Appendix A – Survey indicators by questionnaire module
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The list below includes descriptions of questionnaire indicators as well as derived variables (DVs) which combine different questionnaire items.
For a complete list of variables, please refer to the 2012 CSD Codebook (data dictionary). For details on how to obtain the codebook, please contact Statistics Canada Client Services or call 1-800-263-1136.
Disability screening questions (DSQ)
The DSQ measure different disability types and severities, asking questions about how often respondents’ daily activities are limited by long-term conditions, health problems and task-based difficulties.
Disability filter questions
There are six filter questions on the DSQ. The first five questions ask about the frequency of difficulties or conditions that have lasted or are expected to last six months or more. These filters address five “families” of disability type, as follows:
- Sensory: difficulty seeing or hearing
- Physical (mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain): difficulty walking, using stairs, using hands or fingers, or doing other physical activities
- Cognitive (learning, memory or developmental): difficulty learning, remembering or concentrating
- Mental/psychologial health: emotional, psychological or mental health conditions
- Other long-term health problem or condition
The sixth filter question on the DSQ asks how often the difficulty limits daily activities (or, if more than one difficulty is identified, the question asks about the most limiting health problem).
Filter questions on the DSQ were developed to filter out persons who are highly unlikely to have a disability. In the context of the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD), initial filtering was already conducted using activity limitation questions on the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS). Thus the DSQ filter questions, although included on the 2012 CSD, were not used there for the purposes of filtering.
Disability screener questions
Screener questions on the DSQ evaluate the presence and severity of 10 distinct types of disabilities related to health problems or conditions that have lasted or are expected to last for six months or more. Questions ask how often a difficulty limits daily activities for the following disability types:
- Seeing
- Hearing
- Mobility
- Flexibility
- Dexterity
- Pain
- Learning
- Developmental
- Mental/psychological
- Memory
Disability screening derived variables include disability status, vision limitation status, hearing limitation status, mobility limitation status, agility limitation status, flexibility limitation status, dexterity limitation status, learning limitation status, pain limitation status, developmental limitation status, mental/psychological limitation status, memory limitation status, unknown type of limitation, and disability type counter.
Related DVs include severity class for vision, severity class for hearing, severity class for mobility, severity class for flexibility, severity class for dexterity, severity class for pain, severity class for learning, severity class for mental/psychological, severity class for memory, severity class for developmental, severity class for unknown, global severity score, and global severity class.
Disability questions
Main cause
This module is used to identify the main medical condition which caused the most difficulty or limitation to daily activity for the respondent. Respondents were able to identify up to two medical conditions that contributed to difficulties or activity limitations. Age of onset of difficulties or activity limitations was also asked.
Additional variables include International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for main conditions.
Aids and assistive devices
For each activity limitation identified in the disability screening questions (DSQ), questions were asked about any aids, assistive devices and specialized equipment that the respondent used and needed. Respondents who reported a need for an aid, assistive device or other type of specialized equipment that they did not have were then asked reasons for the unmet need.
Questions were also asked about out-of-pocket or direct expenses related to the purchase, repair or maintenance of aids, assistive devices and specialized equipment used by the respondent in the 12 months prior to the survey.
Derived variables include use of aids for hearing, needs for hearing aids, use of aids to help with vision, needs for aids to help with vision, use of aids to help with mobility or agility, needs for aids to help with mobility or agility, use of aids to help with learning, needs for aids to help with learning, use of any other aids to help with another condition, needs for aids to help with another condition, use of aids to help with any condition(s), and needs for aids to help with any condition.
Medication use
This module asked about prescription medications that respondents took for their condition. Respondents are also asked about the impact of cost on their medication use.
Help received for everyday activities
This module asked about the type of help that respondents received with everyday activities due to their condition. Respondents were asked to include help received from family, friends, neighbours, and from organizations, whether paid or unpaid. Everyday activities include meal preparation, daily housework, heavy household chores, getting to appointments and running errands, taking care of personal finances, personal care, help with basic medical care at home, moving about inside the home, and child care.
Respondents who did not usually receive help were asked if they thought they needed help with each activity. Respondents who reported receiving help with one or more activities were asked additional questions about the frequency of help received and about the persons or organizations that helped them with their everyday activities.
Respondents were also asked about out-of-pocket or direct expenses for help received for everyday activities in the past 12 months.
Note that this section concerns only “human” help, and not technical assistance.
Derived variables include needs help preparing meals, needs help with housework, needs help with heavy household chores, needs help with getting to appointments, needs help with personal finances, needs help with personal care, needs help with basic medical care, needs help with moving around, needs help with childcare, and receives help.
Education
Recent school attendance
This module asked about recent school attendance, full-time or part-time status, and the type of institution attended. Respondents who were currently attending school or who attended school at any time between September 2011 and the date of interview were asked additional questions about requirements for modified building features, specialized transportation, assistive devices or support services. If a need was identified, respondents were asked if accommodations were made available to them.
