Morbidity, Mortality, and Quality of Life

In Ottawa:

• The leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits was injuries or other external factors (Table 1) for the overall population, as well as for females (Table 2) and males (Table 3) in 2017.
• After obstetrical (i.e., childbirth) hospitalizations, mental and behavioural disorders were the leading cause of hospitalizations in 2017 (Table 1).
  • The leading cause of hospitalizations for females was obstetrical (childbirth), followed by mental and behavioural disorders (Table 2).
  • The leading cause of hospitalizations for males was diseases of the circulatory system, followed by mental and behaviour disorders (Table 3).
• In 2015, ischemic heart disease (IHD) was the leading cause of death, followed by dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (Table 1).
  • IHD was the most common cause of death for Ottawa males in 2015 (Table 3). Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, surpassed IHD to become the leading cause of death for Ottawa females in 2011 and continued as such in 2015 (Table 2).

Leading Causes of Emergency Department Visits by Year and Age

In Ottawa:

• In 2017, residents made 338,353 visits to the emergency department (ED). [2]

• The top five causes of ED visits have not changed from 2013 to 2017, with the exception of mental and behavioural disorders surpassing genitourinary conditions in 2017 (Table 4)

• About one quarter (24%) of all ED visits are due to injuries or other external causes. [2]
• By age, the leading causes of ED visits vary. In 2017, about two in five (40%) ED visits by those aged 5 to 19 years were due to injuries and other external causes; one quarter (24%) of ED visits by those aged 20 to 44 years were due to injuries and other external causes (Table 5).

Leading Causes of Hospitalizations by Year and Age

• Obstetrical reasons (e.g., pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium) were the leading cause of hospitalizations in Ottawa every year from 2013 to 2017. About half (51%) of hospitalizations of 20 to 44 year olds were obstetrical (Table 6). 
• In 2016, the number of hospitalizations for mental and behavioural disorders surpassed hospitalizations for diseases of the circulatory system, and remained higher in 2017 (Table 6).
• By age, the leading causes for hospitalizations varies. In 2017, mental and behavioural disorders were the leading cause of hospitalization for those aged 5 to 19 years (27% of hospitalizations), and the second leading cause of hospitalizations for those aged 20 to 44 years (16%), after obstetrical (Table 7). 

Leading Cause of Death by Sex and Age

• In 2015, there were 5,809 deaths among Ottawa residents (Table 8). Since 1986, Ottawa has consistently had lower rates of death, on average, than in Ontario-less-Ottawa. [5]

Sex:

• Ischemic heart disease (IHD) was the most common cause of death for Ottawa males in 2015 (Table 8).
• Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, surpassed IHD to become the leading cause of death for Ottawa females in 2011 and continued as such in 2015 (Table 8).

Age:

• For children aged 0 to 4 years, perinatal conditions (e.g., extreme prematurity) were the most common causes of death in 2015 (Table 9, Table 10).
• For children and youth aged 5 to 19 years, very few deaths occurred (n=16 in 2015) – not enough to comment on the leading causes of death for this age group (Table 9, Table 10).
• For females aged 20 to 44 years, suicide was the leading cause of death (n=18 in 2015) followed by injuries and substance use/poisoning (Table 9). Suicide fluctuated within the top three causes of death for females 20 to 44 years from 2012 to 2015. For males aged 20 to 44 years, suicide (n=26 in 2015, Table 10) has consistently been the leading cause of death from 2012-2015.
• For females aged 45 to 64 years, lung and breast cancers were the leading causes of death (Table 9). For males aged 45 to 64 years, IHD followed by lung cancer were the top two leading causes of death (Table 10).
• For females aged 65+ years, dementia and IHD were the leading causes of death (Table 9). The reverse trend occurred for males aged 65+ years, where IHD and dementia were the top two causes of death (Table 10).

• In 2015, 2,043 deaths were premature, occurring before the age of 75 years, accounting for 35% of all deaths in Ottawa (Figure 1).  Cancer, injuries (intentional and unintentional), and cardiovascular disease were the leading causes of premature death in Ottawa.

Avoidable deaths are those that could have been avoided through either preventing the onset of disease (e.g., through prevention programs, public health policies, or effective health care) or delaying death once a disease or condition has developed (e.g., through screening and treatment). [6] 

• Avoidable mortality accounted for 72% (1,481) of premature deaths in Ottawa in 2015 (Figure 1).
• Almost two thirds (64%; 941) of avoidable premature deaths in Ottawa in 2015 were preventable (Figure 1).
• In 2015, there were 14,908 potential years of life lost from preventable deaths in Ottawa, primarily due to injuries, cancer and cardiovascular disease (Table 11). 

