Canadian Community Health Survey, 2007-2008

The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) is a cross-sectional survey that collects information related to health status, health care utilization and health determinants for the Canadian population. It surveys a large sample of respondents and is designed to provide reliable estimates at the health region level. In 2007, major changes were made to the CCHS design. Data is now collected on an ongoing basis with annual releases, rather than every two years as was the case prior to 2007. The survey's objectives were also revised and are as follows: support health surveillance programs by providing health data at the national, provincial and intra-provincial levels; provide a single data source for health research on small populations and rare characteristics; timely release of information easily accessible to a diverse community of users; and create a flexible survey instrument that includes a rapid response option to address emerging issues related to the health of the population.