2015 Canadian Community Health Survey - Nutrition - Food and Nutrition Surveillance - Health Canada
In 2015, Statistics Canada once again partnered with Health Canada to repeat the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), Nutrition focus. Like its predecessor, the 2004 CCHS cycle 2.2, (known henceforth as 2004 CCHS-Nutrition), the survey provides detailed information at the national and provincial levels, on food consumption using a 24-hour dietary recall for the total sample and a repeat sub-sample, nutrient supplement intake, physical measurements, household food insecurity, and other topics that support the interpretation of the 24-hour recall. It also allows the evaluation of changes that have occurred since the 2004 CCHS-Nutrition was done.
Detailed information about the survey, including a link to the questionnaire, can be found on Statistics Canada's website.
Specific objectives of the 2015 CCHS-Nutrition are as follows:
- Collect detailed data on the consumption of foods and dietary supplements among a representative sample of Canadians at national and provincial levels.
- Estimate the distribution of usual dietary intake in terms of nutrients from foods, food groups, dietary supplements and eating patterns.
- Gather anthropometric (physical) measurements for accurate body weight and height assessment to interpret dietary intake.
- Support the interpretation and analysis of dietary intake data by collecting data on selected health conditions and socio-economic and demographic characteristics.
- Evaluate changes in dietary intake from the 2004 CCHS-Nutrition.
For additional information or questions, please email the Bureau of Food Surveillance and Science Integration (BFSSI) at:
Hc.nutrition.surveillance-nutritionnelle.sc@canada.ca
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Publications and analytical products
A Reference Guide to Understanding and Using the Data: 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey, Nutrition, is a revised and updated version of the Guide to Accessing and Interpreting the Data published by Health Canada in 2006. Its purpose is to ensure that the data from the 2015 CCHS-Nutrition are used appropriately, by increasing users' understanding of the nature of the data and main considerations relevant to their analysis and interpretation. It aims to help users understand the context in which the data were obtained, what the results do and do not mean, limitations of the data and considerations regarding comparing findings between the 2004 and 2015 surveys.
The Reference Guide describes:
- an overview of the CCHS Program and 2015 CCHS-Nutrition;
- how the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) can be used in interpreting the dietary intake data;
- comparing Food Intakes to Canada's Food Guide;
- how to use the data to make comparisons
The Guide also includes a non-exhaustive listing of research publications from the 2004 CCHS-Nutrition, and a chart (Table 4.2) showing key features of 2004 and 2015 nutrition surveys, and points out where the differences occurred.
The following analytical products related to 2015 CCHS-Nutrition produced by Health Canada are available on the Government of Canada's Open Data Portal:
- Usual Intakes from Food for Energy, Nutrients and Other Dietary Components (2004 and 2015 CCHS-Nutrition) provides data for the household population by 16 DRI age-sex groups at the national, regional and provincial levels. This data table also includes updated usual intake estimates calculated for 2004 CCHS-Nutrition. Please refer to the accompanying Methodology Guide for more information including the rationale for updating the estimates for 2004. Interactive visualizations of usual intakes from food are presented in the Nutrition Surveillance Data Tool on the Public Health Infobase.
- The Food Consumption Table (FCT) provides estimates of daily intakes of foods obtained using data from the 2015 CCHS-Nutrition. Estimates are presented for three different food grouping levels based on the Bureau of Nutritional Science (BNS) classification scheme. The FCT aims to meet the needs from evaluators and researchers to conduct exposure assessments using the most recent Canadian food intake data and to ensure consistent use of these data within Health Canada.
Statistics Canada has also released Analytical Products and Publications for 2015 CCHS-Nutrition including:
- Nutrient Intakes from Food and Nutritional Supplements
- Nutrient Intakes from Food, 2015
- Use of Nutritional Supplements, 2015
- Changes in beverage consumption in Canada
- Change in total sugars consumption among Canadian children and adults
Also, Statistics Canada's Data tables are available for percentage of total energy intake from fats, carbohydrates and protein, total energy, nutritional supplement consumption, nutrients from supplements, body mass index as well as children's physical activity and screen time.
Information on additional products will be provided on this website as they become available.
Data releases
Statistics Canada released the 2015 CCHS Nutrition data on June 20th, 2017, making it available to researchers through the Research Data Centres and to its share partners, Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada.
The release included the following data:
- 24-hour recall (all respondents)
- 24 hour recall trailing questions (table salt, exclusion of foods)
- Nutritional supplements (all respondents)
- General Health (age ≥12 years)
- Measured Height and Weight (aged ≥2 years)
- Self-Reported Height and Weight (age ≥2 years who could not be measured)
- Adult Physical Activity (age ≥18years)
- Children and Youth Physical Activity (aged 6-17 years)
- Women's Health (females age ≥9 years)
- Chronic Conditions (age ≥19 years)
- Smoking (age ≥12 years)
- Socio-Demographic characteristics (all respondents)
- Labour market activities (age 15 to 75 years)
- Food Security (person most knowledgeable about household >18 years)
- Income (person most knowledgeable about household ≥18 years)
- Administration and data sharing (all respondents)
- Household Demographics
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