Executive summary
Submitted to Health Canada
Contract Number: CW2332909
Prepared By: Leger
Registration number: POR 061-23
For more information on this report, please contact:
hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca
Ce rapport est également disponible en français.
Report
Prepared for Health Canada
Supplier Name: Leger
February 2024
This report presents the methodology of online surveys conducted by Leger on behalf of Health Canada. This research was conducted in one phase and took place online right after the advertising campaign ended. The objective of the survey was to evaluate the awareness about the Canada Dental Benefit (including the eligibility criteria and application process), among Canadian parents of children under 12 with a household income of less than $90,000 (with quotas on respondents from racialized communities as well as respondents belonging to households within rural areas). The survey included a mix of participants with and without private dental insurance (70% without insurance, 30% with insurance). The research was conducted between October 17 and November 6, 2023.
Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Outil D'évaluation Des Campagnes Publicitaires (OECP) – Campagne De La Prestation Dentaire Canadienne
This publication may be reproduced for non commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Public Health Agency of Canada. For more information on this report, please contact: hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca.
Catalogue Number: H14-575/2024E-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-70134-9
Related publications (registration number: POR 061-23):
Catalogue Number: H14-575/2024F-PDF (Final Report, French)
His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2023.
Leger is pleased to submit this report to Health Canada detailing the methodology of an online survey assessing ad recall for the Canada Dental Benefit campaign. The goal of this campaign was to raise awareness about the benefit (including the eligibility criteria and application process) among Canadian parents of children under 12 with a household income of less than $90,000.
In Budget 2022, the Government of Canada committed $5.3 billion over five years to provide dental care for the estimated 7 to 9 million Canadians who are unable to access proper dental care because of the cost. As an interim measure, Cabinet granted the Minister of Health authority to implement an application-based upfront payment to eligible Canadians, referred to as the Canada Dental Benefit, starting in December 2022. Parents and guardians with an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000 can apply if the child receiving dental care is under 12 years old and does not have access to a private dental insurance plan.
The first benefit period was for children under 12 years old as of December 1, 2022, who received dental care between October 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. A second benefit period opened for applications on July 1, 2023, for children under 12 years old as of July 1, 2023, for dental care received between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Depending on adjusted family net income, a tax-free payment of $260, $390, or $650 is available for each eligible child. Applicants can get a maximum of 2 payments for each eligible child. Benefit payments are administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
The first advertising campaign on the interim Canada Dental Benefit was in market from December 1, 2022, to March 19, 2023, with the goal to raise awareness about the benefit among eligible groups, including the eligibility criteria and application process. A second advertising campaign ran from July 1 to October 8, 2023, to raise awareness of the second benefit period. Search engine marketing has been continuously in market since December 1, 2022.
As this is an entirely new benefit being introduced to Canadians, a baseline survey was conducted in March 2023 to refine communications and marketing activities for the interim dental benefit, as well as evaluate the recall of the 2022-23 advertising campaign. For baseline data and report please refer to Canada dental benefit baseline survey: final report. This Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (ACET) is used to evaluate the recall of the 2023-24 Dental Benefit Advertising Campaign against the recall data collected in the March 2023 survey, to assess the second advertising campaign.
The Government's Policy on Communications and Federal Identity requires the evaluation of advertising campaigns exceeding $1 million in media buy using the Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (ACET). The ACET was created in 2002 following a Cabinet directive identifying the need for a standard advertising evaluation approach across departments. The main objectives were to bring rigor and consistency to ad campaign evaluation and to develop norms on metrics against which campaigns could be evaluated.
The objectives of the research were as follows:
The results of this research will allow Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to assess the recall of the ad campaign based on feedback from the survey data and analysis.
Quantitative research was conducted through online surveys using Computer Aided Web Interviewing (CAWI) technology. The target audiences for the survey were the parents of children under 12 with a household income of less than $90,000. Quotas were set to ensure that 70% of respondents have no private dental insurance coverage and that 30% of respondents have one. A minimum quota of 100 was set for respondents from racialized communities (including Black, Chinese, Central/South American, Arab, West Asian, South Asian, and Filipino). Another minimum quota of 100 was also set for respondents living in rural areas. No regional quotas were set but we ensured a minimum number in every region of the country.
Based on data from Statistics Canada's 2021 national census, Leger weighted the results of the parent's sample of this survey by gender, age, region and access to private dental insurance.
Since a sample drawn from an Internet panel is non-probabilistic in nature, the margin of error cannot be calculated for this survey. Details regarding the weighting procedures and participation rate can be found in Appendix A.
Leger meets the strictest quantitative research guidelines. The questionnaire was prepared in accordance with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research— Online Surveys.
The details of the methodology and more information on Leger's quality control mechanisms are presented in Appendix A. The questionnaire for the baseline is presented in Appendix B.
Details for the post-campaign study
The fieldwork was conducted from October 17 to November 6, 2023. The national participation rate for the survey was around 22%. Calculation of the Web survey's participation rate is presented in Appendix A. A pre-test of the programmed questionnaire was completed in both official languages on October 12, 2023.
A total sample of 2,012 parents of children under 12 with an income of less than $90,000 were surveyed. The following table shows the effective samples collected:
| Regions | Sample n= |
|---|---|
| Atlantic (New Brunswick + Nova Scotia + Newfoundland and Labrador + Prince Edward Island) | 143 |
| Quebec | 678 |
| Ontario | 687 |
| Prairies (Saskatchewan + Manitoba) | 133 |
| Alberta | 203 |
| British Columbia + Northwest Territories | 168 |
| TOTAL | 2,012 |
The following table shows the effective sample collected by Leger:
| Group | Sample n= |
|---|---|
| Respondents with private dental insurance | 603 |
| Respondents without private dental insurance | 1,409 |
| Respondents from ethnic minority communities | 697 |
| Respondents living in rural areas | 331 |
The opinions and observations expressed in this document do not reflect those of Health Canada. This report was compiled by Leger based on research conducted specifically for this project. This research is non-probabilistic; the results cannot be applied to the general population of Canada. The research was not designed with this objective in mind.
I hereby certify, as Executive VP of Leger, that the deliverables are in full compliance with the neutrality requirements of the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Directive on the Management of Communications—Appendix C (Appendix C: Mandatory Procedures for Public Opinion Research).
Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, party positions, or the assessment of the performance of a political party or its leaders.
Signed by:
Christian Bourque
Executive Vice President and Associate
Leger
507 Place d'Armes, Suite 700
Montréal, Quebec
H2Y 2W8
cbourque@leger360.com