Make Health A Priority

October 24, 2022 is Municipal Election Day

Even if you don't follow politics, you can still show support for improved health and wellness in Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas by asking questions and raising issues with municipal leaders and candidates.

Municipalities are responsible for many areas that affect health and wellbeing, including social services, housing, transportation systems, police and emergency services, and recreation, to name a few.

Community members depend on our elected officials to make informed decisions that improve the health of our community and its residents. When it comes to health, Southwestern Public Health is highlighting six key topics that could  be talked about with candidates and community members during this election period.

What are the health priorities for our region?

The topics below have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has likely changed local information and data. When speaking with your candidates, it is important to consider how the pandemic has affected each of these areas.

• Poverty and Income
• Housing and Homelessness
• Climate and Planetary Change
• Substance Use and Addictions
• Mental Health and Well-being
• Transportation

Poverty and Income

Income plays the biggest role in living a long and healthy life. How much money we have affects our ability to access:

• healthy neighbourhoods
• safe and healthy homes
• food
• transportation
• childcare, and
• other basic needs

Low income is a strong predictor of poor health outcomes. For example, people living in low income have a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, and shorter life expectancy. In 2015, about 1 in 10 people (9.3%) living in the SWPH region were living in poverty.

As a household’s income increases, their risk of poor health outcomes decreases. Supporting solutions that increase people’s income allows them to meet their basic needs more easily.

A Living Wage reflects the hourly wage a worker needs based on the actual cost of living in a specific community. It ensures people have enough income to afford their rent or mortgage, nutritious food, transportation, childcare, and social and educational opportunities. The Living Wage in Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas ($16.57/hour) and Oxford County ($17.34/hour) are higher than the current provincial minimum wage ($15.00/hour).

Housing and Homelessness

Access to high-quality, safe, and affordable housing has a positive impact on health and well-being. Housing affects our health through:

1. Physical conditions inside (i.e., presence of lead, allergens)
2. The design of the neighbourhoods we live in – sidewalks, greenspace, recreation spaces, feeling of safety and access to healthy food can be different depending on where we live and what services are nearby.

Did you know, for housing to be considered “affordable”, it should cost less than 30% of your before tax income? In the Southwestern Public Health region:

• 13.0% of owner households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs
• 41.1% of tenant households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs
• About one in ten households live in an unsuitable, inadequate or unaffordable housing. These households cannot afford a suitable alternative due to their income.
• In Elgin St. Thomas, there is a wait time of 7 to 10 years for one-bedroom and two-bedroom rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units. In Oxford County, there is a wait time of three to five years for one-bedroom RGI units, which are the types of units with the most people on the waitlist.

Homelessness is also a concern within our communities but is not always visible. Some people experiencing homelessness stay in friends' homes, cars, and temporary shelters. 

Climate and Planetary Change

Climate changes are affecting the health of our residents in many ways.  The effects are felt most by:

• People with pre-existing health conditions
• Children and seniors
• People with low income
• Indigenous communities
• Those experiencing homelessness

Impacts of climate change include:

• More heat-related illnesses and heart and lung disorders due to higher temperatures and lower air quality
• Increased risk of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks due to rising summer temperatures, shorter winters, and environmental changes
• Increased risk of food and waterborne illnesses
• Worsening allergy symptoms and respiratory conditions due to increased pollen and spore production as summer temperatures increase and the winters become shorter
• Injury, illness, or loss of life due to damage from extreme weather events such as flooding, ice, and windstorms
• Mental health impacts can include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, grief, and substance use 

Substance Use and Addictions

Chronic diseases cause about three-quarters of deaths in Ontario. Most of these deaths were due to four major chronic diseases: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and diabetes. These reduce the quality and length of life and are expensive to treat, costing an estimated $46 billion in Canada⁴ and $10.5 billion/year in Ontario alone.¹ Alcohol, tobacco and opioids account for the highest costs within those amounts.^1,2,4

Modifiable risk factors for these chronic diseases include tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy eating. Therefore, addressing these risk factors is critical to reducing the health and economic burden of chronic diseases, minimizing hospital overcrowding and hallway medicine in Ontario.¹

Drinking alcohol is linked to chronic diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure and stroke. It is also linked to injuries and deaths because of falls, car crashes, violence, suicide and fires. The SWPH region, including Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas, averaged 95 deaths per 100,000 from alcohol. In the SWPH region, deaths from opioid overdoses almost doubled between 2019 and 2021. In the first quarter of 2021 the rates of opioid overdose related emergency department visits and deaths in our region was higher than the rates for Ontario.^1,3

Mental Health and Wellbeing

There is no health without mental health. Mental health promotion is a key component of individual and community health. As a country, Canada was already experiencing a mental health crisis prior to the pandemic. The pandemic added to this crisis and highlighted how important it is that we address mental health promotion and care for overall well-being.³

People can experience negative long-term health and well-being effects when they have a low sense of belonging. For example, isolated people are 50% more likely to die early than those with strong social connections. This is about the same impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.²

Mental Health is positively impacted by:^1,3

• Getting enough sleep
• Eating enough healthy foods
• Feeling safe
• A sense of belonging and connection to the community
• Meaningful engagement and/or employment
• Healthy coping skills 

Transportation

Transportation is required for people to access employment, healthy foods, medical appointments, recreation, childcare and school. Walking or driving may not always be practical in rural areas where people are going further distances. Safe transportation also provides mobility and independence for those who cannot or do not drive.

Our rural communities create unique challenges in a community approach to transportation as people and places are further apart. Areas with smaller populations that are more spread out will require a unique approach. For example: volunteer services, car-sharing, shuttles, or regular community trips to a particular location (i.e., large grocery stores). While larger areas like St. Thomas and Woodstock provide scheduled bus services, there is a need to consider cost, scheduling, and amount of users. There are not necessarily one size fits all approaches.

Accessible and safe sidewalks and multi-use trails connecting neighbourhoods, recreation, retail, schools, beaches and parks can help to promote active transportation. Trails and sidewalks that are well lit and include spaces for sitting or rest help to increase active transportation.²

Additional Resources:

• SWPH Dashboard: Local Mapping of Chronic Disease Risk Factors
• SWPH Dashboard: Local Opioid Monitoring
• SWPH Reports and Statistics
• SWPH Position Statements