The influence of community well-being on mortality among Registered First Nations people

• Main Authors: Oliver, L.N. (Lisa N.), Penney, C. (Chris), Peters, P. (Paul A.)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Aboriginal health; Age-standardized mortality rates; Cohort studies; Community; Data linkage; Indigenous; Longitudinal studies; Rate ratios; Socioeconomic; Indian; First Nations
• Online Access: https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/22589

Background: Living in a community with lower socioeconomic status is associated with higher mortality. However, few studies have examined associations between community socioeconomic characteristics and mortality among the First Nations population. Data and methods: The 1991-to-2006 Census Mortality and Cancer Cohort follow-up, which tracked a 15% sample of Canadians aged 25 or older, included 57,300 respondents who self-identified as Registered First Nations people or Indian band members. The Community Well-Being Index (CWB), a measure of the social and economic well-being of communities, consists of income, education, labour force participation, and housing components. A dichotomous variable was used to indicate residence in a community with a CWB score above or below the average for First Nations communities. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were calculated for First Nations cohort members in communities with CWB scores above and below the First Nations average. Cox proportional hazards models examined the impact of CWB when controlling for individual characteristics. Results: The ASMR for First Nations cohort members in communities with a below-average CWB was 1,057 per