthy Weights 154 Environmental Determinants of Health 14. Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke 167 Healthy Child Development & Reproductive Health 15. Breastfeeding 180 16. Prevalence of Low Birth Weight 182 17. Teen Pregnancy 183 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX v Measuring Sustainable Development Health Outcomes 18. Wellbeing & Physical Conditions 188 18.1 Self-rated health 188 18.2 Self-esteem 189 18.3 Functional health 190 18.4 Activity limitation Error! Bookmark not defined. 18.5 Disability days 193 18.6 Pain or discomfort 194 19. Disease 194 19.1 Arthritis and rheumatism 194 19.2 Asthma 196 19.3 Diabetes 196 19.4 High blood pressure 198 19.5 Other cardiovascular diseases 199 19.6 Cancer 200 19.7 Breast cancer 201 19.8 HIV/AIDS 202 19.9 Depression 204 20. Life Expectancy & Mortality 206 20.1 Life expectancy 206 20.2 Life expectancy without disability 208 20.3 Infant mortality 210 20.4 Perinatal mortality 210 20.5 Age-standardized mortality by cause 211 20.6 Potential years of life lost by cause 212 Health System Performance 21. Access to Health Care Services 215 22. Satisfaction With Health Care Services 219 23. Secondary Prevention – Screening & Immunization 222 23.1 Screening 222 23.2 Immunization 225 24. Conclusion 227 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX vi Measuring Sustainable Development LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Gender wage gap, Canada and provinces, 2001, average hourly wages, all employees. 8 Figure 2. GINI coefficients, after-tax income, economic families, 2+ persons, Canada, 1991- 2000 16 Figure 3. Income after taxes and transfers, female lone-parent families, 1997 and 2000, Canada and provinces, (2000 constant dollars) ($) 17 Figure 4. Average income after taxes and transfers, single mothers without paying jobs, Canada, 1991 – 2000 (2000 constant dollars) ($) 18 Figure 5. Prevalence of low income, single mothers without paying jobs, Canada, 1991 – 2000 (%) 19 Figure 6. Prevalence of low income, men and women, Canada, 1991-2000 (%) 22 Figure 7. Prevalence of low income, men and women, Canada and provinces, 2000 (%) 23 Figure 8. Prevalence of low income, elderly Canadians, aged 65 and over, 1991-2000 (%) 24 Figure 9. Low-income rates of children, under 18 years of age, in economic families, Canada, 1991-2000, (%) 25 Figure 10. Low-income rates of children, under 18 years of age, in economic families, Canada and provinces, 1997 and 2000, (%) 25 Figure 11. Low-income rates of children under 18 in female lone parent families, Canada, 1991- 2000, (%) 26 Figure 12. Households spending 30% or more of total household income (1995 income) on housing expenses, as proportion of all households, Canada and provinces, 1996, (%) 28 Figure 13. Average wealth of households by region, 1999 (1999 constant dollars) ($) 32 Figure 14. Percentage of family units in each wealth group, by region 33 Figure 15. Average and median wealth, female lone parents, Canada and regions, 1999 35 Figure 16. Labour force participation rates, Canada and provinces, 2001 (%) 40 Figure 17. Percentage of men and women employed, and women as percentage of total employment, Canada, 1976 – 2001 41 Figure 18. Percentage of women employed, by age of youngest child, Canada, 1976-2001 42 Figure 19. Employment rate of female lone parents with children under 5, by age of youngest child, Canada, 1976-2001 (%) 43 Figure 20. Involuntary part-time workers, as percentage of all part-time workers, Canada and provinces, 2001 (%) 47 Figure 21. Percentage of employees who are temporary, as percentage of all employees, Canada and provinces, 2001 (%) 48 Figure 22. Average hourly wage, union and non-union employees, Canada, 2001 ($) 50 Figure 23. Percentage of all employees who have union coverage, Canada and provinces, 2001, (%) 51 Figure 24. Women as percentage of total employed, selected occupations, 1987-2001 (%) 52 Figure 25. Average job tenure, full-time and part-time jobs, Canada, 1987-2001, (months) 55 Figure 26. Job tenure, full-time and part-time jobs, Canada and provinces, 2001, (months) 56 Figure 27. Currently employed workers, aged 15 to 74, reporting high decision latitude at work, Canada and provinces, 1994/95, (%) 59 Figure 28. Currently employed workers, aged 15-74, male and female, reporting high decision latitude at work, six provinces reporting results, 2000/01, (%) 60 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX vii Measuring Sustainable Development Figure 29. Currently employed workers, aged 15-74, male and female, reporting low or medium decision latitude at work, six provinces reporting results, 2000/01, (%) 60 Figure 30. Official unemployment rates, Canada, 1976-2001, (%) 63 Figure 31. Official unemployment rates, Canada