 Figure 1.  Premature and potentially avoidable deaths in Ottawa in 2015

In Ottawa:

• About two-thirds (67%) of residents aged 12 years and older reported very good or excellent health, higher than the Ontario-less-Ottawa average (61%). [8]
• Younger residents were more likely to rate their health as very good or excellent compared to older residents (Figure 2).
• Parents living with children (77%) reported higher self-rated health than single parents (52%) and those living alone (55%) (Figure 2).
• As household income increased, self-rated health also increased (Figure 2).
• Residents who owned their house (71%) reported higher self-rated health than those who rent their homes (58%) (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Percentage of Ottawa residents (12 years and older) who reported excellent or very good health, by selected socio-demographic indicators in 2015/16

• In 2015/16, approximately nine in ten (91%) Ottawa residents aged 12 years and older reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their life, similar to the Ontario-less-Ottawa average. [8]
• Younger residents were more likely to report they were satisfied or very satisfied with their life, compared to older residents (Figure 3).
• Residents with post secondary education were more likely to report they were satisfied or very satisfied with their life compared to those with high school graduation or less than high school graduation (Figure 3).
• Satisfaction with life varied by household income, where those in higher income quintiles reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with life more often than those in lower income quintiles (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Percentage of Ottawa residents (12 years and older) who reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their life, by selected socio-demographic indicators in 2015/16

• Life expectancy at birth for Ottawa men increased slightly from 79.9 years in 2016 to 2008 to 81.9 years in 2014 to 2016 and remained the same at 81.9 years in 2015 to 2017. For Ottawa women, life expectancy did not change between 2011 and 2017, estimated at 85.3 years (2015 to 2017). [9]
• For both men and women in Ottawa, life expectancy at birth was slightly higher than the Ontario average (80.5 years for men and 84.6 years for women in 2015 to 2017). [9] 
• At 65 years of age, Ottawa men can expect to live for another 21 years (to age 86) and Ottawa women for 23 years (to age 88). These estimates are slightly higher than the provincial average (Ontario men at age 65: 19.8 years; Ontario women at age 65: 22.6 years) in 2015 to 2017. [9]

This report provides an overview of the health of Ottawa’s population, including information about the demographic characteristics of Ottawa residents; key measures of general health such as longevity, disease prevalence and hospital visits; and behaviours that affect health, such as physical activity and substance use. More detailed information on the topics described in this report can be found in the health profiles available online at the OPH Research & Statistics web page.

State of Ottawa's Health, 2018 (PDF) [1 MB]

The State of Ottawa's Health 2014 report provides an overview of key health conditions and indicators that have a significant impact on the health of Ottawa's population.

State of Ottawa's Health, 2014 - Full report [PDF 8 MB]
State of Ottawa's Health, 2014 - Infographics [PDF 2 MB]

1. Becker R, Silvi J, Ma Fat D, L'Hours A, Laurenti R. A method for deriving leading causes of death. Bull World Health Organ. 2006 Apr;84(4):297-304.
2. Ambulatory Visit Cube, National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (2013 to 2017). Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario, IntelliHEALTH ONTARIO. Extracted Oct 10, 2018

3. Hospitalizations (inpatient discharges), Discharge Abstract Database (2013 to 2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted October 12, 2018.

4. Adult Mental Health or Addictions Hospitalization (admissions), Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (2017). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care IntelliHealth Ontario. Extracted October 11, 2018.
5. Buajitti E, Chiodo S, Watson T, Kornas K, Bornbaum C, Henry D, Rosella LC. Ontario atlas of adult mortality,
   1992-2015, Version 2.0: Trends in Public Health Units. Toronto, ON: Population Health Analytics Lab; 2018.
6. Canadian Institute for Health Information, Statistics Canada. Health Indicators 2012. Ottawa: CIHI;2012 [cited 2014 Apr 7]. Available from: https://secure.cihi.ca/free_products/health_indicators_2012_en.pdf
7. World Health Organization. WHO definition of Health, Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference. New York; 1946 June 19–22.
8. Ottawa Public Health. Canadian Community Health Survey 2015/16. Ontario Share File. Statistics Canada
9. Statistics Canada.  Table 13-10-0389-01 Life expectancy, at birth and at age 65, by sex, three-year average, Canada, provinces, territories, health regions and peer groups [Accessed September 2019]