Ontario DLI Training Questions and Answers

I attended the Ontario DLI training session at Ryerson University earlier this month and there were some questions that I would like to now respond to. Here are the questions I received and the answers (or starting point for answers). I’m open to receiving feedback from any of the university DLI representatives who attended the training, or anyone else who would like to know more about the changes to the latest PUMF.

1: Why is Aboriginal identity grouped with visible minority on the PUMF? Other surveys don’t do this.

• I looked into this and it stems from a decision on older cycles of CCHS where the indicator of Aboriginal identity was part of the racial/cultural background question. At the time, the subject matter team determined that there was too few respondents identifying as Aboriginal identity by health region to safely release that response category. In 2015-2016, with a separate Aboriginal identity question, the counts are much higher and in verifying with methodology that the identification risk is low, we have decided to include this variable on the file.

2. Is it possible to find out what optional content is available on each PUMF?

• Yes, we can provide some kind of an excel file with the optional content by year. We already have something available for the master files now, it will just take us some time to put this together. Once available, I will distribute it to the DLI.

3. Can we get more details about the Canadian Active Living Environment (CANALE) indicator?

• The PUMF file will include a copy of the CANALE technical user guide, which you can find here: http://canue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CanALE_UserGuide.pdf. There is also an overview available here: https://canue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CANUE-Metadata-Canadian-Active-Living-Environments.pdf

4. The rapid responses, buy-ins, sub-samples – they don’t appear in the PUMFs. Can the user guide documentation indicate this?

• Yes, we have updated the complement to the user guide document that PUMF users will see to better clarify what variables from the master file end up on the PUMF.

Modernization Bulletin

All issues of the Statistics Canada Modernization Bulletin are now available on the EFT. The bulletin aims to keep you up to date on the latest Statistics Canada initiatives and transformations.  

EFT: /MAD_DLI_IDD_DAM/Root/ModernizationBulletinModernisation

The December 2018 issue addresses many of the questions raised by the DLI community.

Drug Use Data for Youth

Question:
I just had a phone call from a local high school, with a student who was initially asking about access to the CTADS 2017 PUMF. After a quick conversation we determined that the student doesn’t actually want the data to analyze, but is hoping to get usage rates of an assortment of drugs (cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, and alcohol) for youth ages 15-25 ish. I couldn’t find tables with this data on the STC site – any ideas where to look?

Answer from DLI:
Although this is specific to BC, you may want to suggest they check out the Adolescent Health Survey (AHS) [http://www.mcs.bc.ca/about_the_bc_ahs] from the McCreary Centre Society. It collects data on alcohol, marijuana and other substance use by BC students in grades 7 to 12.

The results are reported for the province as a whole and in regional reports and special topic reports. Data from the 2018 survey is not yet available; the most recent published data is from the 2013 AHS. Here’s a link to the provincial report:

From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii: Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey. See esp. pp. 34-41. [http://www.mcs.bc.ca/pdf/From_Hastings_Street_To_Haida_Gwaii.pdf]

Also see the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) website on Student Drug Use [http://www.ccdus.ca/Eng/topics/Monitoring-Trends/Student-Drug-Use/Pages/default.aspx].

The CCSA produced a report in 2011 which pulled data on alcohol, cannabis and other drug use from a number of regional surveys, including the BC Adolescent Health Survey that I mentioned in my previous email:

Young, M. M., Saewyc, E., Boak, A., Jahrig, J., Anderson, B., Doiron-Brun, Y., Taylor, S., Pica, L., Laprise, P., and Clark, H. (Student Drug Use Surveys Working Group). (2011). The Cross Canada Report on Student Drug Use: Technical Report. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
[http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/2011_CCSA_Student_Alcohol_and_Drug_Use_en.pdf#search=all%28student%20drug%20use%29]

A short (2-page) version [http://www.ccdus.ca/Resource%20Library/2011_CCSA_Cross-Canada_Report_on_Student_Alcohol_and_Drug_Use_Report_in_Short_en.pdf] of this report is available on the CCSA website, as is a 2-page guide to Trends in Drug Use among Youth (2013) [http://www.ccdus.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-Trends-in-Drug-Use-Youth-2012-en.pdf].

