Public health trends in Canada
Canada
Health is a major resource for economic,
social, and personal development and is an essential dimension of the quality
of life. Canada is a healthy nation, and in the past years, the overall
mortality and life expectancy rate has improved significantly. Based on
statistics, it shows that Canadians are living longer than before with an
average life expectancy of 82 years.
Public health trends
A public health trend is an aging
population in Canada. About one in six Canadians are 65 years or older, and the
age continues growing faster than the overall population. It is clear that
Canadians are living longer and are having more diseases. There is a growing
number of the population developing multiple chronic medical conditions such as
kidney disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. About 16 million Canadians
are living with at least one chronic illness, and as a result, there is a high
cost of healthcare in the country. The healthcare in the country is costly as
1% of the population is consuming about 50% of health costs due to home care
and hospitalization (Hipolito, 2017). As the aging population in the country
continues to accelerate, it is important for Canada to invest heavily in home
care so that to meet the needs of the elderly citizens.
Another public health trend in the
country is the high prevalence of preventable chronic diseases. The chronic
diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic
respiratory diseases are some of the contributors to the reduced quality of
life, increased hospitalization, healthcare costs, and loss of productivity in
Canada. According to Hipolito, (2017), out of five Canadians aged 20 and older,
three have a chronic disease, and four are at risk of developing chronic
conditions. Sedentary behaviors, obesity rates, and physical inactivity are
very high in Canada and mostly among the youth and children. It is clear that
over 90% of Canadian children are not meeting the current physical activity
guidelines and the country ranks among the worst of OECD countries for adult
obesity rates. The high prevalence of chronic diseases in the country is
associated with two-thirds of deaths every year.
Social determiners
Higher incomes are usually associated
with longer life expectancy; however, there are certain aspects of the
relationship between longevity and income that remain unclear. In the case of
Canada, social determiners to be examined include income inequality and life
expectancy. Statistics of life expectancy for people aged 25 in Canada
indicates that 48% of men who are registered Indians live to age 75 compared to
64.6% of all other men. There are large differences in life expectancy and
income inequality in Canada. The life expectancy of a man in top 20% is more
than seven years longer than a man in bottom 20% (Jackson 2017). It is evident
that most affluent Canadians tend to live longer than least affluent indicating
that material deprivation and poverty are a contributing factor. It is possible
to associate the growing life expectancy gap between the affluent and the less
affluent to the widening income inequality.
Life expectancy is linked to income inequality as those people with
higher incomes are likely to live longer than the people with longer incomes
(Jackson 2017). The case is evident among the elderly population because with
the lack of income and the ability to pay for medication and life a healthy
lifestyle; it affects their longevity.
Response
Can you please send the
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Reference
Jackson
A (2017). Income inequality: A matter of
life and death.
Hipolito,
C (2017). Canada's aging population will
strain the health-care system.
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