A comparison of health and socioeconomic gradients in health between the United States and Canada

Data from the early 2000s indicated worse overall health and larger socioeconomic (SES) health inequalities in the U.S. than in Canada. Yet, sociopolitical contexts, health levels, and SES-health inequalities have changed in both countries during the intervening two decades. Drawing on new data, we update the comparison of health levels and SES-health gradients between the two countries. Analyses, focused on self-rated health, are based on two complementary sets of data sources: Resilience and Recovery (RR) data, a harmonized U.S.-Canada survey of social conditions collected in 2020 (N = 3743); and a pair of leading nationally representative health data sources from each country: the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS, N =104,027) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, N = 97,605), both collected in 2017-2018. Health levels and disparities, net of demographic and socioeconomic covariates, were estimated using modified Poisson models for relative comparisons; descriptives and predicted levels of fair/poor health show the comparisons from absolute perspective. Both data sources show that U.S. adults continue to have significantly worse health than Canadians; the disadvantage may be due to SES differences between the two populations. However, the two data sources yield conflicting findings on SES-health inequalities: the RR data indicate no difference between the two countries in socioeconomic health gradients, while the NHIS/CCHS data show a significantly steeper gradient in the U.S. than in Canada for both education and income. Canadian adults continue to report better health than their U.S. peers, but it is unclear whether health inequalities remain smaller as well. We discuss potential reasons for the conflicting findings and call for a large new cross-national data collection, which will enable scholars and policymakers to better understand health and wellbeing in the U.S. and Canadian contexts.

Automated summary

Data from recent sources indicate that overall health in the U.S. remains worse than in Canada, but there is conflicting evidence regarding socioeconomic health inequalities. Canadian adults continue to report better health, but it is unclear whether health inequalities are smaller as well. Large-scale cross-national data collection is needed to better understand health and wellbeing in the U.S. and Canadian contexts.