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  Okanagan “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

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) European72% Aboriginal/First Nations12% Latin/South/Central American4% East Asian4% South Asian3% African2% Australian/Pacific Islander2% West Asian1% Southeast Asian1% Other (excluding Canadian)1% Don’t know15%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother89% Father66% Stepfather7% Other adults related to me5% Stepmother2% Other adults not related to me 2% Do not live with any adults 1%

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

 86% reported good or excellent health, consistent with results for 2003  11% of youth reported a debilitating health condition or disability.

 33% of students were injured seriously enough in the past year to need medical attention.

Injury Prevention  70% of youth always wore a seatbelt.  29% of students always wore a helmet while bike riding.

 14% of youth did not get medical help when they felt they needed it.

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water5%20%75% Milk, cheese, yogurt8%35%57% Fruit18%41%42% Green salad or vegetables 21%47%32% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 37%48%15% Pop/soda59%31%10% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 54%36%10% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 72%20%8% Energy drinks87%9%4% At least 49% of youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables

 Similar to provincial rates, 20% of males were very satisfied with their body image, compared to only 12% of females

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts:  Family or friend suicide attempts (18% vs. 2%)  Sexual abuse (26% vs. 3%)  Physical abuse (15% vs. 3%)

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

 75% of youth never had sexual intercourse (lower than provincial rate: 78%)  Most common reasons for not having sex:  Waiting to meet the right person (52%)  Not ready for sex (46%)  Among those who had sex:  Most commonly started at age 16  20% first had sex before age 14

Birth control method used last time youth had sex:  Condoms: 70%  Birth control pills: 51%  Only withdrawal: 4%  Emergency contraception: 5% 7% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

* Difference between 2003 and 2008 Okanagan estimates was statistically significant.

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

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

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

Prescription pills11%16% ♦ Any Hallucinogens (including ecstasy) 9% † 11% † Mushrooms18% † 10% ♦ Cocaine7%4% ♦ Inhalants5% Any Amphetamines (including crystal meth) 6% † 3% ♦ Steroids1% Heroin1% Injected an illegal drug1% † Indicates difference between 2008 Okanagan and provincial estimates was statistically significant ♦ Difference between 2003 and 2008 Okanagan estimates was statistically significant. There were no gender differences in use of these substances.

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

Note: The gender difference was not statistically significant for physical abuse.

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

 64% of students liked school “somewhat”  Females more likely than males to like school “very much” (23% vs. 17%)  Grade 7’s showed highest school connectedness vs. later grades

Okanagan – A Picture of Health

Okanagan – 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

 86% of youth in this area reported that their health was good or excellent.  Exercise rates for local male and female youth were greater than for the province  70% of students always wear a seatbelt, compared to 58% in 2003

 33% of students were injured in the past year  The percentage of students who watched TV for three or more hours a day decreased from 34% in 2003 to 23%.  The percentage of youth who had considered suicide in the past year was comparable to the provincial rate

 There has been a decrease in the percentage of students who have tried marijuana, from 45% in 2003 to 35% in  Fewer students have tried smoking than in  Having friends with healthy attitudes about risky behaviours is a protective factor for youth.

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