Public Health Sciences

This category includes key knowledge and critical thinking skills related to the public health sciences, behavioural and social sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental public health, demography, workplace health, and the prevention of chronic diseases, infectious diseases, psychosocial problems and injuries. Competency in this category requires the ability to apply knowledge in practice.

Competencies:

  • Demonstrate knowledge about the following concepts:
    • the health status of populations
    • inequities in health
    • the determinants of health and illness
    • strategies for health promotion
    • disease and injury prevention and health protection
    • the factors that influence the delivery and use of health services
  • Demonstrate knowledge about the history, structure and interaction of public health and health care services at local, provincial/ territorial, national, and international levels.
  • Apply the public health sciences to practice.
  • Use evidence and research to inform health policies and programs.
  • Demonstrate the ability to pursue lifelong learning opportunities in the field of public health.

Health Status of Populations

  • Health indicators framework This Indicator Framework provides comparable data for health status, non-medical determinants of health, health system performance, and community and health system characteristics. Where applicable, data is dis-aggregated by age, sex, and province/territory. Statistics Canada/Canadian Institute for Health Information.

  • Statistics Canada Health reports This journal of population health and health services research publishes peer-reviewed research analyzing various health data.

  • Canadian Best Practices Portal – Health Indicators This webpage provides links to health indicators at the Canadian, provincial/territorial, and international levels. Public Health Agency of Canada.

  • Public Health Skills Online These 10 web-based modules, offered 2 or 3 times each year, provide an orientation to epidemiological concepts and approaches. Examples include Basic Epidemiological Concepts, Outbreak Investigation and Management and Introduction to Biostatistics. In particular, see Module EPI 2 – Measurement of Health Status. Public Health Agency of Canada.

  • Healthy Canadians-A Federal report on comparable health indicators This report is the fifth of the Healthy Canadians series, and provides data on the health of Canadians and the performance of the health care system. Health Canada.

  • Reducing gaps in health. A focus on socio-economic status in urban Canada This report examines the links between socioeconomic status and health in 15 urban areas in Canada. Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute for Health Information.


Inequities in Health, the Determinants of Health and Illness


Strategies for Health Promotion, Disease and Injury Prevention and Health Protection as well as Factors that Influence the Delivery and Use of Health Services


History, Structure and Interaction of Public Health and Health Care Services


Apply Public Health Science to Practice


Use Evidence and Research to Inform Health Policies and Programs


Pursue Lifelong Learning Opportunities in Public Health