7 highlights — and lowlights — that stand out in the Vital Signs report
The Vital Signs report was publicly released last week, providing statistics on the overall quality of life in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Rob Greenwood, executive director of Memorial University's Harris Centre, said the authors didn't want to make to report a "gobbledegook of a whole lot of numbers," which is great, because yawn.
1. Mental health and wellness
When it comes to hospitalization due to mental illness or addictions, the highest rates were seen in the Western Health region.
Per 100,000 population, the rate was at 987.3 — that's followed by 753.9 in Labrador-Grenfell Health. Central Health came next with 500.9, and Eastern Health brought up the rear with 450.9.
According to the report, the number "reflects differences between regions such as population health, service delivery models, as well as the availability of specialized, residential or community-based services."
Overall, this province spent more public health expenditure per capita than the rest of Canada — $5,304 compared to $4,261.
While people in this province were found to wait longer for visits to a specialist and diagnostic tests than other Canadians, non-emergency wait times in general are shorter in N.L. and more people in this province have access to a regular doctor.
2. 'Shameful' agriculture
When it comes to a secure food source, Newfoundland and Labrador tends to be on the lower end of providing its own goods.
There's roughly 6,458 sq. ft. of farmland per capita in the province — that's 0.06 hectares. That's about the same size as a "slightly oversized" home building lot, according to the report.
Rob Greenwood said even he was surprised by this number.
"I knew we didn't have much relative to other provinces, but how miniscule it is, is shameful," he said.
3. Sense of belonging
What may be the least surprising item in the report is the strong sense of belonging among people in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The province beats out the Canadian average for people who see their relatives every day — 20 per cent, compared to 7.5 per cent — people who see their friends every day (24.4 per cent to 15.7 per cent), and people with three or more close friends (79.3 per cent to 74.1 per cent).
"More N.L.ers have a somewhat strong or very strong sense of belonging to their province than other people in Canada," the report states.
"This strong sense of belonging is even more prominent in the central, western and Labrador health regions."
4. Aging population, fewer older volunteers
When it comes to volunteerism, overall there are more volunteers in the province than the Canadian average.
However, slightly fewer seniors age 65 to 74 volunteer than compared to the national average — 38.2 per cent to 37 per cent. We're second last next to Quebec, with only 26.3 per cent.
But there are more seniors living in poverty and more unemployed seniors actively seeking work in Newfoundland and Labrador than the Canadian average — by a lot.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, 16.4 per cent of seniors ages 65 to 74 who are actively seeking work are unemployed, which is nearly double that of the national average.
Meanwhile, the provincial poverty rate for seniors is two-thirds higher than the national rate, with 22.3 per cent compared to 13.4 per cent. Regionally speaking, the rate is much higher on the Northern Peninsula, where it's nearly three times the national rate, at 40.1 per cent.
It's not clear how, or if, those things correlate, but it's still interesting to compare.
5. Young and obese
When it comes to obesity, 43.5 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador's youth ages 12 to 19 are overweight or obese. That's compared to the national average of 26 per cent.
When asked how they perceived their overall health, Newfoundland and Labrador youth placed themselves lower then their Canadian counterparts. That perception for mental health was higher, and closer to the national average.
As for the general population, the province is tipping the scales at a higher rate of obesity than Canadians.
According to Statistics Canada data provided in 2014, 67.5 per cent of N.L. is obese or overweight — compared to 54 per cent of Canadians.
6. Debt, or surprising lack thereof
From 2012 data cited in the report, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a lot less debt than the average Canadian.
"N.L.ers hold significantly less debt than Canadians," the report states, citing Statistics Canada.
The median household debt for people in this province is around $37,500 — compare that to $60,100 for the rest of the country.
However, most N.L. families earn slightly less than the average Canada. But compared to the rest of Atlantic Canada, people in this province bring in more income.
7. Gender and equality
There are more women than men enrolled at Memorial University, and women have a higher rate of graduation when compared to their male counterparts.
"Female students are attending and graduating from N.L.'s only university at a far greater rate than their male counterparts," the report states. But, men are nearly twice as likely as women to be awarded doctorates.
According to numbers from 2010, there are 37 per cent more N.L. women living in poverty than men. In Canada, that difference is only 12 per cent.
However, the report states there are higher poverty rates for women compared to men in Newfoundland and Labrador, but there are fewer women unemployed.
Women in this province earn 70.8 per cent of the average male's annual earnings — 77.8 on the Northeast Avalon. That's higher than the Canadian average at 66.5 per cent.
As for women in politics, there are only six MHAs in Newfoundland and Labrador, compared to 42 male MHAs. Only one of seven federal MPs is a woman.
Those are just a few of the highlights from the Vital Signs report. For more information and the full report, visit Vital Signs Canada.
This is the second annual report from Vital Signs for this province.
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