Despite Canada’s history of developing health promotion and population health concepts, Canada falls behind other wealthy nations in having these ideas implemented in the form of public policy that strengthens the social determinants of health (SDH). Much of this has to do with the lack of awareness by Canadians about the SDH that stems from the lack of media reporting on the determinants of health and the unwillingness of most local public health units across Canada to raise these issues in a consistent manner. Canada is not unique in this situation. If the public health community in Canada is to live up to its self-professed mission of improving the health of Canadians it must undertake to educate the public about the SDH as effectively as it took on the task of educating the public of the importance of not smoking, of exercising and adopting a healthy diet.
World Health Organization. Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2008.
2.
RaphaelD. Poverty in childhood and adverse health outcomes in adulthood. Maturitas. 2011; 69: 22-26.
3.
MikkonenJRaphaelD. Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. Toronto, Canada: School of Health Policy and Management, York University. Available at http://thecanadianfacts.org (2010, accessed November 4, 2011).
4.
Health Council of Canada. Stepping it Up: Moving the Focus from Health Care in Canada to a Healthier Canada. Toronto, Canada: Health Council of Canada. Available at http://www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/tree/2.40-HCCpromoDec2010.pdf (2010, accessed July 2, 2012).
5.
RaphaelD. The political economy of health promotion: Part 2, national provision of the prerequisites of health. Health Promot Int. 2011; DOI: 10.1093/heapro/dar05810.1093/heapro/dar058.
6.
RaphaelD. The political economy of health promotion: Part 1, national commitments to the provision of the prerequisites of health. Health Promot Int. 2011; DOI: 10.1093/heapro/dar08410.1093/heapro/dar084.
7.
Canadian Public Health Association. Action Statement for Health Promotion in Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Public Health Association. Available at http://www.cpha.ca/en/programs/policy/action.aspx (1996, accessed November 4, 2011).
8.
Conference Board of Canada. How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Conference Board of Canada; 2009.
9.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. OECD Employment Outlook 2004. Paris, France: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; 2004.
LegislationVenn D. Collective Bargaining and Enforcement: Updating the OECD Employment Protection Indicators, OECD Social Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 89, Paris, France: OECD; 2009.
12.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Growing Unequal? Income Distribution and Poverty in OECD Countries. Paris, France: OECD; 2008.
13.
SwankD. Globalization, domestic politics, and welfare state retrenchment in capitalist democracies. Social Policy Soc. 2005; 4: 183-195.
14.
Canadian Population Health Initiative. Select Highlights on Public Views of the Determinants of Health. Ottawa, Canada: CPHI. Available at https://secure.cihi.ca/estore/productSeries.htm?pc=PCC267 (2004, accessed November 4, 2011).
15.
Joint OPHA/ALPHA Working Group on the Social Determinants of Health. Activities to Address the Social Determinants of Health in Ontario Local Public Health Units. Toronto, Canada: Joint OPHA/ALPHA Working Group on the Social Determinants of Health. Available at http://www.alphaweb.org/docs/lib_013531606.pdf (2010, accessed November 4, 2011).
16.
RaphaelD. About Canada: Health and Illness. Winnipeg, Canada: Fernwood Publishing; 2010.
Peterborough County-City Health Unit. Poverty and Health: Take Action for a Healthier Community. Available at http://pcchu.peterborough.on.ca/PH/PH-home.html (2008, accessed November 4, 2011).
Chatham-Kent Health Unit. Let’s Start a Conversation about Health . . . and Not Talk about Health Care at all. Chatham, ON, Canada: Chatham-Kent Health Unit. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyTni-vn93Y&feature=related (2011, accessed November 4, 2011).
21.
Interior Health Region. Beyond Health Services and Lifestyle: A Social Determinants Approach to Health. Kelowna, BC, Canada: Interior Health Region.
22.
Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. From Concept to Action: Social Determinants of Health Work Plan. Regina, Canada: Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region; 2008.
23.
Vancouver Coastal Health. Population Health: What makes our communities healthy?Vancouver, Canada: Vancouver Coastal Health; 2011.
24.
World Health Organization. The Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2005.
25.
Canadian Public Health Association. Welcome to CPHA. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Public Health Association;. Available at http://www.cpha.ca/en/default.aspx (2011, accessed November 4, 2011).
