Health Inequities Library

Wellesley Institute’s Library of Research on Health Inequities is an online library of the peer-reviewed and grey literature on health inequities in Ontario which has been conducted since 2005. It includes research on potentially marginalized populations, which are identified according to:

  1. Age
  2. Racialization
  3. Immigration status
  4. Language spoken
  5. Homelessness
  6. Income and Socioeconomic status
  7. Geography
  8. Gender
  9. Sexual and gender orientation

The library also include research on the following commonly used health indicators:

  1. Life expectancy
  2. Self-reported health
  3. Low birth weight
  4. Infant mortality
  5. Diabetes prevalence and mortality
  6. Length of hospital stay
  7. Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (an indicator used to document the incidence of potentially preventable hospitalizations)

As of 2025, this library is being re-developed. The updated version will be posted as soon as it is available. 

Resource name
Category
Author
Journal
The influence of low social support and living alone on premature mortality among aging Canadians
Age | Life expectancy
Renwick, K.A., Sanmartin, C., Dasgupta, K., Berrang-Ford, L., & Ross, N.
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Sex differences in mortality: results from a population-based study of 12 longitudinal cohorts
Gender | Life expectancy
Wu, Y.T., Niubo, A.S., Daskalopoulou, C., Moreno-Agostino, D., Stefler, D., Bobak, M., Oram, S., Prince, M., & Prina, M.
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Social and economic influences on disparities in the health of racial and ethnic group Canadian immigrants
Immigration Status | Racialization | Self-reported health
Krim K. Lacey, Anthony Q. Briggs, Jungwee Park & James S. Jackson
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Association between the regional variation in premature mortality and immigration in Ontario, Canada
Immigration | Life expectancy
Rosella, L.C., Kornas, K., Watson, T., Buajitti, E., Bornbaum, C., Henry, D., & Brown, A.
Canadian Journal of Public Health volume
Neighbourhood-level marginalization and avoidable mortality in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study
Geography | Life expectancy
Zygmunt, A., Tanuseputro, P., James, P., Lima, I., Tuna, M. & Kendall, C.E.
Canadian Journal of Public Health volume
Social Disparities in the Risk of Potentially Avoidable Hospitalization for Diabetes Mellitus: an Analysis with Linked Census and Hospital Data
Diabetes | Income and SES | Racialization
Gupta, N. & Crouse, D.L.
Canadian Studies in Population
Is social assistance boosting the health of the poor? Results from Ontario and three countries
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Sod-Erdene, O., Shahidi, F.V., Ramraj, C., Hildebrand, V., & Siddiqi, A.
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Beyond the grey tsunami: a cross-sectional population-based study of multimorbidity in Ontario
Age | Diabetes
Ryan, B.L., Jenkyn, K.B., Shariff, S.Z., Allen, B., Glazier, R.J., Zwarenstein, M., Fortin, M., & Stewart, M.
Canadian Journal of Public Health volume
Physical and mental health inequalities among aging lesbian, gay, and bisexual Canadians: cross-sectional results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
Age | Gender | Self-reported health
Stinchcombe, A., Wilson, K. Kortes-Miller, K., Chambers, L. & Weaver, B.
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Linguistic mortality gradients in Quebec and the role of migrant composition
Immigration | Life expectancy
Lo, E., Tu, M. T., Trempe, N., & Auger, N.
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Measuring Up: A yearly report on how Ontario’s health system is performing
ACSC | Geography | Life expectancy | Self-reported health
Health Quality Ontario
Health Quality Ontario
The Unequal City 2015: Income and health inequities in Toronto
Diabetes | Gender | Income and SES | Life expectancy | Low birth weight | Self-reported health
Toronto Public Health
Impact of language barriers on complications and mortality among immigrants with diabetes: A population-based cohort study
Diabetes | Immigration Status | Language
Okrainec, K., Booth, G., Hollands, S., and Bell, C.
Diabetes Care
Facts on Self-Rated General Health in Durham Region
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Durham Region Health Department
Durham Region Health Department
