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August 26, 2022CANADIAN COMMUNITY HEALTH SURVEY, 2021 Statistics Canada has released results from the 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey.
This survey is an annual population health survey that provides insight into life satisfaction, stress, perceived health, health conditions and behaviours of the Canadian population. Note: the CCHS survey excludes persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements in the provinces; full-time members of the Canadian Forces; the institutionalized population, children aged 12-17 that are living in foster care, and persons living in the Quebec health regions of Région du Nunavik and Région des Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James.
Life satisfaction, belonging to community and life stress
Over 90% of all Canadians (outside Territories and reserves) report being satisfied or very satisfied with their life at the moment, reporting a score of 6 or greater on a scale of 1 to 10. The highest percentage of the population reporting being satisfied or very satisfied was in Quebec while the lowest was in Ontario. The share of Nova Scotia's population who were satisfied or very satisfied with their life at the moment was 92.4%, up from 91.7% in 2020.
Life satisfaction by income group in Nova Scotia was lowest for those in the lowest quintiles of earnings. By education, those with a high school education (HS) or less (<HS) reported the lowest percentage who are satisfied or very satisfied with their life at the moment. Life satisfaction was higher for those in higher income quintiles and among those with post secondary education (PSE). By age and sex cohorts, youth in Nova Scotia (ages 12-17) reported the highest share who are satisfied or very satisfied: 98.6%. Those aged 50-64 and 65+ reported less satisfaction with their life. Females reported slightly higher life satisfaction than males in Nova Scotia in 2021.
Compared with age and sex cohorts across Canada, youth (ages 12-17), and ages 35-54 reported greater life satisfaction than the national average. Nova Scotians aged 50 to 64 reported lower life satisfaction than the national average for these ages.
Among females, Nova Scotians' reported life satisfaction was higher than the national average for ages 12-17 and 35-49 and lower for ages 18-34. Among males, youth (12-17) and young adults (18-34) in Nova Scotia reported higher life satisfaction than the national average. Life sanitisation for males aged 50-64 in Nova Scotia was lower than the national average.
Over three quarters (75.8%) of Nova Scotians reported feeling a sense of belonging to their local community, which higher than the national average of 69.5%. The sense of belonging to community is strongest in Newfoundland and Labrador and lowest in Quebec. Nova Scotia's sense of belonging to community was higher in 2020.
Belonging to community was highest for aged 12-17 and 65+. There was a higher sense of belonging to highest income quintile and among those with less than high school education.
Nova Scotians (19.0%) generally reported lower levels of life stress than the national average (20.4%). Life stress was highest in Quebec and lowest in Prince Edward Island.
Life stress was higher among those in the lowest and highest income quintile as well as among those whose highest level of education was high school. Life stress was lower for younger Nova Scotians (ages 12-17 and 18-34) and those over 65. Females reported higher life stress than males.
Perceptions of physical and mental health
The CCHS asks Canadians how they perceive their physical and mental health.
Among Nova Scotians aged 12 and up, 58.2% reported very good or excellent physical health, below the national average of 59.7%. New Brunswick had the lowest share reporting excellent or very good physical health while those in Quebec reported the highest share. The share reporting very good or excellent health declined in both Nova Scotia and Canada in 2021.
Nova Scotia share of the population (14.4%) that reported perceived physical health to be fair or poor was higher than the national average (11.4%). Perceived fair or poor physical health was higher across Atlantic Canada (where a higher share of the population is over 65), but lowest in Quebec.
Perceptions of very good or excellent physical health rise with income and education levels. Perceived physical health declines with age. The relatively older populations in the Maritimes contribute to lower perceptions of physical health. Males and females had slightly similar perceptions of their physical health.
Perceived fair and poor physical health is notably higher among those in the first and second income quintiles as well as among those with less than a high school education. Note: data on perceived fair/poor health was suppressed for younger Nova Scotians (aged 12-17).
After a notable rebound in 2020, reported very good or excellent mental health perceptions declined to 60.1% in Nova Scotia in 2021. Across Canada perceived mental health was highest in Quebec and lowest in Saskatchewan.
Nova Scotia portion (12.8%) of the population that reported only fair or poor mental health was above national average (11.7%). This portion has been rising in Nova Scotia and in Canada since 2015. Nova Scotia's portion has been nearly unchanged since 2019 Quebec has the smallest portion of the population that reports fair or poor mental health.
Perceptions of mental health were weaker for those in the lowest income quintile and for those with less than a high school education. Seniors (aged 65+) reported stronger perceived mental health than other age groups. Males in Nova Scotia reported stronger perceptions of mental health than females in Nova Scotia.
Fair or poor mental health was more commonly reported in the lowest income quintile, among those with less than a high school education, among those aged 18-34 and females.
Health conditions
The portion of Nova Scotia's adult population that reports being overweight (34.4% using an adjusted self-assessment) is somewhat lower than the national average (35.5%) . However, the portion of Nova Scotian adults who report obesity (37.0%) is considerably higher than the national average (29.2%). The share of Nova Scotia's youth (ages 12-17) who are overweight or obese (27.6%) was similar to the national average.
Among common chronic health conditions, Nova Scotia has higher than average prevalence of arthritis, high blood pressure, mood disorders, and diabetes. Note: mood disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, mania, dysthymia, phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder.
Nova Scotia reported the fourth highest portion of daily smokers among provinces, though these has been trending down in Nova Scotia and Canada. The highest prevalence of daily smoking was in Prince Edward Island and the lowest in British Columbia.
Nova Scotia reported above average prevalence (19.4%) of heavy drinking (4-5 drinks on a least one occasion once a month in the last year). The prevalence of heavy drinking in Nova Scotia fell in 2020, before rising by smaller amount in 2021. The highest prevalence of heavy drinking was in Newfoundland and Labrador and the lowest in Manitoba.
Daily or almost daily cannabis use was more prevalent in the Maritime provinces and lowest in Quebec. Daily or almost daily cannabis use has declined in Nova Scotia since 2019 when questions was introduced on the survey.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0096-01 Health characteristics, annual estimates; Table 13-10-0097-01 Health characteristics, annual estimates, by household income quintile and highest level of education
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