Saskatoon gets an “A” and tops the list in health performance among major cities in Canada, according to a new report. The city finished first overall and ranked among the highest in two categories in the Conference Board of Canada's City Health Monitor report.
The first-time study ranks the health performance of 10 major Canadian cities by measuring 24 indicators in four categories: life satisfaction, population health, healthy lifestyle and access to health-care services.
The City Health Monitor takes a broad look at health by benchmarking the physical and socio-economic health of the 10 cities.
“We want to be able to take a preventative step in some cities,” Greg Sutherland, principal economist with the Conference Board of Canada, told CTV News. “A healthier city tends to be a more productive city and we just want to be able to begin a conversation about how healthy can we make Canadian cities overall.”
Saskatoon finished first in the life satisfaction category, which ranks perceived health and measures how happy people feel with their life in general, if they feel a sense of belonging to community, and their stress levels, according to Sutherland.
“The residents are happy and they feel that they are in good health and have relatively low levels of stress,” he said. “When we combine all those they finish kind of ahead most other cities in Canada.”
Saskatoon ranked second and received an “A” in the population health category, which measures health issues including heart disease, mood disorder, diabetes and cancer.
When it comes to a healthy lifestyle the city received a “B” overall and received a “D” in the obesity category, but an “A” in smoking. The report found residents should eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise more.
Finally, Saskatoon scored a “C” overall in access to health care, with a “D” in the number of medical specialists.
Calgary and Winnipeg ranked behind Saskatoon in second and third, respectively, while Montreal placed last of the 10 Canadian cities.
