Domains and indicators

This domain looks at our quality of life with regard to the communities we live in. It tells us what is happening in our neighbourhoods, how safe we feel, and whether or not we are engaged in community activities or becoming socially isolated.

Domain components 

The conceptual model for the Community Vitality domain is comprised of four sub-dimensions, organized into two main dimensions. The first dimension includes measures of Social Relationships. The three sub-dimensions of this category are social engagement, social support and community safety. The second dimension measures Social Norms and Values, with a single sub-dimension of attitudes towards others and community.

Trends and statistical highlights in Community Vitality

Democratic Engagement means taking part in the democratic process through political institutions, organizations, and activities. A society that enjoys a high level of democratic engagement is one where citizens freely participate in political activities, express their political views, and share political knowledge; where governments build relationships, trust, and encourage citizen participation; and, where democratic values are promoted by citizens, civic organizations, and all levels of government. A healthy democracy means more than voting in elections; it requires ongoing democratic engagement both during and between elections.

Domain components 

The framework of the Democratic Engagement domain is based upon the work of Samara Canada’s Democracy 360 report. There are three interrelated dimensions in the framework: (1) Participation, (2) Communication and, (3) Leadership.

Trends and statistical highlights in Democratic Engagement

Education is a core personal resource and a reflection of our ability to function and adapt in society. It is an important predictor of health, living standards, democratic participation, and education for future generations. The Education domain focuses on school-based learning and education rather than informal learning.  Since societies that thrive encourage a thirst for knowledge at every age and stage, the framework of the Education domain includes both traditional indicators of educational achievement along with some less conventional indicators of education across the life span.

Domain Components 

The Education domain framework identifies four key dimensions for understanding the connections between education and wellbeing: (1) Accessibility, (2) Life-long participation, (3) Academic achievement, and (4) Investing in education.

Trends and statistical highlights in Education

The Environment domain identifies trends in the availability and use of natural resources in Canada’s environment. From the resources that fuel our economy to the medicines that heal us, and the happiness of outdoor enthusiasts to the lessons that guide many religious or spiritual beliefs, the wellbeing of humans depends on the state of the environment. This domain is not an analysis of the sustainability of Canada‘s environment; instead, it explores natural assets available to Canadians, the flow of these resources over time, and some of the impacts of human activity on the environment.

Domain components

The Environment domain covers different aspects of the environment that matter to Canadians’ wellbeing including: clean air, clean water, available energy, the amount of wilderness, diversity of species, and the value Canadians place on stewardship of our natural resources. These environmental aspects are explored through a “stock and flow” framework. This can be best understood by thinking about your bank account – the amount of money you have in the account is the stock, and any money added or removed is the flow. For the environment, this means that current amounts of a resource (stock) are measured alongside the quantity added or removed (flow).

Trends and statistical highlights in Environment

This domain looks at the health of the Canadian population to assess whether different aspects of our health are improving or deteriorating.

Domain components 

The Healthy Populations domain is mainly concerned with measuring health status, lifestyle and behaviour, and health care system factors. The dimensions of health status (personal wellbeing, health conditions, life expectancy/mortality, and mental health) measure different aspects of health outcomes. The other dimensions (lifestyle and behaviour, public health, and health care) measure factors that affect our health and are often directly affected by public policy and health initiatives. These dimensions measure external factors that affect the health status of people and communities.

Trends and statistical highlights in Healthy Populations

The leisure and culture domain explores Canadians’ participation and engagement with the arts, culture, and recreation. Participation in these activities can be highly beneficial to wellbeing by contributing to better physical and mental health, and creating opportunities for socializing, relaxation, and learning new things.

Domain components 

The leisure and culture domain has two main dimensions. The first is Participation in leisure, recreation, arts, and cultural activities. The second dimension includes the provision of leisure and culture Opportunities, such as access to recreation facilities, open spaces and parks, and other arts, culture, and recreation sites. Taken together, these components are used to define, measure, and understand leisure and culture and to explore relationships to wellbeing.

On our "wish list" for data collection, are two additional dimensions: Perceptions, or feelings about leisure activities, including why people participate, what needs are being met through participation, and how leisure and culture participation benefits them and Experience of leisure, or the meaning it holds for people in relation to quality of life.

Trends and statistical highlights in Leisure and Culture

The Living Standards domain measures the level and distribution of Canadians’ income and wealth by monitoring poverty rates, income fluctuations, labour market security and job quality. It also considers basic necessities such as food security and affordable housing.

Domain components 

Eight headline indicators are grouped into four dimensions including: (1) Income and wealth; (2) Housing security; (3) Food security; and (4) Economic security.

Trends and statistical highlights in Living Standards

Indicators in the Time Use domain measure how Canadians spend their time, how we experience time, what factors control our time use, and how time use affects our wellbeing.

Domain components 

The time use domain framework is based on the Social Theory of Time, and is comprised of four dimensions: time, timing, tempo, and temporality. The time dimension includes indicators that capture the amount of time spent on specific activities. Indicators in the timing dimension look at when activities occur during the day. This is related to how much “control” Canadians have over their time. Tempo focuses on how time is experienced in terms of pace (fast, slow, intense, relaxed, etc.). Finally, temporality refers to the natural rhythms associated with daily, weekly, or annual routines that are largely dependent on biological or seasonal changes. Taken together, these four dimensions allow us to gain a broader perspective of the experience, meaning, and complexity of time.

Trends and statistical highlights in Time Use