5.3 Healthy Cities

What would be Ottawa’s life expectancy, if the region had the same health behaviours as the healthiest region in Canada?

In this example, we will determine:

A. who is the healthiest region in Canada,

B. what are the health behaviours of Ottawa vs the healthiest region, and

C. what would be the mortality outcomes be if Ottawa’s health behaviours were the same as the healthiest region.

Here we will use the average life expectancy to determine the health of regions: the higher the life expectancy for the region the healthier that region is.

For this example we will use the sample data set data.sample.csv, which can be downloaded at https://github.com/Big-Life-Lab/PBL-Planning-Tool-Case-Examples. This link also contains all of the R code for this case example. Although we have included the R code any other statistics software (SAS, STATA, etc) can be used to complete this case example.

The following steps include the R coding for each of the steps but you can preform the steps in any other software program.

5.3.1 Part A: Find the healthiest region in Canada

Using the Project Bid Life Planning Tool, we will find the healthiest region in Canada: the region with the highest life expectancy.

  1. Load the data file: data.sample.csv.

Note: Although the data.sample.csv is based on the 2013/2014 Canadian Community Health Survey Public Use Microdata File, data.sample.csv is a completely fabricated data set and can only be used for exemplary purposes.

  1. Select calculation: Summary Measure – Life Expectancy (Summary)

  2. Add Stratification: GEODPMF. This variable represents the health regions in Canada

  3. Title the calculation: Life expectancy by health region

  4. Click the calculate button

  5. Download the results - TO DO

Using your preferred statistic software (Excel, SAS, STATA, R Studio, etc) identify the healthiest region and the health of the Ottawa health region.

The healthiest region is XXX.

5.3.2 Part B: Determine the health behaviours of the healthiest region and the Ottawa region.

Calculate the average of each health behaviour in the healthiest region: XXX and the Ottawa region.

  • Smoking: Calculate the prevalence of current smokers in the XXX and Ottawa region.

  • Physical Activity: Calculate the average of physical activity (variable PACDEE) in the XXX and Ottawa region.

  • Alcohol: Calculate the average of weekly alcohol consumption (variable ALWDWKY) in the XXX and Ottawa region.

  • Diet: Calculate the average daily consumption of each diet component (variables: FVCDCAR, FVCDFRU, FVCDJUI, FVCDPOT, FVCDSAL, and FVCDVEG) in the XXX and Ottawa region.

    • The more daily servings an individual has of:

      • carrots, fruits, salad, and vegetables = the more healthy the individual,
      • juice = the less healthy the individual,
      • potato < 1 = the more healthy the individual, and
      • potato > 1 = the less healthy the individual.

Comparing health behaviours

Compare the averages of all health behaviours in the Ottawa region to the XXX. When the health behaviour for Ottawa is unhealthier then XXX, record the avg/prevalence of that health behaviour for XXX.

5.3.3 Part C: What if Ottawa acted like XXX?

We’ll now run a scenario where the Ottawa region acts like XXX. Ottawa will now have the health behaviours of XXX, when the health behaviour of XXX is healthier then Ottawa’s.

  1. Load your data file: data.sample.csv

  2. Select initial calculation: Summary Measure – Life Expectancy (Summary)

  3. Add Filter: GEODPMF – 35951 (the code for the Ottawa Health region)

  4. Click: Scenarios

  5. Click on each health behaviour where Ottawa is unhealthier then XXX and input XXX’s value in the target scenario for that health behaviour

  • TO DO: Examples of where that is

  1. Title the Calculation: Ottawa - Intervention - HB1, …..

  2. Click calculate.

  3. TO DO: results