Chronic Diseases and Risk Factors in Canada’s Northern Populations: Longitudinal and Geographic Comparisons

Abstract

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide and place considerable burden on the Canadian health care system. This research investigates the self-reported prevalence of major chronic diseases and risk factors in northern Canadian populations and compares their prevalence to southern Canadian populations over time. Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) cycle 1.1 (2000/01) and 3.1 (2005) data were used for the analyses. Respondents 20 years old or greater in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut comprised the northern Canadian sample. Respondents in the same age group in the rest of Canada comprised the southern Canadian sample. Unadjusted and adjusted weighted prevalence estimates and confidence intervals were calculated and tested for significance using z-tests. Northern Canadian respondents had significantly lower crude prevalence of self-reported hypertension, arthritis/rheumatism, diabetes, heart disease and stroke than southern Canadian respondents, although these associations did not remain significant after adjusting for age and sex. Northern Canadian respondents had significantly lower adjusted prevalence of any chronic disease. However, northern Canadian respondents had significantly higher adjusted prevalence of obesity and smoking than southern Canadian respondents at both time periods. The prevalence of any chronic disease increased significantly from 2000/01-2005 for both northern and southern Canadian respondents. The higher prevalence of key chronic disease risk factors in northern Canadian populations and the increasing prevalence for many chronic diseases in both southern and northern populations signal a need for continual monitoring of chronic diseases and the development of appropriate prevention and management strategies.