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  Northwest “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  At least half of youth 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

Northwest – A Picture of Health

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) European66% Aboriginal/First Nations29% East Asian3% Latin/South/Central American3% South Asian3% Southeast Asian3% African2% Australian/Pacific Islander1% Other (excluding Canadian)1% Don’t know9%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother87% Father65% Stepfather8% Other adults related to me6% Stepmother3% Other adults not related to me 3% Do not live with any adults1%

Northwest – A Picture of Health

 84% reported good or excellent health, consistent with results for 2003  12% of youth reported a debilitating health condition or disability.

 16% of youth did not get medical help when they felt they needed it.

 38% of students were injured seriously enough in the past year to need medical attention.

Injury Prevention  64% of youth always wore a seatbelt.  19% of students always wore a helmet while bike riding.

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water8%23%68% Milk, cheese, yogurt10%35%56% Fruit19%39%42% Green salad or vegetables 26%47%28% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 40%44%16% Pop/soda53%35%12% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 49%38%13% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 72%19%9% Energy drinks86%10%4% At least 51% of youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables

 Similar to 2003 local rates and the 2008 provincial rate, 17% of males were very satisfied with their body image, compared to only 10% of females

Northwest – A Picture of Health

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts:  Family or friend suicide attempts (19% vs. 4%)  Sexual abuse (30% vs. 4%)  Physical abuse (22% vs. 4%)  Aboriginal ethnicity (14% vs. 5%)  Health condition or disability (22% vs. 5%)

Northwest – A Picture of Health

 70% of youth never had sexual intercourse  Most common reasons for not having sex:  Waiting to meet the right person (53%)  Not ready for sex (47%)  Not wanting to get or cause a pregnancy (41%)  Among those who had sex:  Most commonly started at age 15  21% first had sex before age 14

Birth control method used last time youth had sex:  Condoms: 66%  Birth control pills: 43%  Only withdrawal: 5%  Emergency contraception: 6% 7% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

Northwest – A Picture of Health

Northwest – A Picture of Health

† Indicates that the difference between North West and provincial estimates was statistically significant.

† Indicates that the difference between North West and provincial estimates was statistically significant.

Prescription pills 9% 14%◆ Hallucinogens (including ecstasy) 6% 11%◆ Mushrooms 13% 11% † Inhalants 4% 5% Cocaine4%5% Any Amphetamines (including crystal meth) 4%3% Steroids 1% 2% Heroin <1% 2% Injected an illegal drug <1% 2% † Difference between 2008 Northwest and provincial estimates was statistically significant ◆ Difference between 2003 and 2008 Northwest estimates was statistically significant.

Northwest – A Picture of Health

Internet Safety: 14% of students had been in contact with someone on the Internet who made them feel unsafe. 17% of students were cyber-bullied Relationship Violence: 9% of students reported that their boyfriend or girlfriend hit, slapped or hurt them in the past year. Discrimination: 19% of students experienced discrimination as a result of their physical appearance. 14% of students had been discriminated against because of race or skin colour 6% of students reported they had experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation.

Northwest – A Picture of Health

 66% of students liked school “somewhat”  Females more likely than males to like school “very much” (22% vs. 13%)  School connectedness unrelated to grade level

Northwest – A Picture of Health

Northwest – 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.

* Indicates that the percentage shown should be interpreted with caution as it may represent only an approximation due to the sample size.

A Picture of Health

 84% of youth in this area reported that their health was good or excellent  Seventy-eight percent of students rode a bicycle in the past year (above the provincial rate of 71%). However, only 19% always wore a bike helmet (below the provincial rate of 24%).  Sixty-four percent of students in this area always wore a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle (increase from 47% in 2003)

 No change in injury rates in this area between 2003 and 2008 with 38% of students injured seriously enough to need medical attention (above provincial rate of 29%)  Students in this area were more likely than students across the province to report dieting in the past year (35% vs. 31%)  Suicidal ideation and attempts remained the same as 2003 rates

 Thirty-one percent of students had ever tried smoking (improvement from 41% in 2003)  Local decrease in youth who had tried marijuana from 47% in 2003 to 40% in 2008  30% of male and female students reported ever having sexual intercourse and the same percentage reported having oral sex (both higher than provincial rates)

 The percentage of youth who reported physical or sexual abuse was similar to the local rates in 2003, but higher than the provincial rates.  25% of local students experienced either form of abuse and 7% had experience both types of abuse  Compared to 2003, Northwest youth in 2008 were more likely to say their friends would be upset with them if they got arrested, were involved in a pregnancy, dropped out, or used marijuana, but were less likely to think their friends would be upset if they carried a weapon

A Picture of Health

 Provincial and 14 regional reports and power points  Additional in-depth topic reports (e.g. substance use)  Fact sheets on key topics  ‘Next Steps’ workshops for youth and other youth resources

McCreary Centre Society 3552 East Hastings Street Vancouver V5K 2A