Influences on the Health of Black Canadians

The health of an individual or population is influenced and determined by many factors. The social ecological model presents health as the interaction between individual, relationship, community and societal environments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Ensuring that the relationship between these environments is safe, equitable and conducive to an individual or population’s wellbeing is essential to their health success. However, the presence of systemic inequalities in these environments can result in negative health outcomes that can carry across generations.

Figure 1.

The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention

Note. A four-level model of the factors affecting health, by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015.

The health outcomes of Black Canadians, just like any other population, are affected by individual, relationship, community and societal environments. According to Black Health Alliance (n.d.), Anti-Black Racism is defined as policies and practices that reinforce beliefs, attitudes, stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination towards those of Black-African descent. These policies and practices can be both overt and covert, existing across all environments of the social ecological model. The Government of Canada (2020) states that racism has been increasingly recognized as a major determinant in the inequitable health outcomes of racialized Canadians; examples of these health inequities include racial profiling, overrepresentation of the Black population in prison and welfare systems, and ineffective healthcare services. The effects of Anti-Black Racism can lead to chronic stress and substance abuse with inequities affecting access to effective healthcare services, education, employment, food and housing security (Black Health Alliance, n.d.).

According to the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada (2021), after reviewing the 2020 Annual Report on the State of Public Health in Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on racialized Canadian populations. Social and economic factors such as low income, lack of job security, and limited access to health and social services increases the vulnerability of these populations and contributes to their susceptibility to COVID-19. Surveillance data collected from Toronto and Ottawa indicated that COVID-19 cases are 1.5 to 5 times higher among racialized populations than non-racialized populations. Data like this further highlights the health inequities that exist between these populations and the ever-growing need to create solutions to address them (2021).

The Black population in Canada is diverse and influenced by a variety of overlapping experiences on the social ecological model. Black Health Alliance (n.d.) states that in order to overcome Anti-Black Racism, Canadians must not only acknowledge its existence but its contribution to the health gaps in racialized populations. In order to improve health outcomes of racialized populations like the Black community, all levels of government and institutions must work together to eliminate Anti-Black Racism (n.d.).

References

Anti-black racism. Black Health Alliance. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2022, from

https://blackhealthalliance.ca/home/antiblack-racism/

Canada, P. H. A. of. (2020, September 8). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. Retrieved October 18,

2022, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-

health/what-determines-health/social-determinants-inequities-black-canadians-snapshot.html

Canada, P. H. A. of. (2021, February 21). Cpho Sunday edition: The impact of covid-19 on racialized

communities. Canada.ca. Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-

health/news/2021/02/cpho-sunday-edition-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-racialized-

communities.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, June 25). Chapter 1: Models and frameworks.

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https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement/pce_models.html#:~:text=The%20

Social%20Ecological%20Model%20of%20Health&text=The%20social%20ecological

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