Description | Specific Indicators | Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) | Corresponding Health Indicator(s) from Statistics Canada and CIHI | Corresponding Indicators from Other Sources | Data Sources | Alternative Data Sources | Analysis Check List | Method of Calculation | Basic Categories | Indicator Comments | Cross-references to Other Indicators | Cited References | Other References | Acknowledgements | Changes Made

Description

• Proportion of the non-institutional population that reports speaking a given language most often or on a regular basis at home.

Specific Indicators

• English home language
• French home language
• Other home language
• Top 10 home languages other than English or French

Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS)

The Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) establish requirements for the fundamental public health programs and services carried out by boards of health, which include assessment and surveillance, health promotion and policy development, disease and injury prevention, and health protection. The OPHS consist of one Foundational Standard and 13 Program Standards that articulate broad societal goals that result from the activities undertaken by boards of health and many others, including community partners, non-governmental organizations, and governmental bodies. These results have been expressed in terms of two levels of outcomes: societal outcomes and board of health outcomes. Societal outcomes entail changes in health status, organizations, systems, norms, policies, environments, and practices and result from the work of many sectors of society, including boards of health, for the improvement of the overall health of the population. Board of health outcomes are the results of endeavours by boards of health and often focus on changes in awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, practices, environments, and policies. Boards of health are accountable for these outcomes. The standards also outline the requirements that boards of health must implement to achieve the stated results.

Outcomes Related to this Indicator

Societal Outcomes (Foundational Standard): Population health needs are anticipated, identified, addressed, and evaluated.

Assessment and/or Surveillance Requirements Related to this Indicator

• The board of health shall assess current health status, health behaviours, preventive health practices, health care utilization relevant to public health, and demographic indicators in accordance with the Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol, 2008 (or as current) (Foundational Standard).
  
• Consider Requirement #5: The board of health shall provide population health information including determinants of health and health inequities to the public, community partners, and health care providers, in accordance ith the Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol, 2008 (or as current). 
  
• The board of health shall use population health, determinants of health and health inequities information to assess the needs of the local population, including the identification of populations at risk, to determine those groups that would benefit most from public health programs and services (i.e., priority populations) (Foundational Standard).

Protocol Requirements Related to this Indicator

• The board of health shall collect or access the following types of population health data and information: i) Socio-demographics including population counts by age, sex, education, employment, income, housing, language, immigration, culture, ability/disability, and cost of a nutritious food basket (Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol 1.b.i.).
  
• The board of health shall analyze population health data and interpret the information to describe the distribution of health outcomes, preventive health practices, risk factors, determinants of health, and other relevant information to assess the overall health of its population (Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol 2.b.).

Corresponding Health Indicator(s) from Statistics Canada and CIHI

None.

Corresponding Indicators from Other Sources

None.

Data Sources

Numerator & Denominator: Canadian Census
Original Source: Statistics Canada
Distributed by: Statistics Canada
Suggested Citation (see Data Citation Notes):
[year] Census, Statistics Canada
[year] National Household Survey, Statistics Canada

Alternative Data Sources

Numerator & Denominator: Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
Original Source: Statistics Canada
Distributed by: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
Suggested Citation (see Data Citation Notes):
Canadian Community Health Survey [year(s)], Statistics Canada, Share File, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC)

Numerator & Denominator: Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS)
Original Source: Selected Public Health Units
Distributed by: Institute for Social Research, York University
Suggested Citation (see Data Citation Notes):
Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System [month, year – month, year], Extracted [month, year], Participating Health Units

Analysis Check List

None.

Method of Calculation

• English home language
  Number of people in population who speak English most often or on a regular basis at home (single response) + English and French (multiple) + English and non-official (multiple) + English and French and non-official (multiple) (EL)
  Total non-institutional population (TNP)
  {EL/TNP}x100%
• French home language
  Number of people in population who speak French most often or on a regular basis at home (single response) + English and French (multiple) + French and non-official (multiple) + English and French and non-official (multiple) (FL)
  Total non-institutional population (TNP)
  {FL/TNP}x100%
• Given language single response
  Number of people who speak a given language most often or on a regular basis at home (GL)
  Total non-institutional population (TNP)
  {GL/TNP}x100%

Basic Categories

• Home languages: English only; English and other; French only; French and other; English and French only; English, French and other; Other—Neither English nor French.
• Geographic areas: Census Subdivision, Census Division, Province, Canada

Indicator Comments

• Home language indicator is used to describe the current language habits of the population at home, provide an indication of the cultural diversity in the community and to compare over time and place.
• Some people speak English or French but have other cultural backgrounds.
• Reported language spoken most often at home may not be the same language spoken at work, school, or with friends. Overall language habits also include other Census questions on reported language spoken on a regular basis at hoem and reported language first learned at home and still understood.
• Specific indicators are not mutually exclusive.
• The Inclusive Definition of Francophone includes home language in its calculation.

Cross-references to Other Indicators

• The Census also has other questions on language such as reported language first learned at home and still understood (see the Mother Tongue indicator). Mother tonguge provides an indication of linguistic diversity in the population and the need for translation of public health material into other languages. Since data obtained from the question on mother tongue only provides information on the language first learned at home and still understood, these data do not reflect the current language habits in the population. For example a middle-aged respondent with a Finnish mother tongue may almost never speak Finnish in the home currently or for several decades.

Cited References

Statistics Canada. 2011 Census of Population. Available from URL: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2010/2010-08-21/html/order-decret-eng.html

Statistics Canada. 2011 National Household Survey Questions. Available from URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/household-menages/pdf/nhs-enm-quest-eng.pdf

Statistics Canada. 2010 Canadian Community Health Survey Questions. Available from URL: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/instrument/3226_Q1_V9-eng.pdf

Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System. 2011 Survey Questions. Available from URL: http://www.rrfss.ca/resources/Sociodemographics%20IV-%20Education%20&%20Home%20Language.doc

Other References

None.

Acknowledgements

Changes Made

Date of Last Revision: March 4, 2013