Centre for Research on Inner City Health

The Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH) is a transdisciplinary and hospital-based research centre dedicated to reducing health disparities and improving the health of socially and economically disadvantaged urban populations. CRICH plays an important role in contributing to Healthy Communities by providing the public with the
evidence to quantify the magnitude of the health impact of social inequalities so as to
better inform public policy and identify the issues and needs facing disadvantaged urban
populations.

CRICH’s research focuses on the social determinants of adverse health, the analysis of
health services provision and outcomes, and interventions to reduce health inequities. In
particular, it focuses on health services delivery, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, mental
health, immigrant health, maternal and children’s health, social class and health and
issues pertaining to gender and equity.
Research into Action

“At CRICH, research is a means to an end – not an end in itself.” In order to achieve its
goal of reducing health inequities and to improve outcomes for urban populations,
CRICH prides itself on making better use of research. The institute accomplishes this by
adopting a social justice perspective in their work and making research widely accessible
so as to be translated into policy and practice.

What does this mean for communities?

Involving communities in the research process through community-based participatory
research and ensuring real-world relevance is based on the recognition that
“marginalization affects different communities in different ways.” CRICH’s approach
aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, by providing the evidence needed
to make informed decisions so as to better address the needs of the community. This
process not only increases awareness, but stimulates dialogue between research and
communities.

One example of this work is the Toronto Health Profiles. This online tool is the result of
a partnership designed to facilitate access to information for health planning with the overall goal of producing action to reduce health inequalities. The outcomes of this project are used to find gaps in existing services, to identify what the needs are and to know which services should be provided. Ultimately, this partnership has provided
communities and planners with a unique tool which integrates data on demographic
composition, socioeconomic status, health, diversity, the environment and food.

Currently, plans are underway to extend the community profiles beyond Toronto, to provide communities across Ontario with an integrated database to better inform policies
and practices.

More recently, CRICH has completed a Diabetes Atlas for Toronto, which highlights the
strong link between socioeconomic status, neighbourhoods and diabetes prevalence in
Toronto suburbs. These findings point to infrastructure as opposed to individual lifestyle as a key health determinant, providing evidence for the need of structural changes in the
way we conceive and build our neighbourhoods.

For more information about:

CRICH, please visit their website www.stmichaelshospital.com/crich/index.php
Toronto Health Profiles: www.torontohealthprofiles.ca