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Get connected |
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Want to Feel Healthier? – Get
Connected With Your Community
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For
each and every Canadian, feeling connected to
community plays a key role in how healthy you feel.
Results from the
2005 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS),
which takes a close look at how connected Canadians
feel from coast to coast, show that two-thirds (64%)
have a strong sense of community belonging. Of this
group, two-thirds also feel that their health is
excellent or very good.
Sense of belonging
highest in Newfoundland, lowest in large cities.
Three-quarters of Canadians living in the Atlantic
provinces said they felt connected, with residents
of Newfoundland reporting the highest rate (79%) in
the entire country. Those living in Saskatchewan
(73%) and British Columbia (69%) also reported
strong ties to the community. Residents of Quebec
reported the lowest sense of community belonging
(54%).
The
same study also shows that people living in major
urban centres such as Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon,
Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, were less likely to
report feeling connected to their communities.
For
the past 25 years, ongoing research has shown that
people who are excluded from society with few ties
to others are more likely to have poor physical and
mental health and to die prematurely. People who
have lots of what is known as social capital, on the
other hand, are more likely to live longer.
Belonging—linked to
the ties that bind
Social capital acts like a kind of currency for
healthy living that grows when you're involved in
civic activities and earn the trust and cooperation
of others. It has been suggested that social capital
promotes mutual respect and that this in turn boosts
self-esteem. Social capital may also promote healthy
behaviours such as being physically active and
choosing not to smoke.
Importantly, social support networks provide an
important piece of the big picture of health that
encompasses complex interactions between social and
economic factors, the physical environment and
individual behaviour. These factors, known as the
determinants of health, provide a measure of health
status.
"People do want to belong," confirms Tekla
Hendrickson, director of the Ontario Women's Health
Network. "They want to have their role, their voice
and their place in society, with space for diversity
and different voices to be heard."
For
the past 18 months, the Ontario Women's Health
Network has met with more than 200 women in focus
groups, making them partners in finding relevant
solutions to problems such as marginal housing and
reducing risk of stroke. "We ask women what they
think the solutions are and then develop a health
promotion approach that builds on what they already
have," explains Hendrickson.
Community connectedness works much the same way as
job satisfaction. "Women who are the most satisfied
with their jobs are the ones with the most autonomy
and the most control over their schedules," points
out Hendrickson. "It's the same with community:
women with the most input are the most connected and
healthy."
Women who have more friends also have better mental
health than those who are loners, research shows.
Sharing your experience with others is empowering
and increases confidence, notes Hendrickson. "We
talk it out and we problem solve together. It's
powerful when you know that you're not alone."
Want to feel more
connected to your community?
There are many ways to get involved, meet new people
and make new friends. Here are some ideas to help
you get connected:
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lend a hand in a cause that you support.
-
help out organizations in your community by
becoming a volunteer.
-
join
self-help and support groups.
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get to know your neighbours. Join your
neighbourhood association or help to organize a
community garden.
-
read your local paper to find out about events
and activities to join.
-
visit your local community centre, library or
your child's school to find out more about
community involvement.
Whatever you choose, don't delay. Your health and
well-being depend on it!
Courtesy of Canadian Health Network
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