Northern Ontarians live shorter lives and have more health problems in comparison to the rest of the province, according to a new study released Tuesday.
A report from Health Quality Ontario called ‘Health in the North’ indicates people living in northern Ontario are more likely to have worse health, poorer access to health care and die earlier than people in other parts of the province.
“Despite many improvements in health and health care across the province in recent years, there are stubborn and persistent inequities in the care people receive in the north, and in their health outcomes,” said Dr. Joshua Tepper, president and CEO of Health Quality Ontario, in a media release.
For people in the area served by the North East Local Health Integration Network, the average life expectancy is 79-years-old, below the provincial average of 81.5-years-old.
Other findings from the report find that people in the north are more likely to die prematurely (before age 75) due to suicide, circulatory disease and respiratory disease; people in the north are much less likely to report being able to see a family doctor, nurse practitioner or other regular health care provider when needed; people in the north are more likely to report having multiple chronic conditions.
Health Quality Ontario is a provincial advisor on quality in health care.
