The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is an innovative survey collecting not only self-reported health information but also direct physical measurements such as height, weight, blood and urine, and environmental measures such as indoor air and tap water samples. The survey takes a snapshot of the health of Canadians on concerns such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart and lung disease, infectious diseases, nutritional status and exposure to contaminants in the environment. The initial CHMS release in 2010 marked the first data from a comprehensive, nationally representative, direct physical health measures survey in almost 30 years.
| Cycle | Collection | Dissemination Dates | Number of Respondents | Age Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-2009 | 2010: Jan. 13, Feb. 17, Mar. 23, May 19, Aug. 16, Nov. 23 2011: Jan. 19, Mar. 2, Apr. 1, Aug. 17, Sept. 28 2012: Feb. 15, Apr. 18, May 16, June 20, Oct. 17 2014: Mar. 19 |
5,604 | 6-79 |
| 2 | 2009-2011 | 2012: Sept. 20, Oct. 29, Nov. 21, Nov. 29 2013: Jan. 10, Apr. 17, May 15 |
6,395 | 3-79 |
| 3 | 2012-2013 | 2014: Oct. 29, Dec. 16 2015: Feb. 18, Apr. 15, July 15, Sept. 16, Oct 20, Nov 18 |
5,785 | 3-79 |
| 4 | 2014-2015 | First dissemination in fall 2016 | 5,700 (estimated) | 3-79 |
| Multiple cycles | Collection for the CHMS is ongoing. Data from two or more cycles can be combined to obtain a larger number of records to work with. The instructions document and separate weights should be used. | |||
Canadian Health Measures Survey website
Provides general information about the survey, including collection dates and locations for the current cycle, collection methods, information for survey participants, and topics covered in the survey. Information about the biobank and how to access its samples is also provided here.
Health in Canada website
Provides information on health-related publications (Health Fact Sheets, Health at a Glance, Health Reports), recent releases of data, and information on how to access data.
The Daily
Another way to find the different CHMS analytical text and products released at a given time is to select a past issues date at the link above (use the dissemination dates in table above).
Definitions, Data Sources and Methods
Provides metadata information that will assist in interpreting Statistics Canada's published data. A CHMS bibliography of products released with links and a list of other CHMS documents available is also provided.
Accessing CHMS Data Files (not applicable to share partners)
Statistics Canada's Research Data Centres (RDC) Program
RDCs provide researchers with access, in a secure university setting, to microdata from population and household surveys. The centers are staffed by Statistics Canada employees. They are operated under the provisions of the Statistics Act in accordance with all the confidentiality rules and are accessible only to researchers with approved projects who have been sworn in under the Statistics Act as 'deemed employees.'
For more information on the CHMS, contact Statistics Canada (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; infostats@statcan.gc.ca).