Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) – Nova Scotia

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.

Data sharing agreements

To avoid duplication of surveys, Statistics Canada has signed agreements with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to share the information collected during this survey. They have agreed to keep the information confidential and use it only for statistical purposes.

The information you provide to us can only be shared with your consent. Your name, address, telephone number and health number will not be shared.

Record linkage

At the end of the household interview:

To enrich the data from this survey, while minimizing the response burden, Statistics Canada will combine your survey responses with information from the tax data of all members of your household. Statistics Canada may also add information from other surveys or administrative data sources.

At the end of the mobile examination center visit:

Statistics Canada may combine information about you collected during this survey with information from other surveys or from administrative data sources. The results will be used for statistical purposes only.

The survey asks questions about

• oral health.

For a copy of the fall Canadian Health Measures Survey content summary for cycles 1-8, please contact Statistics Canada's Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136); 1-514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca.

Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.

Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.

Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.

• What is the Canadian Health Measures Survey?
• How is the survey conducted?
• What are the objectives of this survey?
• How long will the survey be active?
• Why should I participate in this survey?
• Is participation mandatory?
• Who is conducting this survey?
• Why is Statistics Canada collecting provincial estimates for only Nova Scotia?
• How are people selected for this survey?
• How long will it take to complete this survey?
• Why do you want to know my total income?
• My child is too young to answer these questions.
• What is the difference between gender and sex?
• Why can my 14-year-old child sign his/her own consent form?
• If I consent to participate, do I have to do all the parts of the survey?
• What does the clinical portion consist of?
• Are the procedures at the temporary examination centre safe?
• What will the oral health assessment measure?
• If I do this assessment, can this replace my regular check-up?
• Will I get my test results?
• Who uses the information collected?
• How will the data be used? Who will use it?
• Can doctors use the information produced by the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?
• How can people get a copy of the survey results?
• How does Statistics Canada ensure that all this will be kept confidential?
• Are answers kept confidential for kids?

What is the Canadian Health Measures Survey?

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is a national survey that collects information from Canadians about their general health and lifestyles.

Through interviews and the collection of some physical measurements, the survey will help us estimate the number of Canadians potentially at risk of developing certain diseases. It will also enable us to determine relationships between disease risk factors and health status, to explore emerging public health issues and to evaluate new measurement technologies.

How is the survey conducted?

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is a two-step survey.

First step: An in-home interview

The questions include but are not limited to:

• nutrition
• tobacco usage
• alcohol consumption
• medical background
• current health status
• lifestyle
• physical activity
• environment
• demographic, social, and economic data related to the household are also collected.

Second step: An appointment  at the temporary examination centre (TEC)

The TEC is set up in a local space.

At the TEC, trained and certified health specialists will:

• administer an oral health exam. 

What are the objectives of this survey?

By collecting direct physical measures and lifestyle characteristics that are related to health and disease, this survey will

• determine relationships among disease risk factors and health status
• estimate the distribution of selected diseases and risk factors
• monitor health trends based on available historical data
• collect information that cannot be gathered by self-report
• provide participants with important information about their health
• explore emerging public health issues and new measurement technologies.

How long will the survey be active?

November 1, 2024 – March 4, 2025.

Why should I participate in this survey?

By participating in this survey, the participant will play an important role in

• understanding the health of Canadians
• developing health services that affect all Canadians.

The participant will be entitled to

• a report of the results of certain physical and laboratory tests
• a reimbursement for the costs of transportation, child-care and parking related to the participant's visit to the Mobile Examination Centre (MEC). Everyone who takes part in physical measures testing at the MEC will receive $150. If two people are selected from the same household, and they both participate, they will each receive $150.

Is participation mandatory?

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. However, as each person selected represents many other people, your participation will help to ensure that survey results are complete.

Health is an important part of everyone’s life. It’s important that we have representation from all sorts of people, including those in good health, if the results of the survey are to be representative.

The data we collect from you and other participants will provide policy makers, provincial health departments, researchers and health professionals with a comprehensive source of information to assist them in addressing the health needs of all Canadians, now and in the future.

