Who wrote the report?

·        A collaborative report done by Perth District Health Unit¹, Grey Bruce Huron Perth District Health Council²,  Grey Bruce Health Unit³, Huron County Health Unit

·        Authors:  Evelyn Crosse¹, Shirley Borges², & Alanna Leffley³

What is this report about?

·        This report presents the results from the 1996/1997 Ontario Health Survey for the district of Grey Bruce Huron Perth (GBHP) and compares the results to Ontario as a whole for selected health indicators.

·        This report is a useful tool for health program planners in all four counties of the district.

Chapter Highlights

Health Related Quality of Life

·        Self-Rated Health - almost two thirds of respondents rated their health as excellent or very good while only 1 in 10 rated their health as fair or poor

·        Long-Term Disability - in the 45 to 64 age group, GBHP has a statistically higher proportion of people reporting long-term disabilities (17% versus 12% for Ontario)

·        Body Mass Index - over one third of GBHP residences aged 20 to 64 were classified as overweight (35% versus 28% for Ontario, statistically significant difference)

Tobacco Use

·        26% of people in GBHP currently smoke (versus 25% in Ontario, not statistically significant)

·        more than 1 in 5 teens in GBHP smoke daily or occasionally (22% versus 17% for Ontario, not statistically significant)

·        82% of smokers in GBHP stated that they started to smoke before the age of 18 (versus 75% for Ontario, statistically significant)

·        less than half of current daily smokers said that they were seriously considering quitting (49% versus 54% for Ontario, not statistically significant)

·        compared to Ontario, a much lower proportion of workers in GBHP worked in place that completely restricted smoking (29% versus 43% in Ontario, statistically significant)

Alcohol Use

·        compared to Ontario, GBHP was significantly higher for binge drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion) among teens (12 to 19yrs) (62% versus 45%) as well as for adults (20 to 44yrs) (57% versus 49%, statistically significant)

·        a higher proportion of drivers in GBHP reported driving after having too much to drink on at least one occasion in the past 12 months compared to Ontario (8% versus 6%, statistically significant)

Physical Activity

·        in GBHP, only 64% of males aged 12 to 19 were reported engaging in "regular" physical activity compared to 75% for Ontario (statistically significant difference)

·        compared to Ontario, GBHP has a smaller proportion of "active" teens (30% versus 39%, statistically significant)

Sexual Health

·        in GBHP, 46% of teens aged 15 to 19 reported having had sex at least once compared to 41% in Ontario (difference is not statistically significant)

·        just over three-quarters of those considered at risk for STDs said they used a condom the last time they had sex (76% versus 71% for Ontario, statistically significant)

Breastfeeding

·        more than four-fifths of women who had a child in the past 2 years reported they had breastfed or attempted to breastfeed (82% versus 84% for Ontario, not statistically significant)

Screening for Cancer

·        65% of women aged 50 to 69 reported that they had a mammogram within the past 2 years compared to 67% for Ontario (difference is not statistically significant)

·        71% of women aged 18 and older have had a Pap test within the past 3 years compared to 74% for Ontario (difference is not statistically significant)

Influenza Vaccination Coverage

·        in GBHP nearly 60% of seniors reported that they got a flu shot less than a year ago (59% versus 60% for Ontario, difference is not statistically significant)

·        for persons with high-risk chronic conditions under the age of 65 in GBHP and Ontario, only 24% reported that they got a flu shot less than a year ago 

Use of Health Services and Medications

·        about 4 out of 5 persons reported that they consulted with a general practitioner at least once in the past year (79% versus 81% for Ontario, difference is statistically significant)

·        in GBHP and Ontario, about 1 in 10 persons reported taking at least three different medications in the past 2 days (9% versus 10% for Ontario, not statistically significant)