Chronic disease

Nunavik Inuit Health Survey 2004 : Status of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes in Nunavik

Initial observational studies presented the Inuit as a population particularly protected against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the plague of developed countries. However, because of the abandonment of traditional lifestyles, and the high prevalence of some risk factors (such as smoking 73% and obesity 19%), conclusions from the 1992 Santé Québec health survey of the Inuit population from Nunavik anticipated an increase in CVD. Twelve years later, the Nunavik Inuit Health Survey 2004 produced a new portrait of the health of this Inuit population in order to determine, among other health conditions, the prevalence of CVD and diabetes as well as their corresponding risk factors, and to assess the evolution of these health outcomes since 1992.

In this major health study, 1056 Inuit (men and women) in the 14 Nunavik communities were recruited and accepted to participate. The ensuing results are from 925 participants (aged 18 and over) who answered the clinical questionnaire, pro…

Health service utilisation by Montrealers suffering from heart failure in 2003-2004 : summary

The main objective of this report is to enable decision-makers in Montréal clinical and health administration settings be better informed of health service utilisation by people with heart failure who are living in their territories. The report on heart failure is part of the « Monitorage interprétatif » project conducted by the Équipe Santé des populations et services de santé (ESPSS), a joint team of the Direction de santé publique de Montréal and Institut national de santé publique du Québec. This document is one of a series of reports produced by the team on health service utilisation by Montrealers with chronic diseases.

Use of health services by people with diabetes in Montréal, 2003-2004 - Abstract

The main goal of this report is to allow health administration and clinical decision-makers in Montréal be more aware of health services utilisation by diabetics in their territories. The report on diabetes is part of the “Monitorage interprétatif” project conducted by the Équipe Santé des populations et services de santé (ESPSS), a joint team of the Montréal Public Health Department and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. It is the first in a series of reports that will be produced on the utilisation of services by Montrealers with chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and heart failure.

The Prevalence of Cancer in Quebec in 1999

Since 2000, cancer has been the main cause of death in Quebec (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2003). However, the standardized death rate due to cancer, like most other causes of death, has been declining steadily since the early 1990s (ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, 2003; ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, 2004), while life expectancy at birth of the Quebec population has increased in recent decades. With the number of seniors growing steadily and the risk of cancer increasing with age, there is a parallel increase in the incidence of cancer. In addition, as a result of earlier diagnoses and more effective treatments, cancer patients are surviving longer, leading to a high demand for health care as follow‑up for these individuals.

A number of indicators can be used to monitor cancer and measure the burden that it represents for society. The most well‑known ones are the number of new cases reported annually (incidence), mortality, relative…

Project of Diabetes Surveillance among the Cree of Eeyou Istchee

If the prevalence of diabetes is high in the general Québec population, studies done of Aboriginal communities show that the prevalence in this population are three to four times greater than those observed in the general population (Canada 1999). The prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly over the last 20 years among the Cree population of Northern Québec (Eeyou Istchee) aged 20 years and over, from a few cases before the 1980s, to about 5.2% in the late eighties, to 7.1% in 1991, and climbing to about 15% in 2002 (Brassard, Robinson et al. 1993; CHSSB-JB 2002) (Brassard, Robinson et al. 1993; CCSSSBJ 2002). These results are consistent with the epidemiological data observed in the United States and in other regions of Canada. Data from the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay shows that in 2002, there were 1,064 known cases of diabetes for all ages in the Eeyou population, or proportionally three times more than in the population residing in Southern Q…

Premature mortality caused by cancer and the public health challenge it represents have given rise to a myriad of studies on the contribution of material and social living conditions to varying risks of morbidity and mortality. Thus, European and American

Premature mortality caused by cancer and the public health challenge it represents have given rise to a myriad of studies on the contribution of material and social living conditions to varying risks of morbidity and mortality. Thus, European and American studies have shown that cancer mortality—and some cancers more than others—often hits disadvantaged socioeconomic groups and regions hardest, and that this relationship persists even when individual behavior is taken into account. Numerous studies have focused mainly on men, who are easier to characterize socioeconomically than women. Indeed, it has proven difficult to determine the socioeconomic position of women, and the indicators used are often inadequate. An examination of the social health inequalities between the sexes shows that the mortality is sensitive to the inequality measure, the causes of mortality differ for men and women, these inequalities are generally less pronounced among women, and the social condition of wome…

Survival Probabilities for Cancer Cases Reported between 1984 and 1998 in Quebec - Observed & Relative Survival

In May 2002, in cooperation with the Ministère de la Santé et Services sociaux, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) published survival tables for the four main cancer sites—lung, breast (female), colorectal, and prostate—for cases reported to the Quebec Cancer Registry (QCR) in 1992. These cases were used to calculate the relative survival probability five years after diagnosis.

The study was designed to measure the quality of the incidence and mortality data used to calculate survival probabilities and determine vital status. It has also served to illustrate the decisive impact of data quality on results. Data was also compared with the five year relative survival probabilities in other Canadian provinces despite the fact that Quebec does not establish the date of diagnosis in the same manner and draws its incidence information from a different source.

This report is a continuation of the overall project. Here, survival probabilities have been…

Cancer Survival of Newly Diagnosed Cases, Quebec, 1992

The main purpose of this study is to describe the quality of the data used to calculate survival in Quebec. The discussion will focus on the quality of incidence and mortality data, the kind of file linkage needed to determine a person’s vital status, and the influence that this data quality has on survival results. This study is also part of a Canada-wide initiative to quantify cancer survival. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Cancer Survival Analysis Group have produced a Canadian Cancer Survival Protocol. To facilitate comparison, the protocol used in this survival study is largely based on the Canadian protocol.

The survival indicator is based primarily on the vital status of the cases reported. Vital status is not reported systematically in the Tumours File. It must be determined by matching the Tumours File against the Deaths File. Unfortunately, the Deaths File is not sufficient. A supplementary linkage with the administrative file of RAMQ subscribers shows that abo…