the well-being of children in the canadian north.. angela daley department of economics, dalhousie...

The Well-Being of Children in the Canadian North

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Angela DaleyDepartment of Economics, Dalhousie University

This research is highly preliminary. Please do not cite.

I gratefully acknowledge Shelley Phipps for her contributions. I also thank Heather Hobson for vetting the output.

Data were accessed the Atlantic Research Data Centre.

MotivationMethodologyDescriptive AnalysisRegression AnalysisLimitationsFuture Direction

Overview of Presentation


Is there correlation between residence in Northern Canada and subjective well-being among children?

Why study Northern Canada?

- We delineate Northern Canada by the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut

- The North is vastly different from the rest of Canada in terms of geography (e.g. climate, remoteness), demography (e.g. young population, large proportion of Aboriginal residents) and other dimensions

Motivation


Why study Northern Canada?

- While little is known about subjective well-being in the Territorial North, the literature indicates an unconditional Aboriginal health gap that tends to converge when controlling for demography, socio-economic conditions and behaviour (e.g. Tjepkema, 2002)

Motivation


Why study children?

- The North is characterized by a young population

- Childhood circumstance affects well-being throughout the lifecycle (e.g. Almond, 2006; Case and Paxson, 2009)

- Health is a mechanism for the inter-generational transmission of socio-economic status (e.g. Currie and Moretti, 2003)

Motivation


Methodology

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Canadian Community Health Survey- Cycles 2.1, 3.1, 2007 and 2008

- Data are reported by children with parental consent

Descriptive and Regression Analyses - Measures of subjective well-being include self-

reported mental and overall health

- Correlates of subjective well-being comprise personal characteristics, family environment, economic variables and alternate measures of well-being


Measures of Well-Being

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Personal Characteristics

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Family Environment

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Economic Variables

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Alternate Measures of Well-Being

Alternate Measures of Well-Being

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We estimate ordered probit models of mental and overall health as functions of geography, time, Aboriginal status, personal characteristics, family environment, economic variables and alternate measures of well-being

The sample comprises 13,500 observations - There are 350 children from the North, of which 215 are

Aboriginal. There are 13,150 children from Southern Canada, of which 620 are Aboriginal

Regression Analysis


…


Marginal Effects for Selected Levels of Well-Being

Mental Health (Excellent)

Mental Health (Good)

Overall Health (Excellent)

Overall Health (Good)

Baseline Probability 41.8 17.7 24.1 25.9

North x x 4.3 -3.6

Rural -2.4 1.4 x x

Aboriginal -6.7 4.0 -6.0 5.7

Male x x 2.8 -2.5

Obese or Overweight x x -8.8 8.4

Energy Expenditure x x 0.9 -0.8

Post-Secondary Education 3.1 -1.8 x x

Lone Parent -3.7 2.1 x x

Other Family Type -7.3 4.4 x x

Exposed to Second-Hand Smoke -4.0 2.3 -5.8 5.4

Log of Real Equilivalent Income x x 1.4 -1.2

Number of People per Bedroom x x 2.5 -2.2

Food Worry -7.3 4.4 -5.6 5.2

Belonging 7.4 -4.2 6.1 -5.4

Positive Body Image 7.8 -4.6 10.7 -10.4

Marginal Effects for Selected Levels of Well-Being

Georaphy and Aboriginal Status


Family Environment

Economic Variables

Alternate Measures of Subjective Well-Being

Regression Analysis


There is negative correlation between Aboriginal status, mental and overall health; while residence in the North has negligible effects

Findings suggest the importance of policy related to obesity and overweight status, family type, exposure to second-hand smoke and economic security. They are important for child well-being and substandard among the Aboriginal population

Data exclude residents outside of the 10 largest communities in Nunavut; thus estimates may not be representative of all children in the North

Estimates are subject to recall and cultural bias

The small sample may limit power to detect statistically significant relationships between residence in the North and subjective well-being

Limitations


Future Direction

Examine other measures of well-being including life satisfaction, obesity and overweight status

Evaluate the effect of social policy on child well-being while controlling for unobserved heterogeneity

- Are disparities larger when social assistance payments are lower in a particular region or time period?


Questions or Comments?


the well-being of children in the canadian north.. angela daley department of economics, dalhousie...

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