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Canadian Big City People Live Longer Study Finds
Here is what recently came out in the news about living in big cities and how it can help extend your life. I guess it is good we live in the big city of Calgary!
CBC News, July 4, 2002
OTTAWA - Canadians who live in large cities tend to live longer than their northern and rural counterparts, according to a new report by Statistics Canada.
People in Richmond, B.C. had the greatest life expectancy at an average of 81.2 years - that's almost three years longer than the national average of 78.3 years.
The Richmond folks also had the lowest smoking and obesity rates in the country.
The largely aboriginal region on Nunavik in northern Quebec had the lowest life expectancy at 65.4 years.
The agency grouped together similar communities to increase the relevance of the comparisons. Health districts across the country were grouped on the basis of socio-demographic factors including population, average years of schooling, unemployment rate, average income and percentage of aboriginal and visible minority populations.
The peer groups were compared based on health indicators such as life expectancy and health risk factors including heavy drinking, obesity, stress levels and depression.
Within the peer groups, life expectancy varied between three and five years, the agency found.
Income, lifestyle effects
The researchers also found that communities with lower incomes and higher unemployment tended to have poorer health.
"If they didn't smoke, if they exercised, if they were not overweight, living in poverty is still the prime determinant of whether they become ill," said York University health policy Prof. Dennis Raphael.
"They would still become ill at almost twice the rate of wealthier and middle income Canadians." The agency said the report could help health officials to target their health promotion programs.
In general the researchers found urban dwellers had healthier lifestyles.
Northern communities were the least healthy but also the least stressed and depressed.
Life expectancies in rural regions were in between the Canadian average and those of northern communities.
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