Changes in health indicator gaps between First Nations and other residents of Manitoba

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has called for better reporting of health disparities between First Nations people and other Canadians to close gaps in health outcomes. We sought to evaluate changes in these disparities using indicators of health and health care use over the last 2 decades.

We used linked, whole-population, administrative claims data from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy for fiscal years 1994/95 to 1998/99 and 2012/13 to 2016/17. We measured indicators of health and health care use among registered First Nations and all other Manitobans, and compared differences between these groups over the 2 time periods.

Over time, the relative gap between First Nations and all other Manitobans widened by 51% (95% confidence interval [CI] 42% to 60%) for premature mortality rate. For potential years of life lost, the gap widened by 54% (95% CI 51% to 57%) among women and by 32% (95% CI 30% to 35%) among men. The absolute gap in life expectancy widened by 3.14 years (95% CI 2.92 to 3.36) among men and 3.61 years (95% CI 3.38 to 3.84) among women. Relative gaps widened by 20% (95% CI 12% to 27%) for ambulatory specialist visits, by 14% (95% CI 12% to 16%) for hospital separations and by 50% (95% CI 39% to 62%) for days spent in hospital, but narrowed by 33% (95% CI -36% to -30%) for ambulatory primary care visits, by 22% (95% CI -27% to -16%) for mammography and by 27% (95% CI -40% to -23%) for injury hospitalizations.

Disparities between First Nations and all other Manitobans in many key indicators of health and health care use have grown larger over time. New approaches are needed to address these disparities and promote better health with and for First Nations.