Health At Risk: Exploring Geographical Differences In Health Risk Factors Among Canada’s Aboriginal Population

Abstract

Smoking, obesity, and binge drinking are identified as important behavior-related risk factors for long-term health outcomes. Aboriginal People in Canada have significantly higher self-reported rates of all three of these negative health factors compared to the general population of Canada. Initial results from this study demonstrate that there are significant differences in Aboriginal smoking, binge drinking, and obesity rates depending on province or region of residence. Continued analyses clarify the nature of these geographic effects and provide some important implications for industry and government policy-makers.