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Production of this resource has been made possible through a financial contribution by Health Canada prior to the announcement of the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada on September 24, 2004. Any reference to Health Canada should be assumed to be to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Investing in Prevention – The Economic Perspective
Key Findings from a Survey of the Recent Evidence
This synthesis paper summarizes the current state of knowledge and debate about the economic benefits of prevention. This includes evaluations of specific clinical, health protection, and health promotion interventions, as well as the potential micro- and macro-economic benefits of acting on broader determinants of health (e.g., early childhood development) for health and well-being.
The report
- highlights the economic potential of prevention,
- draws on examples of recent economic evaluations in key intervention areas to illustrate general research trends,
- discusses current gaps in evaluation knowledge, and
- outlines some of the critical methodological considerations to make when using economic evaluation evidence to inform policy and program decisions.
Consistent with other assessments of the economics of preventive health interventions, this survey of the recent evidence found that some interventions are cost-saving for the health system, and many others are cost-effective. Adopting a broader social determinants of health perspective can increase the likelihood of favourable cost-effectiveness, and potential for cost-savings, for many prevention initiatives.
Click here to download the report. 
Reducing Health Disparities - Roles of the Health Sector: Discussion Paper
Canadians are among the healthiest people in the world, but major health disparities exist; the most important relate to socio-economic status (SES), aboriginal identity, gender and geographic location.
Two reports from the former Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health and Health Security (ACPHHS) provide important tools to engage decision-makers and researchers in an informed discussion about health disparities in Canada and options for addressing them.
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The discussion paper focuses on (1) the state of health disparities in Canada and their consequences and (2) current roles and activities of the health sector in Canada and elsewhere to address health disparities.
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The policy report provides the health sector with opportunities for action in areas within its span of direct control and through influencing partnerships with other sectors.
Social
Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives 
Uniting top academics and high profile experts from across the country, this contributed volume is the first of its kind published in Canada. It summarizes how socio-economic factors affect the health of Canadians, surveys the current state of eleven social determinants of health across Canada, and provides an analysis of how these determinants affect Canadians’ health. In each case, the book explores what policy options would contribute to better health outcomes, and how to ensure that these options are pursued.
Eleven critical areas are investigated: Aboriginal status, early life, education, employment and working conditions, food security, health care services, housing, income and its distribution, social safety net, social exclusion, as well as unemployment and employment security. Gender, and how its meaning is constructed within Canadian society, is another important social determinant of health. All contributors systematically consider how it impacts upon and interacts with their specific social determinant of health to influence health.
The
Tides of Change: Addressing Inequity and Chronic Disease in Atlantic Canada
This paper looks at the relationship between chronic disease and inequity in the context of the particular social and economic patterns that influence health in Atlantic Canada. It will be of interest to anyone working on either chronic disease prevention or equity issues. It includes an examination of the three pathways by which social determinants of health may result in increased chronic disease: the materialistic, psychosocial, and political/economic pathways. Policy implications are also examined and a number of recommendations for action are proposed.
The Social Determinants of Health: An Overview of the Implications for Policy and the Role of the Health Sector
In late 2002, 400 social and health policy experts, community representatives, and health researchers met at York University at a conference entitled "Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span". The purpose of the conference was to consider the state of key social determinants of health (SDOH) across Canada, explore the implications for the health of Canadians, and discuss policy directions to strengthen these social determinants of health.
Summaries of a series of research papers and presentations on the nine SDOH below were produced by Health Canada, including an overview paper that ties all of the issues together under a population health approach.
- income inequality
- social inclusion and exclusion
- employment and job security
- working conditions
- contribution of the social economy
- early childhood education and care
- food security
- housing
- education
Improving the Health of Canadians, 2004
Improving the Health of Canadians focuses on why some Canadians are healthy
and others are not; and underscores some of the choices communities face
in creating more equal opportunities for good health. It is the first in
a biennial report series produced by the Canadian Population Health Initiative
and builds on earlier reports on the health of Canadians from the Federal,
Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health. The 2004
Report explores in-depth four key issues: income, early childhood development,
Aboriginal Peoples' health and obesity.
Social
determinants of health. The solid facts (2003)
Edited by Richard Wilkinson and Michael Marmot
This second edition relies on the most up-to-date sources in its selection
and description of the main social determinants of health in our society
today. It then looks at the role that public policy can play in shaping a
social environment that is more conducive to better health.
Social
Disparities and Involvement in Physical Activity: Shaping the Policy Agenda
in Healthy Living to Successfully Influence Population Health
by Lise
Gauvin, Ph.D.,GRIS (Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire en santé -
Interdisciplinary Research Group on Health), Université de Montréal
The purposes of this paper include:
- To formulate a statement regarding the direction and magnitude of the relationship between socio-economic disparities and involvement in physical activity across different population subgroups
- To explore if socio-economic disparities act as moderators or mediators of the influence of interventions (psychosocial, community, or otherwise) on physical activity
- To explore if interventions designed to reduced socio-economic
disparities may result in changes in the prevalence and distribution of
physical activity
The Population and Public Health Branch, Manitoba and Saskatchewan Region, is pleased to release a workbook, "How our programs affect population health determinants: A workbook for better planning and accountability" that will assist community programs, funders and other services to know more about how their health promotion activities contribute to change in population health determinants.
Elements of the framework developed for this workbook can be used as a planning tool for the purposes of program development. As well, documenting each of the elements as the program progresses can be useful to improve future programming; accounting for existing programs; and demonstrating that health promotion can make a difference on population health determinants.
Investment in Population Health in Five OECD Countries
OECD
Health Working Papers N-2, 2003
There is growing interest in the potential for preventive interventions to improve average health status in OECD countries and to tackle remaining health inequalities. The paper focuses on population health investment in Australia, Canada, Korea, Sweden and Switzerland. The paper concludes there are many population health investment activities, which have been shown to be cost-effective, involving interventions such as health education, community participation, government regulation and taxation. However, there are also barriers to population health investments, including the fact that evaluation of such investments is difficult and evidence of their cost-effectiveness is generally lacking. Also, it is often difficult to co-ordinate action across different government agencies when there are multiple risk factors. Some suggestions are made about carrying forward aspects of the population health agenda in OECD's future program of work on health.
Social
Capital as a Health Determinant: How is it Defined?
Working Paper Series, Health Canada, 2002
This report is a summary of social capital research commissioned by the Policy Research Division, Strategic Policy Directorate, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada. The work attempts to clarify the place of social capital among the social determinants of health. The report:
- analyzes the documentation on the origins of this concept and its use in the health field
- sets out four approaches in the area of social determinants of health (community health, social capital, socio-economic inequality and social cohesion). Research demonstrating the positive effects of social capital on health is also presented.
- briefly reviews the various methods used to measure social capital, as
well as the indicators commonly used in research on the subject.
- explores the development of policies aimed at strengthening social capital
The companion report, Social Capital as a Health Determinant How is it Measured? focusses on the methodological aspects of social capital research.
Highlights of Our Work : Program Updates | Program Results | Special
Initiatives
POPULATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH BRANCH BRITISH
COLUMBIA
2002- 2003 Annual Summary
This report outlines the Branch's work and results for British Columbians
over the past fiscal year and was developed by staff as a way to inform our
partners and the public about who we are and the programs we deliver. Population
health will only be achieved through all levels of government and communities
working together on the conditions that affect our health and we encourage
you to read the report and identify opportunities for joint initiatives.
Healthy
Living Strategy Website
This site is designed to facilitate the consultation process to inform the
development of the Integrated Pan Canadian Healthy Living Strategy. The consultations
are taking place between January and April 2003. This site serves as an information
hub for the consultation process and provides a central location where the
following can be found:
- an explanation of healthy living
- background information including relevant documents and reports
- reports from the roundtables
- links to relevant websites
- an outline of the consultation process
- the consultation workbook
- FAQs
Economic
Burden of Illness in Canada (EBIC)
EBIC provides valuable information that will contribute to a better understanding
of the cost illness in Canada and its impact on the decision-making process
of health policy and programs. This edition provides costs of illness by province/territory,
as well as by gender and age-group; calculates the cost of over 40 disease
subcategories in addition to the major disease categories; and features an
on-line component enabling the general public to access some of the economic
data used in this report, through the internet (http://ebic-femc.hc-sc.gc.ca).
