McCreary Centre Society Adolescent Health Survey III: 2003 results in preparation for 2008 AHS IV A brief summary of results for the Kootenay Boundary Region

McCreary Centre Society The Purpose of Regional Reports  To recognize health promotion and prevention efforts that are working well  To identify issues on which more effort is needed to improve youth health

McCreary Centre Society Kootenay Boundary Region  Located in the Kootenay Geographic Area (used for identifying trends)  Includes school districts: # 8 Kootenay Lake # 10 Arrow Lakes # 20 Kootenay-Columbia # 51 Boundary  All school districts participated in the survey

McCreary Centre Society Kootenay Region Map

McCreary Centre Society Encouraging Trends in the Kootenay Geographic Area Trying alcohol  Current smokers  Exposed to tobacco smoke in home on a daily basis  Having sex before age 14  Injuries  Physical fights  Sexual abuse  Discrimination due to physical appearance  Birth control use  Condom use  Drinking & driving 

McCreary Centre Society Challenges in the Kootenay Geographic Area Feeling safe at school  Expect to attend post- secondary school  Exercise 3+ days a week  Experiences of racial discrimination  Frequent marijuana use in past month  Binge drinking in past month  Report health as “excellent”  Being overweight 

McCreary Centre Society Family Background  80% European  7% Aboriginal  2% East Asian  67% Live with two parents

McCreary Centre Society Physical Health Status  88% reported excellent or good health  Boys were more likely than girls to rate health as excellent  13% have chronic health condition/ disability which limits activity

McCreary Centre Society Physical Health: Appearance & Weight BoysGirls Not satisfied with appearance 10%22% Satisfied with appearance 63%47% Overweight 22%12% Trying to lose weight 22%57%

Hours Spent in Front of a Screen on School Day

McCreary Centre Society Healthy Eating & Exercise  49% always eat breakfast on a school day  Eating breakfast declines with age  7% of females reported ever purging  Most youth exercise 3 or more days a week

McCreary Centre Society Injuries  42% had an injury requiring medical attention Of those injured in the past year:  51% injured during sport or recreation activities  19% were injured bike riding, roller-blading, or skateboarding  Boys were more likely than girls to be injured

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Tobacco Non- Smoker Experimental Smoker Current Smoker Kootenay Boundary Region %22%7% BC %19%7% Kootenay Area %24%10% Kootenay Area %33%17%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Alcohol Kootenay Boundary BC Ever had a drink of alcohol72%57% Used alcohol 100+ days in life12%10% Binge drinking on 3+ days in past month 18%11%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Marijuana  50% of youth in the Kootenay Boundary Region have ever used marijuana (37% in BC)  Girls and boys equally as likely to use  Boys more likely than girls to use more than 20 times in the last month

McCreary Centre Society  Youth are waiting longer to have sex  29% of youth in this region have ever had sexual intercourse (24% in BC)  23% of sexually active youth in this region first had intercourse before age 14 (20% in BC) Sexual Behaviour

Sexual Behaviour: Birth Control Used Last Time Had Sex

McCreary Centre Society  65% of sexually active students in the region used a condom the last time they had sex  33% report having 3 or more sexual partners in their lifetime  30% used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sex Sexual Behaviour: Risk of STDs

Sexual Harassment in Past Year

McCreary Centre Society Emotional Health  17% of youth have ever been physically abused (no change in Kootenay area since 1998)  8% experienced serious emotional distress in the past month  16% of females have ever been sexually abused  27% have been discriminated against due to skin colour, sexual orientation or physical appearance

McCreary Centre Society Emotional Health: Suicide  Suicidal thoughts and attempts have not declined in BC youth since 1992  More females than males report seriously considering suicide  13% of females have reported attempting suicide  males are more likely to die in an attempt

Harassment, Exclusion, & Assault by Another Youth at School in Past Year

McCreary Centre Society Violence and Safety  Feeling safe at home, school, and in the community is associated with better physical and emotional health and less risk taking  Sense of safety at school was highest in grades 11 and 12  From 1992 to 2003, rate of involvement in 1 or more physical fight in the past year in the Kootenay area decreased by 10% in boys and 5% in girls

Always Feel Safe at School by Grade

McCreary Centre Society Library85% Classroom82% Cafeteria72% Washrooms69% Hallways67% Outside on school property during school hours 63% Always or Usually Feel Safe at School in…

McCreary Centre Society  10% of boys and 24% of girls have encountered a stranger over the internet who made them feel unsafe Safety

McCreary Centre Society Safety BoysGirls Driving after using alcohol in last month 16%13% Never drink and drive 62%71% Always wear a seatbelt 54%57% Always wear a bike helmet 23%22%

McCreary Centre Society Help Seeking Youth sought help from: Sought help Found Helpful School staff 31%81% Health professional 31%85% Social worker, youth worker, counselor 12%66% Religious leader 11%71%

McCreary Centre Society Community and Leisure  46% have a paid, part-time job  49% of youth spend less than $25 weekly on themselves  56% of youth have gambled in the past year

McCreary Centre Society Healthy Youth Development  School  Family  Community A strong sense of connection with these factors has shown to promote health and reduce risk- taking:

McCreary Centre Society School  Boys: Post-secondary educational aspirations increase from grade 7 to 12  Girls: Post-secondary educational aspirations fluctuate from grade 7 to 12  68% have post-secondary educational aspirations  65% never skipped school  23% skipped once or twice  10% skipped 3-10 times  2% skipped 11+ times  Students highly connected to school are less likely to engage in risk behaviours

School Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

Family Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

McCreary Centre Society Healthy Youth Development  The majority of Kootenay Boundary students felt they were “good” at something  High self-esteem and optimism are associated with positive well-being

McCreary Centre Society  Feeling safe at school  Enjoying school  Having aspirations for post-secondary education  Having a parent or other adult to talk to about concerns  Feeling they are good at something  Being involved in extracurricular activities  Volunteering in the community Healthy Youth Development is Associated With:

Healthy Youth Development: Volunteering

Healthy Youth Development: Weekly Extracurricular Activities

Healthy Youth Development: Religiosity/Spirituality

McCreary Centre Society Available at For More Information