What is the Child Health Data Repository?
The Child Health Data Repository is a comprehensive inventory of over 100 Canadian datasets that can be used to search for specific intersections of child/family health and equity variables based on our Conceptual Framework for Child Flourishing in Canada. Through this tool, we strive to promote and facilitate access to existing datasets relevant to child health equity research.
To request a free consultation with our data consultant, Sima Gandhi, please complete the online registration form for our Data Consultation Service. For any other inquiries, or suggestions on how we can improve our Data Repostiry, please send an email to leong.centre@sickkids.ca.
What is Included in the Data Repository?
Description. Provides a summary of the scope of the dataset and what type of information is available.
Flourishing Indicators. Measures of child and family flourishing included in the Leong Centre's adapted Conceptual Framework for Child Flourishing in Canada. These include: Adolescent Suicide, Life Satisfaction, Access to Maternal & Child Mental Health Services, Protection from Violence, Early Child Development & School Readiness, Access to Maternal & Child Health Services, Child Health & Morbidity, Parental Health & Morbidity, Overweight & Obesity, Growth & Nutrition, Educational Achievement, Social Skills, Health Promoting Environment, Reproductive & Sexual Health, Lack of Poverty
Jurisdiction. Refers to the region from which the data is collected, and includes the following categories: Ontario Only, Pan-Canadian, International.
Category. Refers to the type of data categorized as follows:
- Survey Data. Survey data include data collected from a sample of respondents. Data are collected from a targeted audience about a specific topic to conduct research. Survey methods may be cross-sectional or longitudinal, and conducted through include online or paper or questionnaires, telephone surveys, or in-person interviews.
- Routinely Collected Health Data. Routinely collected health data included data collected during health system encounters, including physicians’ offices, diagnostic procedures, hospital admissions, among others. These data are collected to examine health system delivery or performance.
- Routinely Collected Social and Environmental Data. Data sources related to social services provided to families, such as housing, financial assistance, childcare, employment, as well as sources of area and community-level data such as resources, neighbourhood safety, and built environment, among others.
- Clinical Registry. Clinical disease or patient registries including records of individuals with specific conditions, diagnoses, procedures or interventions. Registries provide information on clinical practice, patient outcomes, safety and effectiveness, treatment outcomes and costs.
- Large Prospective Cohorts. Prospective cohorts include observational data on specific disease or clinical populations in real time, extracted from administrative data or electronic health record systems.
Population. The individuals and groups represented in each database, including:
- Perinatal (Maternal & Newborns). Includes data on maternal health (health status, health service use), fertility (treatment, procedures), prenatal (antenatal) care, hospital admissions (pregnancy, labour, birth) post-natal care, early newborn care and screening (age < 30 days), fetal and congenital anomalies, and neonatal outcomes.
- Children & Adolescents. Includes data related to health and social outcomes among children and adolescents aged 30 days to 19 years.
- Families. Data on family and household characteristics and outcomes (e.g. income, educational attainment, employment, family type/composition, social assistance, access to childcare).
Access. How the data can be accessed.
Link. External URL for more information on the dataset, including methodology, data definitions, variables, and related documentation.
How Can Data be Accessed?
This inventory does not provide data access. Information on how to access the specific data associated with the datasets can be found in the details of each, but in general can be accessed through the following:
- ICES data holdings: https://www.ices.on.ca/Data-and-Privacy/ICES-data/Working-with-ICES-Data
- Statistics Canada Microdata Access (information on accessing data using the Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) and Research Data Centres (RDCs): https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/microdata
List of Datasets (A-Z)
National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS)
Description: The National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) contains data for all hospital-based and community-based ambulatory care, including day surgery, outpatient and community-based clinics, and emergency departments.
Access: ICES (*ON only), CIHI
National Cannabis Survey
Description: The main objective of the National Cannabis Survey is to better understand the frequency of cannabis usage in Canada and to monitor changes in behaviour as a result of the planned legalization of cannabis for non-medical use.
Access: Statistics Canada
National Graduates Survey (NGS)
Description: The National Graduates Survey collected information from persons who graduated from public postsecondary educational institutions in Canada in 2015. The questions focused on academic path, funding for postsecondary education, including government-sponsored student loans, and transition into the labour market. Data from this survey will be used to better understand the experiences and outcomes of graduates, and to improve government programs. The survey is designed to collect details on topics such as: i) the extent to which graduates of postsecondary programs have been successful in obtaining employment since graduation; ii) the relationship between the graduates' program of study and the employment subsequently obtained; iii) the type of employment obtained and qualification requirements; iv) sources of funding for postsecondary education; and v) government-sponsored student loans and other sources of student debt.
Access: Statistics Canada
National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System (NPDUIS)
Description: The National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System (NPDUIS) contains pan-Canadian prescription claims-level data, focusing primarily on publicly financed drug benefit programs. The database also contains supporting information on formulary and drug product information, and information on policies of public drug plans in Canada.
Access: CIHI
National Rehabilitation Reporting System
Description: The National Rehabilitation Reporting System (NRS) collects data from participating adult inpatient rehabilitation facilities and programs across Canada.
Access: ICES (*ON only); CIHI
National Trauma Registry (NTR)
Description: The National Trauma Registry (NTR) provides trauma health care providers, researchers and injury prevention programs with essential information on injury or trauma in Canada.
Access: CIHI
New Drug Funding Program (NDFP)
Description: The New Drug Funding Program (NDFP) is a publicly funded drug programs under the Ontario Public Drug Programs (OPDP), which pays for many newer, and often very expensive, injectable cancer drugs administered in hospitals and cancer centres.
Access: ICES, CCO
Newborn Screening Ontario
Description: Newborn Screening Ontario (NSO) is a provincial program funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) and located at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa, Ontario. NSO screens almost every newborn in Ontario for rare but treatable diseases using a combination of advanced laboratory techniques. Five groups of diseases are screened, including, metabolic diseases, endocrine diseases, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, severe combined immune deficiency, spinal muscular atrophy; and critical congenital heart diseases.
Access: ICES
OCHS School Mental Health Surveys
Description: The OCHS School Mental Health Survey is a sub-study of the OCHS enlisting schools across Ontario, which examines school-level influences on student mental health. The goal of the survey is to: (1) determine the impact of schools on student mental health; (2) determine whether variation in school climate and environment characteristics accounts for variation in levels of child and youth mental health need; (3) identify the mental health resources available to children and adolescents within the school context; and (4) determine the effect of mental health literacy on levels of child and adolescent mental health.
Access: Statistics Canada
Office of the Registrar General- Deaths (Vital Statistics)
Description: The Office of the Registrar General (ORG) obtains information about mortality from death certificates which are completed by physicians. All deaths within Ontario are registered in the office of the division registrar within which the death occurs. The ORG provides death data to Statistics Canada for national reporting.
Access: ICES