Vancouverites have the healthiest lifestyles in the country, according to a Conference Board of Canada study released December 13, and score well when it comes to physical activity, body weight and habits such as smoking and drinking.
Residents of the city also have some of the lowest rates of diabetes, asthma and heart disease in the country. Why then does the city only score a ‘B’ grade when it comes to overall health performance and rank sixth in the study’s ranking of 10 large cities across Canada?
“Vancouver residents are leading healthier lifestyles than any other metropolitan area [in Canada], specifically when it comes to maintaining high levels of physical activity,” said Conference Board vice-president of public policy Louis Thériault.
“However, perceived life satisfaction and indicators of access to health care play a role in dragging down the city’s overall health ranking.”
Vancouver received a ‘D’ grade for life satisfaction, with the lowest scores in the country when it comes to how residents perceive their health levels. As well, Vancouverites are much less likely than most Canadians to say they are satisfied with their lives in general.
The city also scored poorly in terms of access to health care services. Vancouver comes in last place when it comes to the number of medical specialists per 100,000 population, and it ranks near the bottom in terms of nurses per 100,000 population.
The healthiest city in Canada, according to the Conference Board’s report, is Saskatoon, which earned a grade of ‘A.’ This was because residents of that city report the highest levels of life satisfaction in the country. They also scored well in terms of population health and healthy lifestyle. Calgary came in second with high scores for life satisfaction and healthy lifestyle. Winnipeg rounded out the top three; that city came in first place when it comes to access to health care.
Montreal came in last place, with an overall ‘D’ grade.
The study ranked the cities in terms of four categories: life satisfaction, access to health services, lifestyle and population health.
Ranking in the Conference Board of Canada’s City Health Monitor:
1. Saskatoon, A grade;
2. Calgary, A;
3. Winnipeg, A;
4. Quebec City, B;
5. Ottawa-Gatineau, B;
6. Vancouver, B;
7. Halifax, B;
8. Edmonton, B;
9. Toronto, B; and
10. Montreal, D.
@EmmaHampelBIV
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