The proportion of a group or population reporting the indicated behaviour or outcome, usually expressed as a percentage.
Study sample
A group drawn from a larger population to estimate the characteristics of the whole population.
Statistically significant
The observed relationship between two or more variables is unlikely due to chance alone.
Weighted results
Weighting is the statistical technique used to allow the study sample to be representative of the target population; in other words, any participant's response is weighted so that it represents a specific number of identical responses in the target population.
95% confidence interval
Provides a range of values in which the estimated prevalence will fall 95% of the time (i.e., if the survey was repeated 20 times, the results would fall within this range 19 of those times, or 19 times out of 20).
Current smoking
Includes people who smoke daily and people who smoke occasionally, determined from the responses to the question, "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"
Daily smoking
Refers to those who respond "Daily" to the question, "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"
Occasional smoking
Refers to those who respond "Less than daily, but at least once a week" or "Less than once a week, but at least once in the past month" to the question "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"
Former smoking
Refers to those who respond "Not at all" to the question, "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?" and "Yes" to the question, "Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes (about 4 packs) in your life?"
People who have quit recently
Refers to people who formerly smoked who quit smoking less than one year prior to the survey, determined by their response to the question, "When did you stop smoking cigarettes?"
Never smoking
Refers to those who respond "No" to the question, "Have you ever smoked a whole cigarette?" or "Not at all" to the question, "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?" and "No" to the question, "Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes (about 4 packs) in your life?"
Ever smoking
Refers to people who currently smoke and people who formerly smoked combined.
E-cigarettes
Are battery-operated devices that mimic the act of smoking cigarettes but do not contain tobacco. E-cigarettes include vaporizers with e-liquid, vape pen, tank, or mod and are available with or without nicotine.
Vaping
The terms “vape” and “vaping” refer to the use of e-cigarettes, vape mods, vaporizers and vape pens for vaping e-liquid with nicotine and/or without nicotine (i.e., just flavouring). Cannabis vaping is excluded.
Tobacco products
Are products made in whole or in part of tobacco, including tobacco leaves. This includes cigarettes, little cigars or cigarillos, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and water-pipe tobacco. E-cigarettes and vaping devices are excluded.
Vaping cannabis
A method of administration of cannabis whereby a cannabis product or by-product is heated below the temperature of combustion, thus turned into vapour (not smoke), and inhaled by a person. This could include vaporizing dried cannabis flower or vaping cannabis liquid using a vape pen.
Quit attempt
The number of times a person stopped smoking or vaping for one day or longer because they were trying to quit.
Visible minorities
Refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non Caucasian in race or non white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.
Indigenous
Refers to whether the person identified with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. This includes those who identify as First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), and/or those who report being Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band. Aboriginal peoples of Canada (referred to here as Indigenous peoples) are defined in the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35 (2) as including the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
Persons with a disability
Refers to people who responded “Yes” to the question, "Do you identify as a person with a disability?"
Gender
Refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman).
Men+
This category includes men (and/or boys), as well as some non-binary persons.
Women+
This category includes women (and/or girls), as well as some non-binary persons.
Sexual orientation
Refers to how a person describes their sexuality. For example, a person may describe their sexuality as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or pansexual.
General health
Refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person themselves or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding. Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well being.
Mental health
Refers to the perception of a person's mental health in general, either by the person themselves or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding. Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well being.
