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This report has been prepared by the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory at Western University in
collaboration with the County of Middlesex Healthy Kids Community Challenge. Additionally, Data Analysis
Coordinators with the Ontario Early Years Centres of Lambton‐Kent‐Middlesex, Perth‐Middlesex, and Elgin‐
Middlesex‐London provided insight into the Early Development Instrument.

About the Data

Population variables (i.e. population size, household characteristics, and languages) are from the 2011 Census
of Canada collected by Statistics Canada, which is required to be completed by every household in Canada.
This data is measured at the dissemination area, which is defined as the smallest geographic area for which
census data is publically available. To aggregate the data to the Municipality, the raw population counts for
each variable within the dissemination area were added together. Family refers to a married couple (with or
without children), a common‐law couple (with or without children) or a lone parent family, while household
refers to a person or group of persons occupying the same dwelling.

Socio‐economic variables (i.e. education level, income related measures, living expenses), dwelling
characteristics (i.e. suitability of dwelling, need of repair, age of dwelling, ownership), as well as visible
minorities and mode of travel to work are from the 2011 National Household Survey collected by Statistics
Canada. This survey is the former long‐form census, but was not required to be completed by selected
households. As a result, the data may not be representative of the population who live within the
Municipalities. This data is measured at the dissemination area and aggregated to the Municipality by adding
each variable together. The only exception is Median Household Income and Median Family Income, which is
calculated for each Municipality by Statistics Canada.

The built environment variables on the maps and described in the report are from various sources
accumulated by the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory. Locations of junk food, grocery stores, and
seasonal fruit and vegetable sellers were provided by the Middlesex‐London Health Unit (2015). All other data
was provided by Middlesex County (2015), DMTI Spatial (2015), and the City of London (2015).

The healthy eating and healthy living sections of this report are based on a sample of children aged 9 to 13
years old between 2010 and 2013 who reside in Middlesex County. This data was collected by the Human
Environments Analysis Laboratory as part of their STEAM project. For more information about the project or
the research team, see steamproject.ca or theheal.ca.

Early Development Instrument
Developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University, the Early Development Instrument
(EDI) is a population‐level tool described as measuring children’s developmental health; that is, children’s
ability to meet age‐appropriate developmental expectation at school entry. The EDI is a questionnaire that
includes questions about children’s Physical Health and Well‐Being, Social Competence, Emotional Maturity,
Language and Cognitive Development, and Communication Skills and General Knowledge. The EDI is
completed by Kindergarten Teachers on their Senior Kindergarten students.

Information from the EDI provides us with snapshots of children’s development for different cohorts of
children at various points in time. This allows communities to monitor the state of children’s development
over time, understand where strengths and needs are in children’s development, and to plan for services and
programs so that the necessary supports are in place to ensure better outcomes for all children.