Who is conducting this survey?

The survey is being conducted by Statistics Canada, in partnership with the Department of Health and Wellness of Nova Scotia.

Why is Statistics Canada collecting provincial estimates for only Nova Scotia?

Statistics Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness have partnered to support the needs of Nova Scotia’s oral health surveillance program. The objective of this project is to collect and disseminate provincial estimates of oral health status of the Nova Scotia population for people aged 1 to 79. The survey content for this initiative will be limited to a subset of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) cycle 7 content, focused on oral health, and will leverage existing staff and protocols used in the current cycle of the CHMS to collect this information. The data collected through this initiative will be combined with data already collected in Halifax through CHMS cycle 7 to yield a sufficient sample size to produce provincial estimates of oral health status in Nova Scotia. In addition, this pooled data file will afford the ability to compare Nova Scotia provincial estimates with national estimates produced by CHMS cycle 7. This project also represents a valuable opportunity for Statistics Canada to pilot new approaches of direct health measures collection that will inform future efforts and potentially create efficiencies that will bring better value to Canadians.

How are people selected for this survey?

Your address was randomly selected. Once we find out who lives in a household, the selection takes into account the number of people living in the household and the age of each member.

Approximately 1 in 5,400 Canadians will be invited to participate in this survey. Because you represent many others in your community, your input is vital. Your participation in our survey ensures that we have an accurate and up-to-date picture of the health status of the population.

How long will it take to complete this survey?

It takes, on average, about one hour to complete the household interview and about one hour for the portion at the temporary examination centre (TEC). The length of the appointment at the TEC varies depending on which tests or measures you are eligible for.

Why do you want to know my total income?

Total income is one factor needed to determine an individual's overall economic situation. Although many health expenses are covered by health insurance, there is still a relationship between people’s health and their economic situation. The survey will help us learn more about that relationship. Please be assured that, like all other information you have provided, your income will be kept strictly confidential.

My child is too young to answer these questions.

In order to design appropriate health programs for youth in Canada, we need information about them with your help. We will ask you to answer questions about your child, and he or she can help you if required. Please rest assured that we will not continue with certain questions if it becomes obvious that your child is uncomfortable.

What is the difference between gender and sex?

Gender refers to the gender that a person internally feels ('gender identity' along the gender spectrum) and/or the gender a person publicly expresses ('gender expression') in their daily life, including at work, while shopping or accessing other services, in their housing environment or in the broader community. A person's current gender may differ from the sex a person was assigned at birth (male or female) and may differ from what is indicated on their current legal documents. A person's gender may change over time.

Why can my 14-year-old child sign his/her own consent form?

The age of 15 was determined in consultation with several expert groups: the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) Expert Advisory Committee, the CHMS Physician Advisory Committee, the federal and provincial privacy commissioners and others. In addition, the age of consent for health care in Canada is generally 14.

If I consent to participate, do I have to do all the parts of the survey?

No. You may choose to withdraw from any part of the survey at any time. If for any reason we find that you should not take part in a certain test or are ineligible, we will exclude you from that test. Parents or guardians can choose to withdraw their 1 to 14 year-old child from any part of the survey or subsequent studies until the child reaches the age of 14.

At the age of 15, the child can withdraw himself/herself. We will be re-contacting participants who were under the age of 15 when they took part in the survey shortly after they turn 15 to inform them that they can, at that point decide, whether or not to withdraw the use of their blood, urine and saliva samples that have been stored for future health studies.

What does the clinical portion consist of?

The clinical portion of the Canadian Health Measures Survey consists of:

• an assessment of your oral health
• an oral health exam.

All measures are taken by health professionals.

Are the procedures at the temporary examination centre safe?

For this unique survey, Statistics Canada is taking every precaution to ensure that the collection of health data are safe for all participants. The staff are trained and certified health professionals who use universal precautions and standard clinical procedures to conduct the physical tests.

