Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii

BC Adolescent Health Survey ▪Background ▪Positive findings and trends ▪Areas of concern ▪Protective factors ▪Using the data

Administration 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey ▪29,832 surveys were completed ▪1,645 classrooms ▪56 school districts ▪325 PHN’s and nursing students

Youth in British Columbia ▪Increasingly diverse backgrounds ▪Rise in the percentage of recent immigrants ▪Decrease in the percentage who spoke English at home ▪Less likely to identify as straight

Home life ▪Fewer students living with their parent(s) ▪1% currently in a foster home or group home ▪9% ran away from home in past year ▪1 in 5 moved from one home to another

Young carers

Health conditions and disabilities ▪Over a quarter of students had at least one health condition or disability ▪Females were 3 x more likely to report a mental health condition ▪For many the condition was debilitating

Working ▪29% of students had worked at a paid job during the school year ▪More likely to have been injured ▪Links between working and poverty

Technology ▪9 out of 10 students had a cell phone ▪Students who don’t have a cell phone ▪Cell phone use was linked to: –More supportive adults –Parental monitoring –Unsafe people on the Internet –Cyberbullying

Positive Findings and Trends

Most youth had seen a dentist in the past year Decrease in students who missed out on needed medical care

Decrease in serious injuries Note: The difference for females between 2008 and 2013 was not statistically significant.

Some improvements in nutrition ▪More youth ate fruit and vegetables than in 2008 ▪Fewer youth drank pop or energy drinks ▪12% ate food grown or caught by their family ▪Fewer youth went to bed hungry

More youth ate breakfast

Risky sexual behaviour decreased Among those who had ever had sex:  3% ever had an STI  69% used a condom the last time they had sex  5% had ever been pregnant or caused a pregnancy  24% used drugs or alcohol last time they had sex

Fewer youth tried tobacco 21% had ever tried smoking. Among those: ▪Males more likely to smoke than females ▪Females more likely to smoke cigarettes ▪Greater percentage of youth were recent smokers Fewer youth were exposed to second hand smoke

Fewer youth tried alcohol 45% had ever tried alcohol Among those: ▪Youth waited longer to try alcohol ▪Fewer youth drank in the past month ▪Fewer youth reported binge drinking

Fewer youth tried marijuana 26% had ever tried marijuana Among those: ▪Youth waited longer to try marijuana ▪Fewer youth used last Saturday ▪Fewer youth mixed alcohol and marijuana ▪Students most commonly got marijuana from a youth outside their family (82%)

Decreases in substance use

Using other substances 2013 Change since 2008 Prescription pills without a doctor’s consent 11% Cocaine3% Hallucinogens6% Mushrooms5% Amphetamines2% Inhalants2% Heroin1% Steroids without a doctor’s consent1%

Injury prevention improvements ▪Fewer youth had ever driven after drinking or using marijuana ▪More youth wore a seatbelt

Abuse rates decreased

Less harassment and discrimination ▪Fewer youth had been verbally or physically sexually harassed ▪However, 36% had been discriminated against in the past year ▪Dating violence decreased from 2008

School safety increased

Cyberbullying decreased

Areas of ConcernAreas of Concern

Concussions ▪16% of youth experienced a concussion in past year ▪Youth who wore helmet less likely to have a concussion ▪Youth who had experienced a concussion were more likely to miss out on health care because their parents would not take them

Ratings of mental health

Suicide Males ▪8% considered suicide ▪3% attempted suicide Females ▪17% considered suicide ▪9% attempted suicide

Other mental health concerns

Foregone mental health care ▪Male students were less likely to forego needed care but no improvement for females ▪Most common reason was not wanting parents to know

Getting enough sleep

Mental health and sleep

Increases in some forms of bullying

Perpetrators of bullying ▪Students who had been bullied were more likely to be perpetrators of bullying ▪Older youth were more likely to be perpetrators ▪Females were more likely to be bullied

Rise in overweight and obesity rates MalesFemales Healthy weight Underweight Overweight Obese

Exercise participation decreased ▪17% of students aged met the daily activity recommendations ▪More older youth (aged 18 or 19) reached their guidelines ▪Participation in organized sports, informal sports and dance and aerobics decreased from 2008

Barriers to participation Most common reasons for not participating in sports or other activities: –Being too busy –Could not get there or home –Could not afford to participate –The activity was not available in their community –Worried about being bullied

Transportation challenges  3% of youth had hitchhiked in the past month  Youth who did not feel safe on transit were more likely to hitch  Being reliant on transit was linked to missing out on activities and health care services

Protective FactorsProtective Factors

School connectedness Positive family relationships Caring adults outside the family Someone to turn to for help Established Protective Factors

Peer relationships Good nutrition Feeling engaged and valued Positive future aspirations Stable home Established Protective Factors

Nine or more hours of sleep Neighbourhood safety Community connectedness Cultural connectedness Protective Factors

56 school district data tables 16 HSDA reports Growing Up in BC Sexual health report Youth resources Using the Data

Youth are generally making better choices about their health Mental health and bullying are among the areas where there have been fewer improvements Promoting protective factors have and can continue to play a key role in improving outcomes for BC youth

From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii