Health and Wellness 2009
Many factors influence community health including our ability to access and use health care services. By quitting smoking, drinking in moderation, getting a yearly physical, and by exercising and eating right, we can improve our health and overall well-being.
- The Percent of Low Birth Weight Babies
- Servings of Fruit and Vegetables
- The number of General/Family Physicians
- The Percentage of Ambulance Time Lost to Hospital Turnaround
Supplementary Local and National Comparison Information
7-1 The Percent of Low Birth Weight Babies is an indicator of the number of infants born weighing less than 5.5 pounds. Regardless of gestational age; a low-birth-weight infant is at risk for developing lack of oxygen during labour.
| 1997 | 2001 | 2001- 2002 | 2002- 2003 | 2003- 2004 | 2004- 2005 | 2005- 2006 | 2006- 2007 | 2007- 2008 | |
| Waterloo Region | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 5.9 |
| Ontario | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Canada | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.1 |
Source: 1997 and 2001 data are from Statistics Canada, Vital Statistics- Birth Database. 2008 figures from Canada Health Reports, 2008
7-2 Servings of Fruit and Vegetables is an indication of how well we eat.
| 2003 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Waterloo Region | 43.4 | 40.2 | 33.5 |
| Ontario | 39.8 | 39.9 | 40.5 |
| Canada | 38.9 | 41.3 | 43.7 |
Source: Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-221-XIE/2008001/profiles-en.htm; 2008 figures from Canada Health Reports, 2008
7-3 The number of General/Family Physicians available is an indicator of access to the health care system.
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Waterloo Region | 69 | 68 | 71 | 73 | n.a. | 73 | 75 | 72 | 70 | 73 |
| Ontario | n.a. | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 85 |
| Canada | 94 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 97 | 98 | 98 | 99 |
(data was not available for 2002 in Waterloo Region)
Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, Health Indicator Reports
7-4 The Percentage of Ambulance Time Lost to Hospital Turnaround is an indicator of how long ambulances wait to be released from the hospital before returning to active duty.
| 2006 | 2007 | |
| Waterloo Region | 13.3 | 18.3 |
| Ontario Median | 13.3 | 14.9 |
Source: OMBI 2007
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