Social Determinants of Health – Health
The following information is compiled and presented by Quality of Care NL, an applied health and social systems research and evaluation program aimed at improving social and health outcomes in Newfoundland and Labrador. This page is best viewed in full screen on a computer. Click here to download a PDF version of the information presented below.
Health is more than the absence of disease or injury. It also refers to physical, mental and social well-being and is determined by an individual’s circumstances and environment.
A major indicator of well-being is how a person rates their own health status. Similarly, access to health care is fundamental to health and staying well.
Healthy People: Health-adjusted Life Expectancy
Health-adjusted life expectancy is the number of years in good health that an individual can expect to live given the current morbidity and mortality conditions. Health-adjusted life expectancy is not only a measure of quantity of life but also a measure of quality of life.
- From 2019 to 2023, health-adjusted life expectancy was lower in NL compared to Canada.
- In 2019 health adjusted life expectancy was 1.9 years lower in NL compared to Canada and in 2023 it was 3.9 years lower in NL
- Health adjusted life expectancy decreased across all provinces from 2019 to 2023.
- In 2019, NL ranked seventh (tied with NB) for health-adjusted life expectancy among the Canadian provinces and in 2023 NL ranked tenth (1=best and 10=worst).
Healthy People: Perceived Mental Health
Perceived mental health was measured using the following question, “In general, how is your mental health?” The possible response categories included: excellent, very good, good, fair or poor.
- Excellent or very good self-perceived mental health rates decreased from 2015 to 2024 in NL and across Canada.
- From 2015 to 2024, self-perceived mental health rates decreased by approximately 25% in both NL and Canada.
- From 2019 to 2024, all provinces saw a decrease in the proportion of those reporting excellent or very good self-perceived mental health.
- In 2019, NL ranked second among the Canadian provinces for the proportion of those reporting excellent or very good mental health and in 2024 NL ranked third (1=best and 10=worst).
Healthy People: Perceived Health
Perceived health was measured using the following question, “In general, how is your health?” The possible response categories included: excellent, very good, good, fair or poor.
- Overall from 2015 to 2024, excellent or very good self-perceived health rates decreased in NL and across Canada.
- From 2015 to 2024, self-perceived health rates decreased by 11% in NL and 15% across Canada.
- From 2019 to 2024, all provinces saw a decrease in the proportion of those reporting excellent or very good self-perceived health.
- In 2019, NL ranked first among the Canadian provinces for the proportion of those reporting excellent or very good health and in 2024 NL ranked fourth (1=best and 10=worst).
Health Services: Regular Health Care Provider
Access to health care is fundamental to health and staying well. Having reasonable and equitable access to universal health services facilitates earlier diagnosis, lowers mortality and comorbidity rates, and leads to improved physical, mental, emotional and social outcomes. However, when barriers such as provider availability, inadequate health insurance coverage, cost of non-insured health services (e.g. dental care, prescription drugs and mental health counselling), socio-cultural issues and health literacy prevent people from getting these services, health suffers.
- From 2015 to 2022, the proportion of individuals reporting they had a regular health care provider increased slightly across Canada but remained fairly stable in NL until 2022 when the proportion decreased.
- In 2022, the proportion of individuals reporting they had a regular health care provider was approximately 5% lower in NL compared to Canada.
- In 2017, NL ranked third among the Canadian provinces for having a regular health care provider and in 2022 NL ranked eighth (1=best and 10=worst)
Healthy Care Systems: Unmet Health Care Needs
Unmet health care needs refer to whether or not a person felt that he or she required health care in the last 12 months but did not receive it.
- Overall from 2018 to 2023, the rate of unmet health care needs increased in NL and across Canada.
- From 2018 to 2023, the rate of unmet health care needs increased by more than 90% in NL and close to 80% across Canada.
- From 2018 to 2023, all provinces saw an increase in the proportion of those reporting unmet health care needs.
- In both 2018 and 2023, NL ranked eighth among the Canadian provinces for the proportion of those reporting unmet health care needs (1=best and 10=worst).
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