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

Description

Proportion of census families made up of a mother or father, with no spouse or common-law partner present, living with one or more children relative to the total number of census families with children.

Specific Indicators

• Lone-parent families
• Male lone-parent families
• Female lone-parent families

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 Outcome (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 conduct surveillance, including the ongoing collection, collation, analysis, and periodic reporting of population health indicators, as required by the Health Protection and Promotion Act and in accordance with the Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol, 2008 (or as current) (Foundational Standards).
• 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 with 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.).

http://www.ontario.ca/publichealthstandards

Corresponding Health Indicator(s) from Statistics Canada and CIHI

Lone-parent Families

From the main menu, choose:
> Browse by subject    
     > Health 
          > Health Profile (under Featured Products)

Find your health region / geography of interest.  Lone-parent Families indicator is under the Community section.

Data Sources (see Resources: Data Sources)

Numerator & Denominator: Canadian Census
Source: Statistics Canada
Distributed by: Statistics Canada
Suggested Citation:
[year] Census, Statistics Canada

Survey Questions

Derived variable from questions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in 2011 Census.

Analysis Check List

Not applicable.

Method of Calculation

Number of lone-parent famileis with children (LPFwC)
Total number of census families with children in private households (CFwC)
{LPFwC/CfwC}x100%

Basic Categories

• Total lone-parent, male parent, female parent
• Geographic areas: health planning region, public health unit, census division, census subdivision.

Indicator Comments

• The proportion of lone-parent families is calculated without taking care responsibilities into consideration, e.g., an 80-year old parent living with a 55-year-old son or daughter, who may be taking care of the parent.
• The proportion of children in lone-parent families is also available in the 2011 Census. 
• Census data were collected using the long form census, which was distributed to a 20% sample of all Canadians, but was mandatory to complete. The National Household Survey is distributed to a 1/3 sample of all Canadians, but is voluntary to complete. For more information, refer to the Census of Canada and the National Household Survey document housed on the Core Indicators Resources page.

Cross-references to Other Indicators

None.

Cited References

1. Statistics Canada. 2011 National Household Survey. Ottawa, ON: Ministry of Industry, 2011. Questionnaire and guides available from URL: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/NHS-ENM/2011/ref/about-apropos/ques_guide-eng.cfm 
   
2. Statistics Canada. 2011 Census Dictionary. Ottawa, ON: Ministry of Industry, 2010. Available online from URL: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/ref/dict/98-301-X2011001-eng.pdf
   

Acknowledgements

Changes Made

Date of Last Revision: July 17, 2013