Almost 75 per cent of residents surveyed in the Cowichan Valley report they have good or better health, and 69 per cent rate their mental health as good or better, according to early results from the Our Health, Our Community survey.
Island Health and Our Cowichan Communities Health Network launched a health and wellness survey in 2023 for residents of the Cowichan Valley aimed at gathering information that will help to inform programs, services, and policies in the region, and some of the findings are now being released.
Approximately 3,450 residents aged 18 and up from across the Cowichan region, which represents approximately five per cent of the area’s total population, completed the survey between June and October 2023.
Analysis of the survey’s full data is underway and expected to be complete by September, 2025.
The early results provide a regional and local health area snapshot on priority topics including general health, mental health, housing, transportation, environmental health and substance use.
The remaining results will be released throughout this year.
“We’d like to thank the residents who took the time to complete this survey. It’s true that knowledge is power,” says Dr. Stéphane Trépanier, a medical health officer at Island Health.
“Results from similar past surveys and projects have been instrumental in informing program development and delivery, funding applications, and other important actions for local projects like the Eldercare Project in Cowichan, Cowichan Housing and Homeless Coalition, and the Cowichan Community Action Team.”
In the survey, 26 per cent rated their overall health as fair or poor, 84 per cent reported having a regular healthcare provider, 24 per cent reported having three to six alcoholic beverages a week, 29 per cent of homeowners reported spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing while 55 per cent of renters reported spending more than 50 per cent of their income on housing.
“This survey was designed with the direct input from community partners and local governments to get answers to questions that they might otherwise struggle to access,” said Cindy Lise, the regional facilitator of the Our Cowichan Community Health Network.
“Knowing how our community is thriving and where the gaps are allows us to continue our good work to address complex challenges related to the social determinants of health.”
Read the priority results on the Island Health website at Population Health Statistics & Publications | Island Health, or on the Our Cowichan website at www.ourcchn.ca.
