Grant: Operating Grant

Infectious diseases are still a major cause of illness and death in Canada. As an example, the Ontario Burden of Infectious Diseases Study found that in a population of 12.2 million people, infectious diseases cause over 7 million healthcare episodes and nearly 5,400 deaths each year. Canada is home to many different ethnic groups, with 16% of the population belonging to a visible minority (i.e., non-White) group as of 2006, and this is expected to double to 29-32% by 2031. Certain ethnic groups are more likely to have chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Previous studies suggest that there may also be differences between ethnic groups in terms of infectious diseases. The goals of this research are to see if there are differences between ethnic groups in terms of healthcare use for several types of infections, and to understand the mechanisms that might explain these differences. In particular, we want to know if socio-economic status (e.g., income, education), lifestyle behaviours (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking), and medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, asthma) explain any differences that exist. We will use information from telephone surveys and healthcare records for hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and doctors' office visits from Ontario to do this research. We will also account for many other factors that might affect the relationship between ethnicity and infections. This research will improve our understanding of how ethnicity relates to health, so that better ways to prevent infectious diseases can be developed.