Health & Wellness

PHYSICIANS PER 100,000 IN RED DEER

The number of physicians per 100,000 in Red Deer was 228 in 2005, up 21.3 % from 188 in 1996. Nationally, the number of physicians per 100, 000 was 190, and provincially the number was 18873.

PHYSICIANS PER 100,000 IN CANADA

In Alberta, for 2005, there were 188 physicians per 100, 000 compared to 190 in Canada for the same period74.

Please see Appendix 8.0 for more information

RATE OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

Low birth rate babies (2500 grams or less) are more likely to have birth-related complications and disabilities75.

At 6.1%, the percentage of low birth weight babies in Red Deer in 2003 was 5% lower than the provincial average. The 2003 rate for Red Deer was 2% higher than the 2001 rate for Red Deer76.

OBESITY RATE

The Government of Alberta defines "obesity" as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher77.

At 19.1 % of the population 15 and over, the obesity rate in the David Thompson Health Region in 2005 was 23% higher than the national average and 21% higher than the provincial average. The rate was up 7% from that in 200378.

See Appendix 8.1 for more information.

RATE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The Canadian Community Health Survey calculates leisure time physical activity as being based on an individual’s response to questions about the frequency, duration and intensity of their participation in a variety of activities. This information is then used to classify a person as physically active, moderately active or physically inactive.

With 52.8 % of the population being physically or moderately active in 2005, the rate of physical activeness in Red Deer was 3.5 % higher than the national average and 1.3% below the provincial average. The rate for Red Deer was up 0.6% from 200379.

SMOKING RATE

In the David Thompson Health Region in 2005 the proportion of the population 12 and over who indicated that they were current smokers was 25.3%. This represents a 8% decrease from the 2003 level (27.3 %). The 2005 rate was 17% more than the national smoking rate (21.7%) and 11% more than the Alberta provincial rate (22.7%)80.

Please see Appendix 8.2 for more information

LIFE EXPECTANCY

At 78.5 years in 2001, the life expectancy in Red Deer was 98.7 % of the national life expectancy and 98.7 % of the provincial life expectancy. Life expectancy increased by 0.7 years since 199781.

WAIT TIMES

Median wait time is defined by the Government of Alberta as the time in weeks within which 50% of persons served had their procedure or test performed.

In Alberta in April 2007, the median wait time for:

An MRI was 10.9 weeks
A CT scan was 1.3 weeks
A hip replacement was 11.4 weeks
A knee replacement was 17.4 weeks.

In the David Thompson Health Region in April 2007, the median wait time for:

An MRI was 18.1 weeks.
A CT scan was 1.0 week.
A hip replacement was 15.3 weeks.
A knee replacement was 40.5 weeks.

*This calculation is based on data from persons who received services ninety days previous to report date.82

ER LENGTH OF STAY

The David Thompson Health Region defines median length of stay in the Emergency Department as the time within which 50% of persons have been discharged from the ward (either fully discharged, are admitted to the hospital or transferred)83.

The median length of stay in the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Emergency Department was 2.3 hours in 2005/06.

In 2004/05 the median length of stay in the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre was 2.42 hours84.

Please see Appendix 8.3 for more information.

SUICIDE

In 2003, the suicide rate in the DTHR was 16.6 per 100,000 people. The provincial rate was 18% lower at 14.1 per 100,000 people85.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

The incidence rate of Gonorrhea (a sexually transmitted infection) more than doubled from an average of about 15 cases per 100,000 population from 1998-2003, to 32.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2004. This reflects the increasing trend in the province, and also an outbreak in the DTHR in 200486.

STATISTIC INDICATING SOCIAL WELLNESS

In 2003, the David Thompson Health Region, self rated mental health was reported as being excellent, very good or good in the David Thompson Health Region at a rate of 95 % and in the province at a rate of 94.3 %.

In 2003 the David Thompson Health Region had a reported rating of satisfied, or very satisfied with life, in general, of 83.8 % compared to the provincial rating of 91.1 %. Men in the David Thompson Health Region rated their satisfaction with life in general at 92.3 % compared to the provincial rating of 91.4 %. Women in the David Thompson Health Region rated their satisfaction with life in general at 76.3 % compared to the provincial rating of 90.1 %.

In 2003, the David Thompson Health Region, self perceived stress ratings included no stress at 30.4%, some stress at 35.5% and with quite a bit or lots of stress at 28.8%. In comparison in Alberta, self perceived stress ratings included no stress at 38.5%, some stress at 33.3%, and quite a bit or lot of stress at 20.0%87.