Nevertheless, we will not ask you to perform any test or procedure that is inappropriate for you because of a prior or existing health problem or condition. At the beginning of your appointment, we will ask you a series of questions about chronic conditions you may have, your medication use and other health factors. Through careful screening of your answers, we will determine whether a test is suitable for you.

What will the oral health assessment measure?

This assessment will measure the health status of your mouth and teeth. Using a dental instrument and a mirror, the dentist will look into your mouth and check each tooth and the condition of your gums and tongue. The dentist will record whether a tooth is decayed, filled, or missing, and will also measure the space between the gum and the tooth. This measurement is an indicator of the current health of your gums. The dentist will also assess your teeth for the presence of fillings or any damage that were the result of trauma to your teeth.

If I do this assessment, can this replace my regular check-up?

No. Today’s assessment is conducted with only one instrument and a mirror, and follows strict World Health Organization survey standards. It is meant to get a national representation of the oral health status of Canadians, and is not meant to assess a respondent’s individual needs. A regular dental check-up uses more tools, such as x-rays, to diagnose tooth decay and other conditions.

Will I get my test results?

Yes. Test results that are immediately available will be provided to you at the temporary examination centre (TEC). If these results reveal possible health problems, we will advise you to consult a doctor or a regulated health professional for further investigation.

Who uses the information collected?

There are many users of the data collected, including

• Health Canada
• the Public Health Agency of Canada
• the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
• provincial ministries of health
• health planners across the country
• physicians
• health researchers
• journalists, decision makers and policy makers

How will the data be used? Who will use it?

Objective statistical information is vital to researchers, analysts and decision-makers across Canada. Results of the Canadian Health Measures Survey could be used by:

• Parliament and other policy makers, to track major initiatives, set priorities for prevention and research programs, and evaluate policy and program outcomes
• epidemiologists, biomedical and health service researchers, to understand trends in diseases and the relationship of observed risk factors to diseases
• individual physicians, to evaluate health and risk factors of their patients (using, for example, the reference standards and norms for height and weight and blood pressure that will be developed)
• public health professionals, to track preventable illnesses and evaluate the impact of prevention and intervention programs
• advocacy groups, to raise awareness and assist in their surveillance of health issues such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, child nutrition, obesity and health disparities.

Can doctors use the information produced by the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?

In time, information collected from the CHMS can assist local practitioners. With national baseline data, physicians and other health professionals can compare their patients' information to the national average and determine any potential health concerns.

How can people get a copy of the survey results?

The results from previous cycles of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) have been published in a variety of scientific and medical publications and on Statistics Canada’s website. Links to Statistics Canada and external publications that have used CHMS data can be found on the CHMS website. To access this information, visit www.statcan.gc.ca/chms, click on the link “survey number 5071”, and then “Documentation” and “Canadian Health Measures Survey Bibliography”. The results are also available at Statistics Canada’s regional data centres (RDCs) approximately 700 public libraries across Canada and the media.

How does Statistics Canada ensure that all this will be kept confidential?

• The Statistics Act ensures that any information you provide to us remains strictly confidential. Statistics Canada goes to extraordinary lengths to protect you. No unauthorized persons outside of Statistics Canada will ever be permitted to see your individual responses.
• All employees of Statistics Canada are under oath, meaning they are subject to severe penalties including prosecution if they do not safeguard your confidentiality.
• Personal information obtained by Statistics Canada from surveys is never released. All publications and other releases are carefully reviewed from this point of view.
• For the Canadian Health Measures Survey, we have consulted with a wide range of experts in the areas of science, ethics, privacy and law to ensure we have every safeguard in place to store your samples securely and ensure your privacy and the confidentiality of your data. 

Are answers kept confidential for kids?

To encourage truthful answers during the household interview, youths 12 years of age or older are interviewed privately away from other members of the household.

Adolescents 15 to 17 years of age can request that results are sent directly to him/her. Results for participants under 15 years of age will be sent to the parent or guardian.

• Content Information Sheet 2007-2026
• Information and Consent Booklet (Nova Scotia) – Cycle 7
• Information and Consent Brochure (Nova Scotia) – Cycle 7
• Report of physical measurements information sheet