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Health: Poverty the primary factor of illness

Online survey seeks input on building healthy communities
Union Gospel Mission dinner
More than three thousand meals were served this past December at the Union Gospel Mission’s 73rd annual Christmas dinner. According to a recent Canadian Medical Association report, poverty was found to be the most significant determinant of illness. photo Rebecca Blissett

What are the key factors that influence your health and the health of others in our community?

Most of us think first about the health care system and your access to quality care.

In the 2009 report of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Health, only 25 per cent of the health of the population was attributable to the health care system, 15 per cent was due to individual biology (i.e. genetics) and 10 per cent to environmental factors such as air quality and civic infrastructure.

The remaining 50 per cent was due to a variety of social determinants, including poverty, work conditions, housing, diet and community factors.
In the winter and spring of 2013, the Canadian Medical Association held town hall meetings in cities across the country and consulted widely online.

The CMA’s report — Healthcare in Canada: What Makes Us Sick? — was released in July 2013. Poverty was found to be the most significant determinant of illness. Other significant determinants included access to affordable and safe housing, early childhood development and
education.

Most of us have a good idea of what we need to do in order to live healthier lives.

Exercise, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, don’t smoke or use recreational drugs, limit alcohol, reduce stress and maintain good
relationships.

Yet for most of us, there are barriers to doing all the right things.

Due to poverty, many families struggle to get food on the table. To eat five or more fruits or vegetables a day is not affordable.

Others are unable to find safe and affordable housing. Some neighbourhoods do not have easy access to transit, community centres, parks or safe areas to walk.

The global healthy cities and community movement is working to engage communities, cities and governments to address the social determinants of health and to work together to improve the health of the population.

You now have an opportunity to get involved. My Health My Community is a major public survey currently being conducted by the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health authorities.

The online survey is seeking to identify the health supports you need in your neighbourhood.

It will identify the barriers to healthy living, including access to services, housing, recreational facilities, affordable food, mobility, transportation and language.

The six main areas covered in the survey are:

  1. sociodemographics
  2. health status
  3. lifestyle
  4. health care access
  5. the built environment 
  6. community belonging.

In this project, the health authorities are partnering with local government and community organizations as the survey will provide a greater understanding of the needs of our communities and allow informed action to address them.

For more information and to take the survey, go to myhealthmycommunity.org.

We are all responsible for the health of our community.

Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician and Physician Lead of the Burnaby Division of Family Practice. His column appears regularly in this paper. You can read more about achieving your positive potential in health at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.