900,000 Days in Hospital: The Annual Impact of Smoking, Alcohol, Diet and Physical Activity on Hospital Use in Ontario
Income and SES | Length of Hospital Stay
Manuel, D.G., Perez, R., Bennett, C. et al.
Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
Subjective Health-Related Quality of Life in Homeless and Vulnerably Housed Individuals and Its Relationship with Self-Reported Physical and Mental Health Status
Homelessness | Self-reported health
Gadermann, A., Hubley, A., Russell, L., and Palepu, A.
Social Indicators Research
Financial strain, social capital, and perceived health during economic recession: A longitudinal survey in rural Canada
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Frank, C., Davis, C., and Elgar, F
Anxiety, Stress and Coping
Obstetric risks and outcomes of refugee women at a single centre in Toronto
Immigration Status | Immigration Status (Refugees) | Low birth weight
Kandasamy, T., Cherniak, R., Shah, R., et al.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada
Use of acute care hospital services by immigrant seniors in Ontario: A linkage study
Immigration Status | Length of Hospital Stay
Ng, E., Sanmartin, C., Tu, J., & Manuel, D.
Health Reports, Statistics Canada
Predicting length of stay and readmission for psychiatric inpatient youth admitted to adult mental health beds in Ontario, Canada
Age | Gender | Length of Hospital Stay
Stewart, S.L., Kam, C., & Baiden, P.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Key Performance Measures for the Ontario Diabetes Strategy Final Report
Diabetes | Geography
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
The impact of income on the incidence of diabetes: A population-based study
Diabetes | Income and SES
Lysy, Z., Booth, G., Shah, B., et al.
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
Delivery of primary health care to persons who are socio-economically disadvantaged: Does the organizational delivery model matter?
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Dahrogue, S., Hogg, W., Ward, N. et al.
BMC Health Services Research
Cardiovascular Risk Factor Profiles of Recent Immigrants vs Long-term Residents of Ontario: A Multi-ethnic Study
Diabetes | Immigration Status | Racialization
Chiu, M., Austin, P., Manuel, D., and Tu, J.
Canadian Journal of Cardiology
The role of ethnicity in predicting diabetes risk at the population level
Diabetes
Rosella, L., Mustard, C., Stukel, T., et al.
Ethnicity and Health
Birth weight curves tailored to maternal world region
Country of Origin | Immigration Status | Low birth weight
Ray, J., Sgro, M., Mamdani, M. et al.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada
A population-level analysis of birth weight indices in Peel Region, Ontario: The impact of ethnic diversity
Immigration Status | Low birth weight
Ramuscak, N., Jiang, D., Dooling, K., Mowat, D
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Seven more years: The impact of smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity and stress on health and life expectancy in Ontario
Income and SES | Life expectancy
Manuel, D.G., Perez, R., Bennett, C. et al.
Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
Income disparities in life expectancy in the City of Toronto and Region of Peel, Ontario
Gender | Immigration | Income and SES | Life expectancy
Stratton, J., Mowat, D.L., Wilkins, R., & Tjepkema, M.
Chronic Diseases and Injuries in Canada
Regional measures of diabetes burden in Ontario
Diabetes | Geography
Booth, G., Polsky, J., Gozdyra, P. et al.
ICES
Hospital costs and length of stay among homeless patients admitted to medical, surgical, and psychiatric services
Homelessness | Length of Hospital Stay
Hwang, S.W., Weaver, J., Aubry, T., & Hoch, J.S.
Medical Care
Maintaining the Gains, Moving the Yardstick: Ontario Health Status Report, 2011
Income and SES | Low birth weight
Chief Medical Officer of Health
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Rural-urban differences in emergency department wait times
Geography | Length of Hospital Stay
Hutten-Czapski, P.
Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine
Incidence and profile of inpatient stroke-induced aphasia in Ontario, Canada
Gender | Length of Hospital Stay
Dickey, L., Kagan, A., Lindsay, M.P. et al.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Universal drug coverage and socioeconomic disparities in major diabetes outcomes
Age | Diabetes | Gender
Booth, G., Bishara, P., Lipscombe, L. et al.
Diabetes Care