Promoting Health in Canada An Overview of Recent Developments & Initiatives
This document outlines key developments and initiatives in Canada since the
Fifth Global Conference on Health Promotion, in Mexico (June, 2000). It addresses
developments in a some key areas such as knowledge development, exchange and
capacity building; policies and actions; evaluation and accountability; and
considers challenges and opportunities for the future.
PDF Version
Spanish version :
Promoción de la salud en Canadá Perspectiva general de los avances e iniciativas recientes
Este documento esboza los avances e iniciativas fundamentales realizados en
Canadá desde la Quinta Conferencia Internacional de Promoción
de la Salud, celebrada en México (junio de 2000). El documento trata los avances
en algunas áreas clave como el desarrollo, intercambio y fomento de
la capacidad en materia de conocimientos; las políticas y acciones;
la evaluación y rendición de cuentas; y considera los desafíos
y oportunidades
para el futuro.
PDF
Version
Creative Spice: Learning From Communities
About Putting The Population Health Approach Into Action
This report by the Social Planning and Research Council of BC is a synthesis and discussion of the lessons learned by participants in eleven voluntary-sector projects in BC and the Yukon that received funding assistance from Health Canada's Population Health Fund to put a population health approach into action at the community level.
This report is intended for:
- communities interested in obtaining a better understanding of the benefits and challenges of using a population health approach in promoting the well-being of their communities;
- researchers exploring the implementation of population health concepts at the community level;
- policy-makers and program workers seeking to refine and increase the effectiveness of new government programs that are designed to be implemented by community associations through project funding.
Health
Promotion Effectiveness
Health promotion is a key strategy in a population health approach, one that
involves multiple interventions, often for prolonged periods of time, and
relies on action at several levels and across a number
of sectors. This complexity raises a number of important questions -
for example:
- While improved health status is the ultimate aim of health promotion interventions, what immediate outcomes can be expected?
- What types of indicators and methods can be used to assess whether these outcomes have been achieved?
- What is the most effective "mix" of interventions?
This issue of the Health Canada Health Policy Research Bulletin explores these and other challenges and presents some "real life" examples of how they are being addressed. It also highlights a major international evaluation initiative, as well as other important initiatives under way across the country.
Health promotion presents unique challenges for synthesizing evidence of effectiveness. These include its use of a mix of strategies and a focus on populations and communities. The field also applies both qualitative and quantitative approaches to research and evaluation. This working paper, available on the website of the Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research, examines how seventeen Canadian and international initiatives synthesized evidence of effectiveness. The processes are critiqued from a health promotion perspective and an ideal framework for conducting syntheses is proposed.
Case
Studies of the Regional Mobilization of Population Health
This report presents the findings from six case studies across Canada,
as well as a cross-case analysis, focussing on clusters of lessons learned
in the regional mobilization of population health. This evidence can be used
to inform the practice in the field and to market the population health approach
to key decision makers in health policy and planning.
The
Population Health Template: Key Elements and Actions That Define A Population
Health Approach (2001)
Organizes and consolidates current understandings of population health.
The template outlines the procedures and processes required to implement a
population health approach.
Also see: The Population
Health Template Working Tool and Overview/Handout (colour
version / black
and white version)
Population
Health Newsletter - Fall 2001 Issue
In this issue we profile case studies that demonstrate how population
health has been implemented at the regional, national and international levels.
We are at an exciting stage in our knowledge of population health, with the
availability of a growing number of documented examples of population health
in action to stimulate analysis, learning and further development.
Upcoming Conferences
List of International Conferences
Conference Sites:
- Canadian Institutes for Health Research
- Canadian Public Health Association List of Conferences
- The Canadian Women's Health Network - Women's Health Conference Site
- Environment Canada Green Lane
- Health Promotion Online
- International Union for Health Promotion and Education
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
The Population and Public Health Branch is pleased to announce publication of the Population Health Newsletter online. With an enhanced presentation and new features, the newsletter highlights the latest information and developments in population health, including a summary of results from the first research project of the Canadian Population Health Initiative.
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