Past school attendance
This module asked about previous school attendance, and whether a respondent had the condition while attending school. Respondents with a condition who attended school at any time between September 2007 and the date of interview were asked additional questions about requirements for modified building features, specialized transportation, assistive devices or support services. If a need was identified, respondents were asked if accommodations were made available to them.
Educational experiences
The intent of this module was to determine the impact of a respondent’s condition on his/her educational experience and level of schooling. Respondents were asked about difficulties encountered while acquiring an education. Questions asked about the impact of having a condition on choice of courses or careers, type or location of school, additional expenses and length of time to complete studies. Questions were also asked about the perceived social impact of the condition in terms of exclusion and bullying.
Educational background
This module addressed the highest level of education completed, location of study, and major field of study of the highest certificate, diploma or degree completed.
Additional education variables include major field of study (CIP Canada 2011).
Employment
Labour force status
This first module of the employment section determined which of three employment classifications – employed, unemployed, not in the labour force (includes retired) - applied to the respondent. This determined the flow of questions for the respondent throughout the remainder of the section.
Respondents who had worked in the week prior to the interview were classified as being employed. If they were absent from work because of an illness, illness in the family, vacation, maternity/paternity leave, or other reasons but still occupied a job, they were classified as employed.
Respondents who indicated that they were absent from a job due to a temporary lay-off, seasonal lay-off, or injury or sick leave that was no longer covered by the employer, they were classified as being unemployed at the time of the interview. If a respondent had arrangements to start a job within four weeks of the time of interview, they were classified as unemployed.
Respondents were classified as not in the labour force if they did not have a job and were unable to start a job in the next four weeks due to school, illness/disability, personal and family responsibilities, or were not looking for work.
Persons who were retired were included under the classification of “not in the labour force” for the initial set of questions and were then identified as “retired” for future sections.
Employment details
Respondents were asked questions about their current job, including hours worked, employment status (employee or self-employed), details about their business (name of business, kind of business, industry, number of employees in the workplace, etc.) and occupation.
Respondents were also asked about the impact of their condition on their work: whether having a condition limited the amount or kind of work they were able to do, and whether their condition affected their ability to change jobs or advance at their present job.
The Unemployed
Questions in this module determined when a respondent last worked, and asked questions about previous employment, including hours worked, employment status (employee or self-employed), details about the business (name of business, kind of business, industry, etc.) and occupation. Respondents were asked whether having a condition limited the amount or kind of work they were able to do, and whether their condition affected their ability to look for work.
Not in labour force
Questions in this module determined when a respondent last worked. A respondent was included in the “not in the labour force” category if he or she did not have a job and was unable to start a job within the next four weeks due to school, illness/disability, personal or family responsibilities or was not looking for work.
Respondents who had never worked were asked follow-up questions about whether their condition prevented them from working. Respondents who were permanently retired were asked if this was due to their condition.
Respondents who reported working in the past were asked questions about their previous employment, including hours worked, employment status (employee or self-employed), details about their business (name of business, kind of business, industry, etc) and occupation.
Respondents were asked whether having a condition prevented them from working, or limited the amount or kind of work they were able to do. Respondents were also asked about barriers to looking for work.
It is in this module that we distinguished between people who were not in the labour force and those who were retired.
Retirement
Respondents were asked the year in which they first retired, whether retirement was voluntary, and whether having a condition prevented them from working, or limited the amount or kind of work they were able to do. Respondents who report a non-voluntary retirement were asked a follow-up question about barriers to looking for work.
Workplace training
The questions in this module dealt with job-related training provided or paid for by a respondent’s employer or company in the 12 months prior to the survey. A question about barriers to taking work-related training was also asked.
Job-related training included activities that were pursued for the development or upgrading of skills for use in present or future employment rather than personal interest or other non-employment-related reasons. Training activities included courses and workshops not leading to a formal education credential, or activities (programs) provided in formal systems of education leading to a formal education credential, including primary-level and secondary-level education, and postsecondary education like university and college diplomas and degrees.
Employment modifications
This module asks about whether a respondent required, or would require modifications or changes to his or her job or physical work environment to be able to work. Follow-up questions asked about whether the modification or change had been made available, and if not, reasons why accommodations had not been provided.
Labour force discrimination
These questions asked about the respondent’s perception of disadvantage in the work force, for example, being refused job interviews, jobs or promotions.
Employment DVs include labour force status, type of industry of person’s work (North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Canada 2007), type of occupation (National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2011), full-time or part-time employment status, year of tenure at current job or business, year when last worked, and year of first retirement.
Getting around the community
This module asked about local travel using public and specialized transit services. The objective of this module was to identify any difficulties the respondent had in using these methods of transportation, for example, because it was not available or not accessible.
Source of income
This module asked about personal income received from various sources including wages and salaries, disability benefits, employment insurance and social assistance.
A DV for source of income summarizes employment and non-employment sources.
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