That’s contrary to what most Canadians believe, says Raphael in his new book , which looks at who stays healthy, who gets sick and why. It’s written with the goal of educating the informed Canadian, as well as university students.

Most people think luck, treatment options and lifestyle choices shape whether they are healthy or not. After all, that is the current mantra – eating better and exercising will lead to a healthier existence – a mantra that Canadians have wholeheartedly internalized. But that’s only part of the equation, and not the biggest part, says Raphael, a professor in 91ŃÇÉ«'s School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health.

“Decades of research and hundreds of studies in Canada and elsewhere tell a different story: the primary factors that shape the health and well-being of Canadians – the factors that will give us longer, better lives – are to be found not in those much-discussed areas, but rather in the actual living conditions that Canadians experience on a daily basis,” says Raphael in About Canada: Health and Illness.

These factors include whether people are wealthy or poor, employed or not, working conditions, access to quality education, health and social services, and the basics of food and affordable housing. These social determinants “are crucial factors in the health and well-being of Canadians,” he says.

“Contrary to the assumption that we have personal control over these factors, in most cases these living conditions are – for better or worse – imposed upon us in the normal course of everyday life.”

Left: Dennis Raphael

That’s in large part because of the policies, regulations and laws enacted by governments at all levels, which influence employment income, family benefits and social assistance, as well as the quality and availability of affordable housing, health and social services, and recreational opportunities. That includes “what happens when Canadians lose their jobs during economic downturns such as the one that Canada began experiencing in 2008,” says Raphael.

“Governments also determine whether our children have access to affordable and high-quality child care and better-quality schools, the working conditions that we experience, and whether as seniors we receive levels of public pensions that allow us to live in dignity.”

Raphael wants to see changes in public policy that will affect Canadians’ health in a positive way. Through About Canada: Health and Illness, he wants the average Canadian to understand the role social determinants play in shaping health and what can be done to improve the situation through better public policies.

Raphael is the editor of , co-editor of and author of . He served as an adviser to the California Newsreel documentary series and the Deveaux Babin Productions Canadian documentary .

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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After accepting an invitation from the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), made his first visit to 91ŃÇÉ« on Jan. 19.

During the visit, Beaudet met with a strong and diverse group of 91ŃÇÉ« researchers and conducted a town hall meeting. The visit also gave 91ŃÇÉ« the opportunity to highlight life science and health-related research underway across the University’s Faculties, research centres and institutes, to emphasize its research accomplishments and future initiatives.

Right: Dr. Alain Beaudet

The town hall meeting featured a presentation by Beaudet on ’s five-year , which seeks to expand the funding council’s $974-million budget to support researcher-driven and strategic projects in 13 institutes across CIHR’s four pillars: biomedical research; clinical research; health systems and health services; and the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health and environmental influences on health.

CIHR plans to allocate approximately 30 per cent of its funds to support strategic research priorities. These priorities include investing in world-class research, addressing the needs of Canada’s health care system, accelerating the capture of the health and economic benefits of health research, and achieving organizational excellence while fostering ethical research activity and demonstrating impact. Several key areas include encouraging more Canadian participation and leadership in global health research initiatives, preparing young researchers for health-related careers and reducing health inequities faced by aboriginal Canadians and other minority populations.

91ŃÇÉ« currently has more than 9,000 undergraduate students studying kinesiology & health science, psychology, nursing and health policy & management. Over 400 faculty members are engaged in health research across the full spectrum of academic disciplines. Since 2001, the University’s total CIHR funding has increased six times to over $4 million. This achievement is particularly notable due to 91ŃÇɫ’s non-medical school designation.

In 2010, the Sherman Health Sciences Research Centre is scheduled to open on the Keele campus, providing over 40,000 square feet of research space for vision science, kinesiology, and psychology. In 2011, the Sherman Centre will be complemented by the Life Sciences Building, which will provide 160,000 square feet to meet growing demand for graduate and undergraduate students in Life and Health Sciences.

As well, 91ŃÇÉ« is forging vital external research and development linkages with hospitals, industry, health care and social agencies, developing innovative ways to mobilize health-related findings, and exploring the full spectrum of health research challenges to better understand and remove barriers to health and wellness.

The is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. It creates new scientific knowledge and enables its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

Submitted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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