Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109522

Stephanie Premji, Institute of environmental sciences / Research center on biology, health, society and the environment (CINBIOSE), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada, 514-987-3000, 4757#, stephanie.premji@internet.uqam.ca, Karen Messing, Ph D, CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada, and Katherine H. Lippel, Département des sciences juridiques (law), Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Succursale Centre Ville, Montreal, QC H3P 3C8.

A growing number of American and European studies indicate that immigrants and ethnic minorities experience higher rates of occupational injuries and illnesses than the rest of the population. However, it is not possible to examine this question in the Canadian context since no database includes information on both ethnicity and work-related risks or health. We describe the lacunae in available Canadian data sources. We then report on a study linking two data sources to evaluate the relation between the ethnic composition of jobs and the level of risk associated with these jobs for Montreal, Quebec. In Canada, ethnicity can be variously described in relation to reported immigrant status, visible minority status, language, etc. The study uses ethnicity and other socio-demographic data from the 2001 Canada census and occupational injuries and illnesses data from the Quebec compensation board for 2000-2002. We discuss the challenges associated with this approach, such as linking different job classification systems and using pre-set definitions of ethnicity and risk. Results using the various definitions of ethnicity will be compared. We find this approach to be limited in its ability to provide a reliable portrait of the situation. We argue that the limits of the quantitative data in Canada contribute to the invisibility of the problem, and discuss possible reasons and consequences from a social justice perspective. We conclude that the necessary information should be made available in one database, ideally with information on other determinants. We also discuss the benefits of qualitative methodologies in this context.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to

• Discuss the state of available quantitative data in Canada relating to the investigation of the relation between ethnicity and occupational health
• Identify some of the challenges associated with linking different data sources as a strategy to overcome the lacunea in available data
• Articulate definitions of ethnicity based on various characteristics
• Recognize the benefits of qualitative methodologies for the investigation of ethnicity-based disparities in health

Keywords: Occupational Health, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation