Inventory of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Environmental and Occupational Health Data
Sources and Surveillance Activities

Inventory of Data Sources

National Population Health Survey (NPHS) Asthma Supplement 1996/97 (Health Canada)

Contact
Louise McRae
Analyst, Disease Intervention Division
Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
Population and Public Health Branch
Health Canada
Jeanne Mance Bldg., Tunney's Pasture
Ottawa, ON
Tel: (613) 957-9429
Fax: (613) 954-8286
E-mail: Louise_McRae@hc-sc.gc.ca

Organization Maintaining the Database
The data are the property of Statistics Canada, but the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Health Canada, maintains a copy.

Purpose of Database
Survey data are used to monitor the prevalence of asthma nationwide (all provinces), and to provide information on severity of asthma, associated risk factors, and management and treatment practices.

Content
1996/97 national and provincial data on severity of asthma, associated risk factors, and management and treatment practices - from the National Population Health Survey. Data types: service visits; hospital admissions and discharges; clinical; epidemiological; risk factors (e.g., including behavioural); treatment, clinical/health outcome; demographic; geographic; financial. Also includes environmental data on indoor air quality; legal drugs; climate and weather hazards. Geolocator: province.

Other data elements: self-reported survey data on triggers of asthma symptoms (e.g., dust, mould, pollen, ETS, humidity, cold air, air pollution, chemical fumes); environmental control practices (e.g., washing of linens, carpeting, pets in home, home heating/air conditioning, humidification, air filters, mould in home); medications for asthma. Person-level data without identifiers; (there is only a record identifier, which is meaningful only to Statistics Canada, which also has other person identifiers in the original dataset). There are about 1814 records in the database and 125 variables per record

Year Database Established
1996/97

Coverage Period
One year: 1996 to 1997

Data Updates
Not applicable (this was a one-time survey; no updating)

Data Provider
Statistics Canada.

Data Availability
Access to the data is restricted to CCDPC staff, Health Canada and is controlled per a licensing agreement with Statistics Canada. The Information, Analysis, and Connectivity Branch (IACB), Health Canada, also has direct access to the data. Access for others within Health Canada is considered on case-by-case basis. There is a data-sharing agreement between Statistics Canada and Health Canada. Release of data outside Health Canada is limited by Statistics Canada release guidelines.

Reports
Data have been used in " The Prevention and Management of Asthma in Canada: A Major Challenge Now and in the Future -- A Report from the National Asthma Control Task Force." Available at:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/publicat/asthma00/pdf/asthma00e.pdf

Additional Comments
Information on the database is available in printed and electronic formats.

Keywords for searches: NPHS; asthma triggers; medications; tobacco smoke; asthma symptoms

The asthma dataset is linked with information in the main NPHS 1996-97 database.

Other databases: National Mortality and National Morbidity databases (maintained by Ora Kendall, Health Canada) and National Population Health Surveys, National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, Canadian Community Health Survey (maintained by Bill Bradley's group in IACB, Health Canada)