and provinces, 2001, (%) 63 Figure 32. Official unemployment rate with underemployed portion of involuntary part-time work added, Canada and provinces, 2001 (%) 64 Figure 33. Comprehensive unemployment rates, Canada and provinces, 2001 (%) 64 Figure 34. Unemployment by educational level, Canada, 2001 (%) 66 Figure 35. Unemployment rate for those unemployed three months or more, Canada, 1976-2001 (%) 67 Figure 36. Unemployment rate for those unemployed three months or more, Canada and provinces, 2001 (%) 68 Figure 37. Unemployment rate, aged 15-24, Canada, 1990-2001 (%) 70 Figure 38. Unemployment rate, aged 15-24, Canada and provinces, 2001, (%) 70 Figure 39. The constancy of unpaid household work hours, non-employed married mothers, 1913-1998, based on U.S. and Canadian studies, (hours per week) 79 Figure 40. Average household work hours and women’s percentage of household work, Canada, population aged 15 and over, 1992 and 1998 80 Figure 41. Average weekly hours, unpaid household work and free time, population aged 20-59, selected countries (hours). 83 Figure 42. Proportion of population (18+) who are smokers, by level of chronic stress and sex, Canada, 1994/95 (%). 84 Figure 43. Percentage of Canadians who believe that low-fat foods are expensive, 1994-1995 . 86 Figure 44. Levels of schooling, men and women, by highest level of educational attainment, Canada, 1996, (%) 91 Figure 45. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, reporting low levels of social support, selected provinces, 2000/01, (%) 95 Figure 46. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, reporting high levels of social support, selected provinces, 2000/01, (%) 95 Figure 47. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, reporting high levels of social support, Canada and provinces, 1994/95, (%) 96 Figure 48. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, reporting high levels of social support, Canada and provinces, 1996/97, (%) 96 Figure 49. Volunteer Participation Rates: Population 15+, Canada and provinces, 2000 (%) (formal volunteer organizations) 101 Figure 50. Volunteer service hours per capita, 2000, (total volunteer hours divided by population) 102 Figure 51. Crime rates per 100,000, Canada, provinces, and territories, 2001 111 Figure 52. Crime rates per 100,000, adults, 18 and over, male and female, Canada and provinces, 2001 111 Figure 53. Crime rates per 100,000, youth, aged 12-17, male and female, Canada, provinces, and territories, 2001 112 Figure 54. Rates of spousal homicide, Canada, 1974-2000, rate per million married, separated, divorced, and common law women 119 Figure 55. Percentage of the population, aged 18 and over, reporting “quite a lot” of life stress, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 123 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX viii Measuring Sustainable Development Figure 56. Fruit and vegetable consumption, population aged 12 and over, less than five servings a day, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 139 Figure 57. Fruit and vegetable consumption, population aged 12 and over, 5 or more servings a day, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 139 Figure 58. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, who consume five or more drinks on one occasion 12 or more times a year, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 141 Figure 59. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, who are daily smokers, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 146 Figure 60. Proportion of the population, aged 15 and over, who are current (daily + occasional) smokers, Canada and provinces, 1985 and 2001 (%) 146 Figure 61. Proportion of the population, aged 15 and over, who are current smokers, Canada, 1965- 2001, (%) 147 Figure 62. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, who never smoked, Canada and Atlantic provinces, 2000/01, (%) 147 Figure 63. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, classified as “physically active”, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 153 Figure 64. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, classified as “physically inactive”, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 154 Figure 65. Proportion of men and women, aged 20-64, excluding pregnant women, for four categories of BMI, Canadian standard, Canada, 2000/01, (%) 160 Figure 66. Overweight Canadians (BMI = >27), aged 20-64, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 161 Figure 67. Overweight Canadians and Nova Scotians, (BMI = >27), aged 20-64, 1985-2000/01, (%) 161 Figure 68. Proportion of men and women, aged 20-64, excluding pregnant women, for four categories of BMI, international standard, Canada, 2000/01, (%) 162 Figure 69. Proportion of the population, aged 20-64, classified as obese (BMI = >30), international standard, Canada and Atlantic provinces, 1994/95 and 2000/01, (%). 