Book Description

Using a population health approach, this report compiles existing research to explain how the various determinants of health interact to shape healthy child development, and to depict conditions & trends relevant to the health & well-being of children & youth in Canada. The introduction provides useful background information, including basic demographic data on Canadian children & youth, an overview of the population health approach and the determinants of health, and a general description of the process of child development. The body of the report contains 11 chapters, each examining a specific determinant of health, addressing its relationship to healthy child development, summarizing current conditions & trends relevant to that determinant, and identifying how it relates to other determinants of healthy child development. The final chapter takes a broader view of the areas of concern identified in each chapter, compiling some of the key findings about the determinants of health to identify issues, opportunities, and priorities for inter-sectoral collaboration and decision-making that will improve the health & future prospects for Canada's children & youth.