[Linguistic minorities in Canada and health]

Healthc Policy. 2013 Oct;9(Spec Issue):38-47.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Official language minorities (Francophones outside of Quebec and Anglophones in Quebec) make up about 6.4% of the Canadian population. Even though the Canadian constitution gives legal equality status to French and English, there is still room to ask if this equality is maintained in the health sector. In other words, do Francophone and Anglophone communities of Canada have the same health profiles regardless of their minority or majority status? Do they have access to the same health services and in the same conditions? The objective of this paper is to identify the health issues associated with belonging to a linguistic minority. Our research allows us to highlight the social and health disparities that can be attributed to belonging to a minority. In the Canadian context, which has two official languages, an equitable health policy will have to take into consideration language as a determinant of health.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Canada / epidemiology
  • Health Policy
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Minority Groups / statistics & numerical data*