164 Figure 70. Proportion of the population, aged 12 and over, reporting exposure to second-hand smoke on most days in the last month, Canada and Atlantic provinces, 2000/01, (%) 178 Figure 71. Teenage Pregnancy Rate, per 1,000 women, 15-19, 1974, 1994, and 1998 184 Figure 72. Percentage of population who report having a regular family physician, 2001, (%) 216 Figure 73. Percentage of population reporting unmet health care needs, 2001 218 Figure 74. Proportion of women, aged 50 to 69, who have received a routine screening mammogram within the last two years, and those who have not received a mammogram for at least two years, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 224 Figure 75. Proportion of women aged 18 to 69, who have had a Pap smear test within the last three years, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 225 Figure 76. Proportion of population who have never had a flu shot, by sex, household population aged 65 and over, Canada and provinces, 2000/01 226 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX ix Measuring Sustainable Development LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Gender wage gap, 1997-2001, average and median hourly wage – all employees, average hourly wage – full-time employees; average weekly wage – full-time employees. 6 Table 2. Average Disposable Household Income in constant 1998$ compared to Ontario. 11 Table 3. Average Disposable Household Income Ratios, 1980-1998. 11 Table 4. Average after-tax income by quintile, economic families and unattached individuals, Canada, 1991-2000, (2000 constant dollars) 13 Table 5. Income shares after tax, by quintile, economic families and unattached individuals, Canada, 1991-2000, (%) 13 Table 6. Disposable (after-tax) Income GINI Coefficient for Economic Families 2+, Canada and Provinces, 1990 and 1998 15 Table 7. Number of persons aged 15 and over, by number of unpaid hours doing housework, Canada, 1996 and 2001 75 Table 8. Number of persons aged 15 and over, by unpaid hours looking after children, Canada, 1996 and 2001 76 Table 9. Paid, unpaid, and total work hours, population 15 and over, Canada, 1992 and 1998, (hours), and female percentage of these hours (%) 78 Table 10. Free time and personal care (incl. sleep), Canada, 1992 and 1998, (hours/week) 81 Table 11. Number of persons aged 15 and over, by unpaid hours spent providing care or assistance to seniors, Canada, 1996 and 2001 100 Table 12. Fewer volunteers putting in longer hours leads to net loss of volunteer services in Canada, increase in Atlantic Canada (formal volunteer organizations 1987-2000) . 103 Table 13. Crime rates per 100,000, adults and youth, male and female, Canada and provinces, 2001 113 Table 14. Reported sexual assaults, Canada and provinces, 2001, rate per 100,000 population 116 Table 15. Obesity rates by body mass index (international standard), BMI = 30+, (%) 163 Table 16. Breastfeeding practices, by age group of recent mothers, mothers aged 15 to 49, Canada, 1994/95-1996/97, (%) 181 Table 17. Low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams), by sex, Canada, annual, 1979-1999, as percentage of all live births (%) 183 Table 18. Self-rated health, Canadian men and women, 1996/97, 1998/99, and 2000/01, (%) . 188 Table 19. Proportion of Canadian men and women rating their health as excellent or very good, by age, 2000/01 (%) 189 Table 20. Self-rated health, Canada and provinces, 2000/01, (%) 189 Table 21. Functional health of Canadian men and women, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 191 Table 22. Canadian men and women reporting activity limitations, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 192 Table 23. Canadian men and women reporting one or more two-week disability days, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 193 Table 24. Canadian men and women reporting arthritis or rheumatism, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 195 Table 25. Canadian men and women who have been diagnosed with asthma, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 196 Table 26. Canadian men and women who have been diagnosed with diabetes, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 198 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX x Measuring Sustainable Development Table 27. Canadian men and women who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 199 Table 28. Incidence of breast cancer, Canada, 1995-2002, rate per 100,000 women 201 Table 29. Canadian men and women at risk of depression, 1994/95 – 2000/01, (%) 206 Table 30. Life expectancy without disability, Canada, 1996, (years) 209 Table 31. Infant mortality, Canada, rate per 1,000, 1993-1997 210 Table 32. Perinatal / fetal mortality, Canada, rate per 1,000, 1993-1997 211 Table 33. Proportion of population, aged 15 and over, rating quality of health care services received in past 12 months as excellent or very good, Canada, provinces, and territories, 2000, (%) 221 Table 34. Patient satisfaction with most recent hospital care, with physician care in the past 12 months, and with most recent community-based health care received in the past 12 months, (%), 2000/01 221 [...]