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October 02, 2024CANADIAN COMMUNITY HEALTH SURVEY, 2023 Statistics Canada has released results from the 2023 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). This survey is an annual population health survey that provides insight into life satisfaction, stress, perceived health, health conditions and behaviours of the Canadian population. The survey is representative of the population aged 18 and older living outside the territories. The CCHS survey excludes persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements in the provinces; full-time members of the Canadian Forces; the institutionalized population, and persons living in the Quebec health regions of Région du Nunavik and Région des Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James.
Life satisfaction
In Nova Scotia, 80.8% of the population reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives at the moment (reporting a score of 6 or greater on a scale of 1 to 10). Nova Scotia reported lowest life satisfaction across provinces. Across Canada, 85.0% of the population reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. Life satisfaction scores were highest in Québec.
Prior to 2022, over 90% of the population consistently reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. In 2022 and 2023, life satisfaction dropped markedly at both the national and provincial levels.
Nova Scotia's life satisfaction was higher for the oldest (ages 65 and older) cohorts. Nova Scotia's lowest life satisfaction results were reported among those aged 18-34, particularly among males.
Life satisfaction by income group in Nova Scotia was lowest for those in the lowest quintiles of earnings. Life satisfaction was higher for those in higher income quintiles. By education, those with a high school education (HS) or less (<HS) reported a lower percentage who are satisfied or very satisfied with their life at the moment than those with post secondary education (PSE). By age and sex cohorts, seniors in Nova Scotia reported the highest share who were satisfied or very satisfied with their lives.
Sense of belonging to community
In Nova Scotia, 62.3% of the population reported feeling a sense of belonging to their local community, which was higher than the national average of 60.6%. The sense of belonging to community is strongest in Newfoundland and Labrador and lowest in Quebec.
Sense of belonging to community has been declining over the last three years.
In Nova Scotia, sense of belonging to community was highest among seniors and lowest among those aged 35 to 49. Across Canada, sense of belonging to community was highest among seniors and lowest among those aged 18 to 34.
There was a lower sense of belonging to community among Nova Scotians in the lowest income quintile and a higher sense of belonging among those with less than a high school education.
Life stress
Nova Scotians (23.1%) reported higher levels of life stress as the national average (22.4%). Life stress was highest in British Columbia and lowest in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Life stress in Nova Scotia increased in 2022 and 2023.
Life stress was felt most acutely by Nova Scotians aged 18 to 34 and 35 to 49 and quite particularly among females in these age cohorts. Seniors reported lower levels of life stress in Nova Scotia.
Life stress rose among middle income ranges, but was lower at either end of the income range. Life stress was higher for those with post-secondary education and lower for those with less than a high school education.
Perceptions of physical and mental health
The CCHS asks Canadians how they perceive their physical and mental health.
Among Nova Scotians aged 18 and up, 46.7% reported very good or excellent physical health, below the national average of 52.2%. Those in the Maritimes had the lowest shares reporting excellent or very good physical health while those in Quebec reported the highest share.
Perceptions of very good or excellent health have declined considerably in the last three years at both provincial and national levels.
Perceived health declines with age. Females aged 18-34 reported the strongest perceptions of very good health, while male seniors report the weakest perceptions of health.
Perceptions of very good or excellent physical health rise with income and education levels. Perceived physical health declines with age. The relatively older populations in the Maritimes contribute to lower perceptions of physical health.
In Nova Scotia, 19.7% of the population aged 18+ perceived fair or poor health in 2022. This was above the national average (14.4%). Perceptions of fair/poor health were most prevalent in the Maritimes. Québec reported the lowest perceptions of fair/poor health.
Perceptions of fair/poor health increased in Nova Scotia in 2022 and 2023.
Perceptions of fair/poor health rise with age, particularly among males.
Perceptions of fair/poor health were more widespread among those in lower income quintiles as well as among those with lower levels of education.
Nova Scotians reported the second lowest prevalence (47.6%) of very good or excellent mental health. Nationally, 53.8% of the population reported very good or excellent mental health, with the highest share in Québec.
With the exception of a rise in Nova Scotia in 2020, perceptions of very good or excellent mental health have been trending down since 2015. The declines in 2021 and 2022 were steeper.
Perceptions of very good or excellent mental health were strongest among seniors. Those aged 18 to 34 and 35 to 49 reported the weakest perceptions of very good or excellent mental health (particularly among females).
Perceptions of very good or mental health in Nova Scotia rise with income and with education. Males reported stronger perceptions of mental health than females.
Nova Scotia's portion (19.6%) of the population that reported only fair or poor mental health was the highest among provinces - well above the national average (15.0%). Québec had the smallest portion of the population that reports fair or poor mental health.
Perceptions of fair or poor mental health have been rising since 2015, particularly over the last two years for Nova Scotia.
