Where we live has an effect on our health. The creation of the Canadian Marginalization Index was spearheaded by Dr. Flora Matheson to examine small-area level social inequities in Canada.
The index captures four dimensions of marginalization (residential instability, material deprivation, dependency, and ethnic concentration), to measure where gaps in services exist, inform resource allocation, monitor how inequities have improved or changed over time, and compare the relationship between marginalization and health and social outcomes. It is currently available for the 2001 and 2006 census, with an update planned for the 2016 census, and two historical versions for the years 1991 and 1996. Visit the Ontario Community Health Profiles Partnerships website to download the 2001, 2006, 1991 and 1992 versions.
Dr. Flora Matheson also led an Ontario-specific version of CAN-Marg. Like the parent tool, the Ontario Marginalization Index focuses on economic, ethno-racial, age-based and social levels of marginalization in small and large regions of Ontario. It has been used by The Hospital for Sick Children, Peel Public Health and Public Health Ontario, among other organizations. Visit the Ontario Community Health Profiles Partnerships website to download the 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 versions. The 2011 and 2016 versions of the ON-Marg were created in collaboration with Trevor van Ingen at Public Health Ontario.
The 2001 and 2006 versions of the index were created with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