... distinct needs of women.6 1 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, pages 1-2 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, page 3 3 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, page 4 4 Health Canada, Health Canada s Women’s Health Strategy, March 1999, page 7 5 Health Canada, Health Canada s Women's Health. .. to Health Care Services in Canada 2001, catalogue no 82-575-XIE, June, 2002, and Statistics Canada, CANSIM II database 15 Health Canada, A Report on Mental Illnesses in Canada, Ottawa, October, 2002 16 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, page 1 17 Health Canada, Health Canada s Women’s Health Strategy, Ottawa, 1999, page 4 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX xiv Measuring... taxes and transfers, female lone-parent families, 1997 and 2000, Canada and provinces, (2000 constant dollars) ($) Source: Statistics Canada, Income in Canada 2000 69 70 Health Canada, Health Canada s Women’s Health Strategy, Ottawa, March, 1999, page 13 Statistics Canada, Income in Canada 2000, catalogue no 75-202-XIE, Tables 6.1 and 8.1 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX 17 Measuring Sustainable Development In. .. 2002, are also available for 1999 and 2000, and reveal some interesting shifts since 1998.57 53 Health Canada, Health Canada s Women’s Health Strategy, Ottawa, March, 1999, catalogue no H21-138/1997, pages 19, 5, and 8 54 Health Canada, Toward a Healthy Future: Second Report on the Health of Canadians, Ottawa, 1999, page 14 55 Statistics Canada, Income Trends in Canada, catalogue no 13F0022XCB; Statistics... Statistics Canada, Income in Canada, catalogue no 75-202, Table 7.2 56 Statistics Canada, Income in Canada, catalogue no 75-202, Table 7.2 57 Statistics Canada, Income in Canada 2000, catalogue, no 75-202, Ottawa, November, 2002, chapter 6, and Table 7.2, page 82 GENUINE PROGRESS INDEX 10 Measuring Sustainable Development Table 2 Average Disposable Household Income in constant 1998$ compared to Ontario.58 Canada. .. example, programs and materials aimed at curbing high rates of smoking among teenage girls will be more effective if they address the particular motivations and circumstances of this group than if they simply employ blanket health warnings about smoking 7 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, page 6 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa,... 2002; Statistics Canada, Income in Canada, catalogue no 75-202-XIE, November, 2002 11 Statistics Canada, Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, catalogue no 71-542-XIE, Ottawa, August, 2001 12 Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, catalogue no 85-224-XIE,... and poor, it also has the lowest poverty rates in Canada both for men and for women, the lowest rate of child 63 Income in Canada, Statistics Canada Cat No 75-202, Table 7.2, p 147, 150, 153, 156, 159, 162, 165, 168, 171, 174, 177 64 Calculated from average after tax income data in Income Trends in Canada, Statistics Canada Cat No 13F0022XCB and Income in Canada, Statistics Canada Cat No 75-202, Table... the adoption of Health Canada s Women’s Health Strategy, which states: In keeping with the commitment in the Federal Plan for Gender Equality, Health Canada will, as a matter of standard practice, apply gender-based analysis to programs and policies in the areas of health system modernization, population health, risk management, direct services and research.” Health Canada also notes that gender-based... may be absent from a more general inventory of health indicators For example, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and Statistics Canada have recognized crime as a non-medical determinant of health But an inventory of women’s health indicators should also include the particular incidence of family violence and spousal violence, which have particularly serious consequences for the health . Ottawa, 2000, page 3. 3 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, page 4. 4 Health Canada, Health Canada s Women’s Health. women. 6 1 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis Policy, Ottawa, 2000, pages 1-2. 2 Health Canada, Health Canada s Gender-based Analysis