73 Scott's Medical Database (SMDB), Canadian Institute for Health Information. Special request. Statistics Canada, Community Profiles.2005. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Index.cfm?Lang=E. back
74 Canadian Medical Association (cma.ca). 2007. Physicians per 100,000 population by Province/Territory, 1986-2005. Retrieved July 30, 2007 from http://www.cma.ca/multimedia/CMA/Content_Images/Inside_cma/Statistics/12-Phys_per_pop.pdf. back
75 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Health Report 2005. Retrieved February 2007 from http://www.dthr.ab.ca/resources/documents/reports/HealthReport2005.pdf back
76 Statistics Canada. 2001. Vital Statistics- Birth Database. Table 102-4203. Cansim series: v21525794, v21526154, v21526190, v21526208, v21526298, v21526406, v21526532, v21526946, v21527324, v21527486, v21527540, v21527558, v21527594,v21527612, v21527828, v21527936, v21528044, v21528062, v21528080, v21528098, v21528116, v21528224, v21528368, v21528386, v21528422,v21527090, v21527360, v21528314, v21528332, v21528350, v21526586. back
77 Alberta Health & Wellness.2005. Self-Reported Body Mass Index and its correlates in Alberta: A portrait from survey and administrative data sources. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/public/NT_ObesityV6.pdf. back
78 Canadian Community Health Survey ( CCHS 2.1 and 3.1). 2005. Table III-4: Obesity* Rates for Vital Signs by CMA and Health Regions, 2003 and 2005. Cansim table 105-0400, Cansim series for Health Region :v41129731, v41141251, v41142531, v41143171, v41146371, v41150211, v41154691, v41166851, v41179651, v41185411, v41187331, v41187971, v41189251, v41189891, v41197571, v41201411, v41205251, v41205891, v41206531, v41207171, v41207811, v41211651, v41217411, v41218691,v41216771, v41171971, v41214851, v41215491, v41216131, V41180931, v41156611. For CMA: v30194436, v30212196, v30215748, v30222852, v30233508, v30244164, v30258372, v30261924, v30269028, v30272580. back
79 Canadian Community Health Survey ( CCHS 2.1 and 3.1). 2003-2005. Cansim table 105-0400, Cansim series for Health Region: v41129835, v41141355, v41142635, v41143275, v41146475, v41150315, v41154795, v41166955, v41179755, v41185515, v41187435, v41188075, v41189355, v41189995, v41197675, v41201515, v41205355, v41205995, v41206635, v41207275, v41207915, v41211755, v41217515, v41218795, v41216875, v41172075,v41214931,v41215595,v41216235, v41181035, v41156715. For CMAs: v30194140, v30211900, v30215452, v30222556, v30233212, v30243868, v30258076, v30261628, v30268732, v30272284. back
80 Canadian Community Health Survey (2003 & 2005). Table III-5: Smoking Rates for Current Smokers for Vital Signs by CMA and Health Regions, 2003 and 2005. Statistics Canada. Cansim table 105-0400, cansim series for Health Region: v41129811, v41141331, v41142611, v41143251, v41146451, v41150291, v41154771, v41166931, v41179731, v41185491, v41187411, v41188051, v41189331, v41189971, v41197651, v41201491, v41205331, v41205971, v41206611, v41207251, v41207891, v41211731, v41217491, v41218771, v41216851, v41172051,v41214931, v41215571, v41216211, v41181011, v41156691. For CMA: v30194044, v30211804, v30215356, v30222460, v30233116, v30243772, v30257980, v30261532, v30268636, v30272188. back
81 Statisitics Canada. 2001.Vital Statistics- Deaths Database, Table 102-0218, Cansim series: v20717323, v20718247, v20691913, v20692144, v20718478, v20694454, v20696071, v20718709, v20702077, v20704156, v20704849, v20705080, v20705542, v20705773, v20719171, v20709469, v20719402, v20710855, v20711086, v20711317, v20711548, v20719633, v20714551, v20714782, v20715244, v20699074, v20702539, v20713858, v20714089, v20714320, v20696764. back
82 Government of Alberta. (n.d.) Alberta Waitlist Registry. Retrieved on April 2007 from http://www.ahw.gov.ab.ca/waitlist/DownloadTrendReports.jsp. back
83 Government of Alberta. (n.d.) Alberta Waitlist Registry. Retrieved on April 2007 from http://www.ahw.gov.ab.ca/waitlist/DownloadTrendReports.jsp. back
84 D. Traverse, Accountability Reporting Coordinator, Knowledge Management, David Thompson Health Region, personal communication, February 2007 DTHR Morbidity and Ambulatory Care Abstract Reporting. back
85 David Thompson Health Region. 2005. Health Report 2005. Retrieved July 2007 from http://www.dthr.ab.ca/resources/documents/reports/HealthReport2005.pdf. back
86 David Thompson Health Region. 2005. Health Report 2005. pgs 26& 27. Retrieved July 2007 from http://www.dthr.ab.ca/resources/documents/reports/HealthReport2005.pdf. back
87 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Health Report 2005. Retrieved February 2007 from http://www.dthr.ab.ca/resources/documents/reports/healthreport2005.pdf. back