Multilevel estimation of the relative impacts of social determinants on income-related health inequalities in urban Canada: Toward a new Canadian Social Determinants Urban Laboratory

A current renaissance in health system data and access now gives researchers an opportunity to measure the multilevel impacts of social factors on health inequalities in Canada. Working with existing survey and health systems data, our project will create a new virtual laboratory for investigating the impacts of these factors at the national, provincial, city, neighbourhood, and person levels. We will specifically investigate their impacts on health inequalities in self-reported health, as was recently done in Europe by the World Health Organization. Our objective is to answer the following two questions: How are social factors associated with the health of urban Canadians? Which factors have the most significant impacts? Answering these questions will provide insight into how limited health resources can be allocated to maximize their impact on population health. The Urban Public Health Network will support the project, a collaboration of Canadian academic researchers, national data stewards, and local public health practitioners. We will share the data and tools we develop with the research community, health decision-makers, and the public to support further advances in local research and evidence-based decision-making.