University of Toronto. Data Library Service

Title: General social survey, cycle 16 - social support and ageing, 2002

Series title: General social surveys

Principal investigator(s): Statistics Canada. General Social Surveys

Producer: Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada. General Social Surveys (12M0016XCB)

Date of creation: 2003-09-02

Funding agency:

Collector:

Distributor: Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada. Data Liberation Initiative

Date of distribution: 2005-11-28

Access conditions/restrictions: University of Toronto faculty, students and staff, for academic research and teaching purposes only. See DLI licence.

Summary: The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest.

The first (1985) and sixth cycles (1991) of the GSS had health as their core content. With the introduction of the National Population Health Survey in 1994, there was no longer a need to collect data in the health core subject area. This allowed for a new core to be introduced and social support was proposed. Social support was not a new topic for the GSS; however Cycle 11 (1996) expanded the concept extensively.

Starting with Cycle 16 (2002), this survey collects data on social support and aging.

  • Cycle 16 collected data on care provided to seniors, care received by seniors, transitions to retirement, retirement experience, social contact, housing and transportation.

    Keywords: care and social support , health and disability among seniors , housing and living arrangements , seniors , work and retirement

    Geographic coverage: Canada, provinces

    Time period: 2002-02 to 2002-12

    Periodicity:

    Date(s) of collection: 2002-02 to 2002-12

    Universe: The target population is all persons aged 45 and over in private households in the ten provinces with regular telephone service.

    Data type: public use microdata

    Sample: The target population for Cycle 16 of the GSS is all persons aged 45 and over as of December 31, 2001, in private households in the ten provinces.

    Data for Cycle 16 of the GSS were collected from February to December 2002. The sample was selected from people who responded to the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which collected data in 2001.

    In order to carry out sampling for the CCHS, each of the ten provinces was divided into strata and separate samples were selected from each stratum. These strata were defined geographically.

    The provincial boundaries were used as the first level of stratum boundary. Within each province, provincially defined health regions formed the strata. There were 133 strata in total. Separate samples for the populations 45-54. 55-64, 65-74, and 75 and older were selected using an allocation to the CCHS strata that would improve the precision of GSS estimates.

    Unlike previous GSS cycles, where households were selected through Random Digit Dialling methods, in this cycle the individuals to be interviewed were identified in advance. Thus the collection procedures included those needed to trace people when they could no longer be reached at their old telephone number. When the person to be interviewed was contacted, they were interviewed in the official language of their choice. Interviews by proxy were not allowed.

    Unit of observation: individual

    Mode of data collection: computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI)

    Citation: Statistics Canada. General social survey, cycle 16 : social support and ageing, 2002 [computer file]. Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada [producer]; Statistics Canada. Data Liberation Initiative [distributor], Nov. 2005

    Extent of file: 4 data files (24,855, 15,269, 12.096, and 20,790 logical records) & accompanying documentation

    Notes: The overall response rate during collection for Cycle 16 was 83.8%.

    Related data:

    General social surveys
    Canadian Community Health Survey [GSS 16 sample was selected from CCHS respondents aged 45 and over]

    Status:


    Documentation & data:


    Bibliography