McCreary Centre Society

 Administration took place in Grade 7-12 classes in 50 of the 59 BC School Districts.  Over surveys were collected in 1,760 classrooms between February and June  Fraser South/Fraser East “I am happy to see a survey like this one. It’s about time questions were being asked. Now I am hoping to see some positive actions.” BC Youth Participant

A Picture of Health

 Most students are doing well; nearly all 84% report good or excellent health  Serious injuries have declined  18% of females, 7% of males did not get mental health services they needed  Nearly half did not eat the recommended servings of fruits or vegetables yesterday

 No change in physical activity: only 1 in 4 males, 1 in 10 females exercise every day  Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are lower for the first time since 1992  More than 1 in 5 females, 1 in 10 males reported deliberate self-harm

 Far fewer youth smoke than a decade ago, and those who do started at older ages  Alcohol and marijuana use lower  Fewer students had ever used cocaine, amphetamines, or mushrooms, continuing declines since 1998  But use of some other drugs, including hallucinogens like LSD, rose

 Relationship violence is unchanged since 2003; 9% of males, 6% of females  Pregnancy rates also stable, less than 2%  Reversing trends in physical and sexual abuse, after declines since 1992  Protective factors can help even the most vulnerable youth overcome risks

Most BC teens are doing well, and report healthier behaviours than students 10 years ago

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) European49% South Asian20% East Asian12% Aboriginal/First Nations8% Southeast Asian6% Latin/South/Central American3% African2% Australian/Pacific Islander2% West Asian1% Other (excluding Canadian)1% Don’t know8%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother91% Father70% Other adults related to me10% Stepfather5% Stepmother1% Other adults not related to me 2% Do not live with any adults1%

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

 84% reported good or excellent health, consistent with results over the past decade.  9% of youth reported a debilitating health condition or disability.

 15% of females and 10% of males did not get medical help when they felt they needed it.

 27% of students were injured seriously enough in the past year to need medical attention.

Injury Prevention  64% of youth always wore a seatbelt.  18% of students always wore a helmet while bike riding.

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water7%22%71% Milk, cheese, yogurt10%37%53% Fruit22%41%37% Green salad or vegetables 27%45%28% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 35%49%17% Pop/soda55%34%11% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 48%41%11% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 74%19%7% Energy drinks90%7%3% At least 54% of youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables (above 50% provincially)

 20% of males and 11% of females were very satisfied with their body image.

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts:  Family or friend suicide attempts (14% vs. 3%)  Sexual abuse (19% vs. 3%)  Physical abuse (14% vs. 2%)

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

 80% of youth never had sexual intercourse  Most common reasons for not having sex:  Not ready for sex (50%)  Waiting to meet the right person (47%)  Among those who had sex:  Most commonly started at age 15  17% first had sex before age 14

Birth control method used last time youth had sex:  Condoms: 63%  Birth control pills: 45%  Only withdrawal: 8%  Emergency contraception: 5% 6% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

† Indicates that the difference between Fraser East/Fraser South and provincial estimates was statistically significant.

Prescription pills16% Any Hallucinogens8% Mushrooms6% † Cocaine4% Inhalants4% Any Amphetamines2% Steroids2% Heroin1% Injected an illegal drug1% † Indicates that the difference between Fraser South/Fraser East and provincial estimates was statistically significant.

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

 65% of students liked school “somewhat”  Females more likely than males to like school “very much” (23% vs. 18%)  Grade 7’s showed highest school connectedness vs. later grades

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

Fraser South/Fraser East – A Picture of Health

 Having protective factors in their lives can promote health and reduce the negative effect of some risk behaviours.  Protective factors in AHS  School (e.g., school connectedness)  Family (e.g., family connectedness)  Community  Connected to culture/ethnic group  Youth engagement in activities  Peer prosocial attitudes about risky behaviours  Friends would disapprove of teen getting pregnant, getting drunk, beating someone up, etc.

A Picture of Health

 84% of youth in this area reported that their health was good or excellent.  Among students who cycled, only18% always wore a bike helmet (compared to the provincial rate of 24%) and 46% never wore one (compared to the provincial rate of 35%).  Over half of youth fell short of recommended intake of fruit and vegetables

 The percentage of students who drank before they were 9 years old was similar to the provincial rate (6%) but the percentage who waited until they were 13 or 14 years old (46%) was greater than the provincial rate of 42%.  23% of students drank alcohol on the Saturday prior to completing the survey.  The percentage of youth who had used substances other than alcohol or marijuana was similar to the province as a whole.

 The majority of youth in this area reported never having had sexual intercourse (80%),  35% of students indicated waiting until marriage as a reason for never having sex  More students experienced racial discrimination than in the province as a whole (14% vs 12%).  A total of 38% of students worked at a paid job during the school year, which was lower than the provincial rate of 41%.

 Students are more likely to watch three or more hours of tv a week than the province overall  Compared to the province as a whole local students are more connected to their school and culture.  Students in this area were more likely to have friends who would be upset with them if they got drunk.  Females in this area were more likely to have friends who would disapprove of them getting pregnant or using marijuana than females provincially.

A Picture of Health

 14 reports at HSDA level  Additional in-depth reports (eg substance use)  Fact sheets on key topics  ‘Next Steps’ youth workshops and other resources for youth

McCreary Centre Society 3552 East Hastings Street Vancouver V5K 2A