| Abstract: |
Comparative health studies consistently find that Canadians on average are
healthier than Americans. Comparing health status within and between Canada
and the United States provides key insights into the distribution of
inequalities in these two countries. Canada’s universal health care insurance
system contrasts with the mixed system of the United States: universal care
for seniors, private health care insurance for many, and no or intermittent
coverage for others. These countries are also notably different in the extent
of income and racial/ethnic inequalities. It is within this context that this
study compares the relative strength of the relationships between social,
economic, and demographic factors (sex, age, marital status, income,
education, country of birth, and race/ethnicity) and health status in Canada
and the United States. Evidence drawn from the 2002-2003 Joint Canada/United
States Survey of Health reveals that the correlations between these factors,
above all country of birth and race/ethnicity, and health are relatively
stronger in the United States, reflecting differences in health care access
and racial/ethnic-based inequalities between the countries. The study findings
are suggestive of the effects of universal access to health care and more
equitable distribution of other social resources in protecting the health of
the general population. |
| Keywords: |
self-reported health, United States, Canada, health insurance, income, race, ethnicity, age, sex |