A comparison of physical activity environments between South Asians and White Caucasians with coronary heart disease
Diabetes | Racialization
Khan, S., Grace, S., Oh, P., et al.
Ethnicity and Disease
The geography of diabetes in London, Canada: The need for local level policy for prevention and management
Diabetes | Income and SES
Tompkins, J., Luginaah, I., Booth, G., and Harris, S.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Income-related differences in mortality among people with diabetes mellitus
Diabetes | Income and SES
Lipscombe, L., Austin, P., Manuel, D. et al.
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Perceived financial status, health, and maladjustment in adolescence
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Hamilton, H., Noh, S., and Adlaf, E
Social Science and Medicine
Gender role, life satisfaction, and wellness: Androgyny in a Southwestern Ontario sample
Gender | Self-reported health
Gale-Ross, R., Baird, A. and Towson, S.
Canadian Journal on Aging
Neighborhood income and health outcomes in infants: How do those with complex chronic conditions fare?
Income and SES | Infant mortality
Wang, C., Guttman, A., To, T., and Dick, P.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Health in Hamilton neighbourhoods: Exploring the determinants of health at the local level
Age | Gender | Income and SES | Self-reported health
Wilson, K., Eyles, J., Elliott, S., and Keller-Olaman, S.
Health and Place
Power Study: Chapter 3 Burden of Illness
Gender | Income | Language | Life expectancy | Racialization | Self-reported health
Bierman, A.S.; Ahmad, F.; Angus, J. et al.
St. Michael’s Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
Understanding Health Inequities and Access to Primary Health Care in Southeastern Ontario
Income | Length of Hospital Stay
Belleville Quinte West Community Health Centre & Southeast LIHN
Belleville Quinte West Community Health Centre & Southeast LIHN
Perceptions of health and health service utilization among homeless and housed psychiatric consumer/survivors
Homelessness | Self-reported health
Forchuk, C., Brown, S., Schofield, R., and Jensen, E
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Urban women’s socioeconomic status, health service needs and utilization in the four weeks after postpartum hospital discharge: Findings of a Canadian cross-sectional survey
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Kurtz Landy, C., Sword, W., Ciliska, D.
BMC Health Services Research
A Framework for Creating Health Equity In the Toronto Central LHIN
Income and SES | Length of Hospital Stay
Hospital for Sick Children
Hospital for Sick Children
The Unequal City: Income and health inequities in Toronto 2008
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Toronto Public Health
Toronto Public Health
Birth outcomes by neighbourhood income and recent immigration in Toronto
Immigration Status | Income and SES | Low birth weight
Urquia, M., Frank, J., Glazier, R. and Moineddin, R.
Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Health Information
Path analysis of income, coping and health at the local level in a Canadian context
Income and SES | Self-reported health
Poetz, A., Eyles, J., Elliott, S. et al.
Health and Social Care in the Community
Sex- and age-based differences in the delivery and outcomes of critical care
Gender | Length of Hospital Stay
Fowler, R.A., Sabur, N., Li, P. et al.
CMAJ
Age disparities in stroke quality of care and delivery of health services
Age | Length of Hospital Stay
Saposnik, G., Black, S.E., Hakim, A. et al.
Stroke
Relationship Between Social Inequalities and Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Hospitalizations Persists for up to 9 Years among Children Born in a Major Canadian Urban Center
ACSC | Age | Income and SES
Agha, M.M., Glazier, R.H., & Guttmann, A.
Ambulatory Pediatrics
Income inequality and health in Ontario: A multilevel analysis
Gender | Income and SES | Self-reported health
Xi, G., McDowell, L., Nair, R., and Spasoff, R
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Sex differences in hospital admissions from emergency departments in asthmatic adults: A population-based study
ACSC | Gender
Baibergenova, A., Thabane, L., Akhtar-Danesh, N. et al.
Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Language and Length of Stay in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Language | Length of Hospital Stay
Goldman, R.D., Amin, P., & Macpherson, A.
Pediatric Emergency Care
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