Urban Aboriginal health: Examining inequalities between Aboriginal and nonAboriginal populations in Canada

This article contributes to the nascent literature on the health of urban Aboriginal people by comparing the health status and determinants of health of the urban Aboriginal and urban non-Aboriginal population in Canada. Data for the research were taken from the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) and the 2000–2001 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 1.1. Framed within a population health approach, we explore the extent to which health status and determinants of health differ between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations living in urban areas. Health status is measured by three variables—self-assessed health status, chronic conditions, and activity limitations. While disparities in health exist between the urban Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population, they are not as large as those between the Aboriginal population living on a reserve and non-Aboriginal people. The social determinants of health are quite similar between the two populations but the results also reveal the significance of cultural factors in shaping health among the urban Aboriginal population. The research demonstrates a need for future research to focus on culturally specific determinants of health as one potential explanation for disparities in health between urban Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.