Inventory of population-based data sources to support observational health research of diverse military and veteran populations: A scoping review

Abstract

As Canada’s military and Veteran populations become increasingly diverse, there is a growing need for evidence that reflects the health experiences of women, gender-diverse individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Indigenous Peoples, racialized groups, and other equity-deserving populations. However, population-based health monitoring remains constrained by fragmented data systems, inconsistent identification of military-connected individuals, and limited collection of diversity-related variables. This report represents the first phase of a three-phase study assessing the feasibility of developing a longitudinal health research and monitoring platform to support equitable, evidence-informed policy and planning for service delivery for diverse military and Veteran populations.

In this first phase, a rapid scoping review was conducted to identify Canadian healthcare utilization, administrative, and survey datasets containing military, Veteran, health, or diversity-related information. Evidence was gathered from academic databases, government publications, dataset inventories, and data custodian websites. Data were extracted on dataset characteristics, custodians, accessibility, military and diversity identifiers, and linkage potential, and evaluated using the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles of data management.

While Canada possesses substantial data assets capable of supporting population-based military and Veteran health research, fragmentation, limited interoperability, and gaps in diversity-related identifiers constrain longitudinal surveillance. Findings indicate that existing data infrastructure provides a strong foundation for a future research and monitoring platform, but improvements in linkage pathways, identifier harmonization, and data governance will be required.