Factors associated with self-rated health in Black Canadians: A cross-sectional study

Self-rated health (SRH) has shown to be a strong predictor of morbidity, functional decline, and mortality outcomes. This paper investigates the association between sociodemographic variables (e.g., employment, education, sex) and SRH among Black Canadians.

We used cross-sectional survey data (n = 1380) from the A/C (African Caribbean) Study of first- and second-generation Black Canadians in Toronto and Ottawa. Participants were invited to complete an electronic survey questionnaire in English or French in 2018-2019. Generalized linear model analyses were used to evaluate the associations among sociodemographic factors and self-rated quality of health.

A total of 1380 self-identified Black individuals completed the survey and were included in the analysis. The majority of participants were under the age of 60 (89.7%), female (63.4%), born outside of Canada (75.1%), and residing in Toronto, Ontario (61.9%). The strongest association with poor SRH was found for difficulties accessing health care, sexual orientation, and substance misuse/disorder, while accessing/meeting basic needs was associated with better SRH, following adjustment for other socioeconomic conditions and lifestyle factors.

Our findings underscore the importance of improving the social determinants of health as a conduit to improving the general health status and the quality of life of Black Canadians. Results revealed that Black Canadians may be demonstrating high levels of resilience in circumventing their current social circumstances and structural disadvantages to live the best quality of life. Understanding sociodemographic and socio-structural barriers that Black people face is essential to reducing vulnerabilities to poor outcomes and improving their health and well-being.