Survey on Disability 2017

Question:
I have just read that the 2017 Survey on Disability was released on November 28: 

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/181128/dq181128a-eng.htm

I note that there a number of data tables with the results.  Will the survey be available as a PUMF and/or in the RDCs?

Answer:
The Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) 2017 is expected to be available in the RDCs by the end of 2018 or early 2019. The file is also expected to be released through RTRA in late winter 2019.

Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to develop a PUMF for CSD 2017. Earlier releases of the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) are the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) and Health and Activity Survey: Household Component (HALS). The last time a PUMF was created was for the 2006 PALS. In all, the following PUMFs available through the DLI: PALS 2006, PALS 2001,HALS 1991 and HALS 1986.

Discharge Abstract Database Access

Question:
Hello Is 2014-2015 the most recent Discharge Abstract Database data we have access to?

Answer:
The Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) 2016-17 is the latest version available on the EFT.

EFT: /MAD_CIHI_ICIS_DAM/root/discharge-abstract-database-2016-17/

CCHS 2015-2016 Availability

Question:
Will the CCHS 2015-2016 be uploaded to Nesstar shortly?

Answer:
We’ve just been notified by the CCHS team that the CCHS 2015/2016 PUMF will be delayed until the end of January. If we hear anything otherwise, we’ll let the DLI community know as soon as possible.

GDP 1945 to present

Question:
I have a researcher looking for:

“So the data I need is GDP from 1945 to present - either all nominal or all 'real' (chained dollars). 

And I also need GDP broken down into the 4 categories - consumption, investment, net exports and government spending - as a percentage of total gdp. So for example it would show consumption as being 20%, investment 30%, government 40%, net exports 10% . 

Also preferably from 1945-present. “

Most GDP tables I see only go back to 1997.

There are a few tables (36-10-0239-01, 36-10-0240-01 and 36-10-0268-01)  (Cansim 380-0001, 380-0002 and 380-0030) that cover 1961 to 2012.

I identified these tables by looking in the Canadian Economic Observer Historical Statistical Supplement.

However, there do not appear to be any tables that I see which go back to 1945 and continue to the present, not to mention the four categories the researcher wants.

Am I missing anything?   I suspect that the researcher will not get exactly what they want, so is there any advice I can pass on to this researcher?

Answer from subject matter:
“For calculating percentage shares, the researcher should use estimates based on current prices (not real or chained dollars). Compatible data for earlier years—CANSIM 380-0064--are expected to be released in August.

Table: 36-10-0104-01 (formerly CANSIM  380-0064)

Geography: Canada

Prices [Current prices \/]”

Answer from DLI:
[Someone] also pointed me to an article on GDP in the Canadian Encyclopedia.   

Canada's GDP, 1870 to 2016.   https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gross-domestic-product

This entry has a chart, which references Jorda et al., 2017.  This lead me to:

• Jordà-Schularick-Taylor Macrohistory Database   http://www.macrohistory.net/data/
• The dataset “Real Economy” includes GDP-nominal and GDP per capita.  For Canada, it covers 1870-2016 in  .xls and .dta formats.

Refugee Resettlement Data

Question:
I am working with some students who are doing a thesis project pertaining to refugees in Canada.

They have been looking at summary tables at  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

They are looking for more specific information that would outline actual expenses for different items, specifically:

...under Consolidated Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position, Newcomer Settlement and Integration and Refugee Protection, they would like to know if they could obtain:
1. this information for the date range of 1980 - 2015
2. further breakdown of Newcomer Settlement and Integration expense to % spent on refugees specifically v. all other newcomers.

Does anyone have any experience locating this data?

Answer:
Unfortunately it looks as if you will have to contact IRCC directly with this one: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship.html

2014 National Multiplier File

Question:
I have a researcher interested in the 2014 National Multipliers detailed file. I was able to get the 2013 file from the EFT site, but I could not find the 2014 version. Is it possible to get the 2014 file?

Answer:
I’ve attached the 2014 National Multipliers here and will load them to the EFT today.

CCHS Availability

Question: 
Has the CCHS been released? I’m not seeing it in Nesstar and don’t recall having seen an announcement on the list about its availability.

Answer:
Unfortunately subject matter has hit a snag and there are some rather large changes that need to be made before the data is released. They’ve informed me that they’re hoping to have it out as early as possible in January, and they want me to pass on their apologies!

Rest assured, I’m being told that these changes will be quite positive!