Perceived fair or poor mental health was most prevalent among Nova Scotians aged 18 to 34 (especially among females) and 35 to 49.
Perceptions of fair or poor mental health were notably more prevalent among those in the lowest income quintile and least prevalent among those in the highest income quintile.
Health conditions
The portion of Nova Scotia's adult population that reports being overweight (33.9% using an adjusted self-assessment) is slightly lower than the national average (35.5%). However, the portion of Nova Scotian adults who report obesity (38.3%) is considerably higher than the national average (30.2%). High body mass index was more prevalent among all Atlantic Provinces and less prevalent in British Columbia.
Nova Scotia's reported levels of overweight and obese populations have been fairly stable, as has the share of the Canadian population that report being overweight. The share of Canada's population that reported being obese is lower than the share in Nova Scotia, but it is rising.
Being overweight or obese is more common among those aged 50-64 as well as among males. The prevalence of obesity falls slightly with both income and education.
Among common chronic health conditions, Nova Scotia has the second highest prevalence of arthritis at 27.1% of the population aged 18 and older.
Arthritis is much more common among older age cohorts and among females. The prevalence of arthritis declines with both income and education.
Nova Scotia reported the second highest prevalence (10.5%) of diabetes after Newfoundland and Labrador. The national prevalence of diabetes was 8.0% with the lowest share in British Columbia.
Diabetes is more common among older Nova Scotians and males as well as among those with less than a high school education.
Nova Scotians reported the fourth highest prevalence of high blood pressure (24.8%), after the other Atlantic Provinces. Nationally, high blood pressure was reported in 19.9% of the population in 2023, with the lowest share in British Columbia.
High blood pressure was more commonly reported among older age cohorts as well as among those in lower income and education groups. Males reported slightly greater prevalence of high blood pressure in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotians reported the third highest prevalence of mood disorders in 2023: 16.3%. Nationally, 13.0% of the population reported a mood disorder with the lowest share in Québec and the highest shares in Atlantic Canada.
Mood disorders were notably more prevalent among Nova Scotians aged 18-49 as well as among females and those in the lowest income quintile.
Nova Scotians reported the highest prevalence of anxiety disorders in 2023 (though only 5 provinces reported results) at 20.4% of the population. Nationally, 15.3% of the population reported anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders were notably more prevalent among females than among males. Anxiety disorders were more prevalent in younger age cohorts as well as among those with higher levels of education and lower levels of income.
Healthy behaviours
Nova Scotia reported the third highest portion of daily smokers among provinces (11.3%), after New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Nationally, 8.7% of the population were daily smokers with the lowest smoking rates in British Columbia.
Nova Scotia's smoking rates have been trending down, but there are years (particularly 2022) when smoking rates have risen. Nationally, smoking rates decreased steadily until 2022, when they increased.
Smoking is more common among Nova Scotians aged 50-64 as well as among those in the lowest income quintile and those with high school or lower education levels. Smoking was slightly more common among males than among females.
Nova Scotians report the highest prevalence of daily cannabis use (9.9%). Nationally, 5.7% of the population reported daily cannabis use, with the highest shares in the Maritimes and the lowest share in Québec.
Since legalization, prevalence of daily cannabis use declined in Nova Scotia until 2022.
Daily cannabis use was more common among Nova Scotians aged 18-34 as well as among males. Cannabis use was less prevalent among seniors as well as among those those in the highest income quintile (but greatest among those in the 4th income quintile).
In Nova Scotia, 5.8% of the population reported using an e-cigarette or vaping device within the last 30 days. This was below the national average (6.2%). Vaping was most common in Alberta and least common in Ontario.
Use of e-cigarettes in Nova Scotia was substantially higher among those aged 18-34 as well as among males and those in the three lower income quintiles.
In Nova Scotia, 21.2% reported episodes of heavy drinking, which was above the national average of 19.4%. Newfoundland and Labrador and Québec reported the highest frequency of heavy drinking while Ontario reported the lowest.
Heavy drinking was down in Nova Scotia and in Canada last year.
Heavy drinking declines with age in Nova Scotia. but rises with income and education. Males were more likely to be heavy drinkers than females.
Nova Scotia consistently reports higher use of influenza vaccinations than the national average. In 2023, 50.2% of Nova Scotians reported getting an influenza vaccine in the previous 12 months - the highest portion among provinces. Nationally 38.9% of the population reported getting a flu vaccine, with the highest shares in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia. The lowest share of influenza vaccination was in Québec.
Use of influenza vaccines had been rising prior to the pandemic. In 2023, influenza vaccination was returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Use of influenza vaccines in Nova Scotia rises with age. Females and those with less than a high school education were more likely to get the flu vaccine in 2023.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0905-01 Health indicator statistics, annual estimates; Table 13-10-0906-01 Health indicator statistics, annual estimates, by household income quintile and highest level of education
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