1. The Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health (JCUSH) Catherine Simile, PhD, U. S. Project Officer Division of Health Interview Statistics National Center for Health Statistics

2. Background  Collaborative project undertaken by Statistics Canada (STC) and NCHS  Additional funders include The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research  One-time telephone survey  Sample of 3505 Canadians and 5,183 U. S. residents

3. Background, cont’d  Data collected from November 2002- March 2003  One adult 18 years of age and older living in private dwellings  Stratified for age and sex

4. Survey Purpose  To develop, implement, and document a collaboration between national statistical offices  To enhance comparability between the two countries’ ongoing national surveys  To produce highly comparable data on the Canadian and American populations

5. Survey Content  Health status  Limitation of activities  Asthma, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and depression  Contact with mental health professionals  Smoking  Height and weight

6. Survey Content, cont’d  Health care utilization  Use of prescription medications  Pap smear test and mammography  Dental visits  Insurance, including single service plans  Patient satisfaction  Physical activities

7. Data Files  Microdata files released June 2, 2004 on both websites  Microdata files accompanied by –Analytic highlights report –User’s Guide –Questionnaires in English, French, and Spanish

8. Possible Analytic Uses  Questions taken from ongoing surveys: NHIS and CCHS  Comparisons between JCUSH and NHIS  Comparisons between JCUSH and CCHS  Direct comparisons between US and Canada using JCUSH

9. YANK GIRLS ARE FATTER!!!!

10. Findings  Overall, most Canadians (88%) and U.S. residents (85%) reported they were in good or better health  US slightly higher rate of unmet needs (13% v. 11%)  Reasons different: waiting time most often reported in Canada, cost in U.S. Data source: The Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health 2002-2003Preliminary Data

11. Findings, cont’d  Rate of obesity higher in US (21% v. 15%)  Primarily because of differences between U.S and Canadian women (21% v. 13%); no significant differences between men  Canada had a slightly higher percentage of current daily smokers compared with U. S. (19% v. 17%). Data source: The Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health 2002-2003Preliminary Data

12. Percent with regular medical doctor, Canada and United States, 2002/03 Data source: The Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health 2002-2003 Preliminary Data

13. Percent Obese by Income Quintile, Canada and United States, 2002/03 Data source: The Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health 2002-2003Preliminary Data

14. Access to Data and Reports  NCHS website at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm  Statistics Canada website at www.statcan.ca