Perspectives on Health

Margaret Buttignol was a graduate student in sociology at the University of Toronto.

In the nineteenth century, infectious diseases were the major natural causes of death. Today, these have been replaced by accidents and degenerative diseases such as those of the heart and cancer. A large proportion of the causes of death are now related to our environments and lifestyles.

In this Statistics Canada document, current knowledge on trends and health care in Canada has been compiled to portray the situation as it exists today with a view to planning the health care of the future. The study is intended to create a composite picture of the health of Canadians. The report is divided into five distinct topics: Population, Determinants of Health Status, Health Status, Utilization of Health Services, and Health Care System. Few associations between these different parts of the health care system are reviewed in this document.

A certain degree of statistical knowledge is required if one is to understand and analyze this document fully.