Exploring Canada and Ontario's Determinants of Health
- Faiza Syed
- Feb 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 31
To create effective health policies, it’s important to understand what impacts people’s health. In Canada, things like income, education, housing, and healthcare access all play a big role in shaping people’s health. These factors affect Canadians’ well-being and show us the gaps that need to be fixed. The main determinants of health for Canadians include income and social status, education and literacy, employment and working conditions, environment, and access to health services. Income is a key determinant, affecting living conditions, psychological functioning, and health behaviors, while education and literacy are critical for health outcomes and can even influence the health of future generations (Government of Canada, n.d.).
Employment and working conditions are key to our health. Things like unemployment, underemployment, and unsafe workplaces can lead to poorer health. The physical environment, including our homes, access to basic amenities, and the quality of the air and water, also affect how we feel. Access to good healthcare is another big factor—when things like cost or location get in the way, health gaps grow wider. Other important factors include childhood experiences, social support, healthy habits, food insecurity, and social exclusion.
In Canada, and specifically in Ontario, research has pointed out some key factors that impact health. Income and poverty are major contributors to poor health, especially in big cities like Toronto and rural areas. Housing is also a big concern, with issues like inadequate housing and homelessness affecting places like Toronto and Ottawa (Ontario Health, n.d.). Immigrants and racialized communities often face challenges in accessing healthcare and tend to have worse health outcomes. Lower education levels and unstable jobs are also linked to poorer health across the province. Plus, geography plays a role—rural and remote areas in Ontario face their own unique challenges, like limited healthcare access and higher poverty rates (Ontario Health, n.d.).
Tackling the factors that affect health is crucial for reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for everyone. To make real change, policymakers, healthcare providers, and community groups need to collaborate on solutions that address the root causes of these disparities. By focusing on issues like income, housing, education, and healthcare access, we can create a fairer and healthier society for all Canadians. To learn more about the key factors shaping health in Canada and Ontario, check out resources like the Government of Canada’s Determinants of Health webpage, Public Health Ontario’s Social Determinants of Health Snapshot, and Ontario Health’s Social Determinants of Health Framework. By understanding and acting on these issues, we can build a healthier future for everyone.
References
Government of Canada. (n.d.). Determinants of health.
Public Health Ontario. (n.d.). Social determinants of health snapshot.
Ontario Health. (n.d.). Social determinants of health framework and resource guide.
framework-and-resource-guide.
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