Lifestyle choices and a publicly funded health care system are seen as the most important factors affecting the health of Canadians, according to a new survey.
Conducted by EKOS Research Associates for the Conference Board of Canada, the survey found that 88 percent of Canadians see lifestyle and health behaviour of individuals as important factors influencing the overall health of the population.
A publicly funded health care system is also seen by 87 percent of Canadians as an important health factor.
A great majority of Canadians (85 percent) also thought that the physical environment, such as water and air quality, plays a major role in influencing the health of the population.
Despite research and expert advice that higher income levels and education are also “critical factors associated with better health,” Canadians see these factors as relatively unimportant.
“This could explain why public health spending is only a fraction of total health care spending in Canada,” said Louis Thériault, director of health economics with the Conference Board of Canada.
The survey found that only 69 percent of people find education levels important to the health of Canadians, and only 63 percent see income levels as an important factor.
People with lower income place more importance on income as a factor in the health of the population than people with higher income, the survey found.
The proportion of Canadians finding a publicly funded health care system crucial to health was greater in the population with less than $20,000 household income, with 94 percent finding it important. Respondents making $100,000 or more had a lower rate at 85 percent.
People in Alberta placed the least importance on a publicly-funded system with only 75 percent finding it important, a significantly less rate compared to the other regions that were at either 88 or 89 percent.
The survey also found that Canadians under 25 were more likely than older Canadians to find the environment having a major impact on people’s health.
EKOS polled 2,047 Canadians in its survey, which has a margin of errors of plus or minus 2.2 percent 19 times out of 20.
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