Social, Economic and Racial/Ethnic Influences on the Health of Canadians

Objective: Immigrants and racial ethnic minorities in Canada experience challenges and barriers that can affect their physical well-being. Focusing on Caribbean migrants, this study examined the influence of social, economic and migratory influences on the health of racial and ethnic groups in Canada.

Methods: Three waves (2001, 2003, 2005) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data consisting of over three hundred and thirty (n=334, 000) adult participants in Canada were used for this study. Self-rated and physician diagnosed (cardiovascular disease) criteria were used to address the physical health of participants using hierarchical logistic regression analytic procedures.

Findings: Similarities and notable differences in health between racial and ethnic groups were found, with generally higher rates among participants of African descent. Caribbean blacks and Canadian whites showed significant differences in most health indicators. The adjusted multivariate models showed that socio-demographic and migrator factors all contributed to poor health. When all things are considered, greater odds for cardiovascular or metabolic conditions were noted for Black Caribbean Canadians relative to whites. With the self-rated health indicator, the odds reduced among Caribbean Blacks, but significantly increased among other minority Canadians.

Conclusions: The study provide some understanding of the health differences between immigrant and racial groups in Canada, but also recognizes the need for more investigation surrounding other influences of the health between racial and ethnic groups; particularly Black immigrants who are prone to adverse outcomes. Areas for future studies and consideration were also discussed.