September 16, 1999
(Health and Community Services)

Provincial results in report on health of Canadians

Dr. Roy West, Associate Dean of Community Health at Memorial's Medical School, and Joan Marie Aylward, Minister of Health and Community Services, today commented on the Second Report on the Health of Canadians. The report, Toward a Healthy Future, which was released this afternoon in Charlottetown at the Health Ministers' meetings bodes well for this province. It goes beyond the traditional definition of health as disease and treatment by looking at health as a complete state of physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. This population health approach is in keeping with Newfoundland and Labrador's Strategic Social Plan approach to an overall healthy well-being.

The report confirms that Canadians enjoy one of the highest standards of health and quality of life in the world, but it also identifies those groups in society who may be more vulnerable to poor health. It makes some significant observations about the health of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

WHERE WE RANK BEST IN THE COUNTRY

"Newfoundlanders and Labradorians rank best in the country in terms of their self-rated health and their sense of coherence," said the minister. "This says a lot for the make-up of people in our province. In spite of the challenges we face as individuals, we feel good about ourselves overall and we feel that life is meaningful. Even on our physical health, we ranked our functional status as the highest in the country, meaning we didn't feel restricted in our daily lives by any physical problem. This speaks very highly of the emotional and physical well-being of our people."

Newfoundland and Labrador also fairs well in several other areas discussed in the report on the health of Canadians. Our number of traffic injuries per 100,000 is the lowest in the country, probably due to the high rate of seat belt use in this province, and due to prevention programs like no drinking and driving campaigns. "We are careful people by our nature," said Minister Aylward. "This is supported by the fact that we also hold the best ranking for least number of accidents per capita."

WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians rank poor in terms of deaths due to cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke. These circulatory system problems are also tied to our personal health practices. Smoking is a serious problem with people in this province, putting us above many others in the country in terms of current smokers. We also consume more alcohol on any given occasion, although we drink less regularly than other Canadians. According to Dr. West, we are also more sedentary by our nature. "This means we are less physically active than other Canadians, and we also took fewer actions to improve our health."

Problems of the circulatory system can also be traced to the average weight of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Ten per cent more people in this province are overweight than the Canadian average.

RESULTS VALIDATED BY LOCAL SURVEY

"The majority of these statistics are validated by the Adult Health Survey which was carried out in Newfoundland by Memorial University a few years ago," said Dr. West. "However, what is most important for communities and policy makers is that they use the information contained in such reports to adjust programs and policies to reflect the identified needs."

Through consultation, the province has developed programs to address the areas where we need to improve. These include, for example, the Newfoundland and Labrador Heart Health Program which has assisted communities to develop unique programs which promote healthy eating, active living, smoking prevention and blood pressure control. Coalitions of interested people have formed all over the province and we are recognized as leaders in Canada for our efforts.

Another commendable program, the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program, is organized as Healthy Baby Clubs in this province. Once again, communities have been supported to work in their own way to improve birth outcomes through the provision of food supplements, counseling and support. Minister Aylward said the province will release a Tobacco Strategy this fall to help prevent youth smoking, promote cessation and protect people from second hand smoke. The Department of Health and Community Services has also released a draft Food and Nutrition Strategy for the province and are receiving feedback from many stakeholders.

"I am pleased that the province has taken the health of our people seriously by addressing it in the Strategic Social Plan, and by working with the people of the province to offer solutions to our challenging areas. The province's approach to the overall well-being of individuals, their families and their communities is a move in the right direction," said Dr. West. "While there are areas for improvement, the health of the people in this province is good. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians need to be congratulated that despite many challenges, they have maintained a strong social structure."

Media contact:

Denise Beaton
Office of Associate Dean of Community Health
MUN Medical School
(709) 737-6693

Glenn Bruce
Department of Health and Community Services
(709) 729-1377

NOTE TO EDITORS: The 1999 Second Report on the Health of Canadians is available on the web at //www.hc-sc.gc.ca

1999 09 16 2:40 p.m.