Burden of Chronic Diseases in Ontario

Public Health Ontario and CCO have collaborated to produce a report on the burden of chronic diseases and chronic disease risk factors in Ontario.

The chronic diseases included in the report are:

  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases
  • Diabetes

The chronic disease risk factors included in the report are:

  • Tobacco smoking
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Physical inactivity
  • Unhealthy eating

The report also includes sections that discuss chronic diseases among Indigenous Peoples in Ontario, Ontarians with low socioeconomic status and Ontarians with poor mental health.

The key findings of the report include:

  • Cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases and diabetes cause about two-thirds of all deaths in Ontario.
  • Ontario has a high prevalence of tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating, which are the main modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases; only 13 percent of adults in Ontario report having none of these risk factors.
  • Indigenous peoples in Ontario have disproportionately high rates of chronic disease prevalence, risk factors and mortality.
  • The total annual economic burden of chronic disease risk factors in Ontario is estimated to be $7.0 billion for tobacco smoking, $4.5 billion for alcohol consumption, $2.6 billion for physical inactivity and $5.6 billion for unhealthy eating, including $1.8 billion for inadequate vegetable and fruit consumption.

Supporting Resources

Updated 19 July 2019