Unemployment, low income flagged as major problems in P.E.I. Chief Public Health Office report

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office released its five-year report on the state of health of Islanders on Friday.

This regular report, which runs to 120 pages, uses data from before the COVID-19 pandemic. It covers a broad range of topics, from incidence of disease to the background factors that could have long-term public health consequences.

The report, which covers to 2017-18, shows Islanders doing well relative to the rest of Canada on many indicators of health status.

Rates for communicable diseases were much lower than Canada's. Rates for lung and colorectal cancers were similar, and P.E.I. had lower breast and prostate cancer rates. For chronic conditions, P.E.I. was comparable to Canada overall.

The Island did not fare so well on socioeconomic factors.

More Islanders defined as low income

Islanders are more likely to be unemployed and wages are the lowest in the country. The report notes in the early years of the decade government programs supported low-income Islanders, and the percentage defined as low income was about the same as for Canadians as a whole. In the last half of the decade, however, that changed, and Islanders were more likely to be defined as low income.

"In addition to leading to lack of income by removing pay and benefits provided by a job, unemployment is a stressful event that lowers self-esteem, changes routines, and increases the risk of anxiety. It may also increase the use of smoking and heavy drinking to cope," the report said.

Islanders performed poorly on personal health practices and coping skills, the report said. They are more likely to smoke, less likely to be food secure or meet daily requirements for physical activity.

"P.E.I. residents were also less likely than Canadians to make changes to improve their health or even have the intent to make such changes," the report said.

Ensuring the physical health of Islanders means paying attention to their economic health, the report concludes.

"The local trends reported here reaffirm the need to redistribute societal resources to create the conditions for good health for everyone," it said.

"Decisions, policies, and programs in P.E.I. must be informed by evidence and should ensure that basic needs like housing, food security, transportation, education, and employment opportunities are met."