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

Fraser Region  Located in both the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver Geographic Areas (used for identifying trends)  Includes school districts: # 40 New Westminster (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 41 Burnaby (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 43 Coquitlam (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 35 Langley (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 36 Surrey (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 37 Delta (Greater Vancouver Geographic Area) # 33 Chilliwack (Fraser Valley Geographic Area) # 34 Abbotsford (Fraser Valley Geographic Area) # 75 Mission (Fraser Valley Geographic Area) # 78 Fraser-Cascade (Fraser Valley Geographic Area)  SDs that did not participate: #43, #36, #27, #34, and #78

McCreary Centre Society Fraser Region Map

McCreary Centre Society AHS data for 2003 is not available for the Fraser Area due to low School District participation rates in the Fraser Valley; Greater Vancouver Area data is used to highlight trends since 1992.

McCreary Centre Society Trying alcohol  Current smokers  Exposed to tobacco smoke in home on a daily basis  Having sex before age 14  Injuries  Physical fights  Girls with a history of physical abuse  Exercise 3+ days a week  Birth control use  Condom use  Drinking & driving  Encouraging Trends in the Greater Vancouver Geographic Area* *Includes school districts #35, #36, #37, #40, #42, #43 and #45

McCreary Centre Society Challenges in the Greater Vancouver Geographic Area* Feeling safe at school  Expect to attend post- secondary school  Boys who are Overweight  Frequent marijuana use in past month  Binge drinking in past month  Girls who seriously consider suicide  *Includes school districts #35, #36, #37, #40, #42, #43 and #45

McCreary Centre Society Family Background  55% of youth in this region are European  24% are East Asian  7% are South Asian  5% are Aboriginal  4% are South East Asian  13% report being of another ethnicity  72% of these youth were born in Canada  14% have lived in Canada for less than 5 years

McCreary Centre Society Physical Health Status  Most students in this region (87%) report good or excellent health  More boys than girls feel they have excellent or good health (90% vs. 84%)  11% of students in this region have a chronic health condition or disability that limits their activity

McCreary Centre Society  55% of boys and 43% of girls are satisfied with their appearance  24% of boys and 11% of girls in this region are overweight (based on BMI from height and weight given on survey)  76% of boys and 65% of girls exercised 3 or more days a week  Level of exercise decreases with age Physical Health: Appearance, Weight & Exercise

Hours Spent in Front of a Screen on School Day

McCreary Centre Society  49% of students in this region always eat breakfast on school days  Eating breakfast daily declines with age  Boys are more likely than girls to always eat breakfast on a school day (53% vs. 45%) Nutrition

Nutrition: Eat Breakfast on a School Day

McCreary Centre Society  In BC injuries among youth declined between 1998 and 2003  32% of youth reported being injured seriously enough to require medical care  Most injuries occurred during a sports or recreational activity Injuries

Injury Prevention Behaviour by Gender

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Tobacco Non- Smoker Experimental Smoker Current Smoker Fraser %17%6% BC %19%7% Greater Vancouver Area %16%6% Greater Vancouver Area %26%12%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Alcohol The Fraser region has lower than provincial average rate of trying alcohol, alcohol use and binge drinking FraserBC Ever had a drink of alcohol51%57% Used alcohol 100+ days in life8%10% Binge drinking on 3+ days in past month 5%11%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Ever Used Marijuana Fraser Region % BC % Greater Vancouver Area % Greater Vancouver Area % Greater Vancouver Area %

McCreary Centre Society  Youth are waiting longer to have sex  21% of youth in this region have ever had sexual intercourse (24% in BC)  22% 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  69% of sexually active students in this region report using a condom the last time they had sex (BC average is 68%)  The group least likely to use a condom the last time they had sex was sexually active students 17 years of age and older  37% of sexually active students in this region report having sex with three or more partners in their lifetime  7% of sexually active youth reported 3 or more partners in the last 3 months Sexual Behaviour: Risk of STDs

McCreary Centre Society  8% of youth in the Fraser region experienced serious emotional distress in the last month  Girls are more likely than boys to feel seriously distressed (10% vs. 6%)  14% report physical abuse  7% report sexual abuse Emotional Health

McCreary Centre Society  Suicide thoughts and attempts among youth in BC have not declined in the past decade  16% in the Fraser region said they had seriously considered suicide in the last year  11% had actually planned a suicide attempt  4% of students attempted suicide once in the past year  Girls were more likely than boys to have attempted suicide in the past year (9% vs. 4%) Emotional Health: Suicide

McCreary Centre Society  30% of youth in the Fraser region said they had been discriminated against due to skin colour, sexual orientation, or physical appearance, in the past 12 months Emotional Health: Discrimination

Sexual Harassment in Past Year

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

McCreary Centre Society  27% of students in this region say they were in a physical fight in the past year  Young people who feel safe have better physical health and emotional health and are less likely to take risks Violence and Safety

Help Seeking

McCreary Centre Society  Internet Safety is a growing concern  In the Fraser Region, 7% of boys and 21% of girls have encountered a stranger on the Internet who made them feel unsafe  In this region, 7% of boys and 10% of girls have run away in the past year  Running away from home is associated with a greatly increased likelihood of risky behaviours Violence and Safety

McCreary Centre Society  In this region 81% of students say they like school some or very much  Girls are more likely than boys to have positive feelings about school  Dislike for school tends to increase with age  77% of students in this region plan to continue their education past secondary school (75% in BC) School

Always Feel Safe at School by Grade

McCreary Centre Society Always or Usually Feel Safe at School in… Library85% Classroom81% Cafeteria69% Washrooms62% Hallways63% Outside on school property during school hours 52%

McCreary Centre Society  34% of students in this region have a paid, part time job  86% of students in this region say they have money to spend on themselves each week  50% of youth in the Fraser region say they have gambled in the past year (6% gamble 1+ times a week) Community and Leisure

McCreary Centre Society  Youth with high school and family connectedness are less likely to engage in risky behaviours  The presence of parents in the home at critical times of the day has been shown to promote healthy youth development Healthy Youth Development: Family Connectedness

Family Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

McCreary Centre Society  Students who like and feel connected to their school are healthier and achieve better academically  Students that are highly connected to school are less likely to engage in risky behaviours Healthy Youth Development: School Connectedness

School Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

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:

McCreary Centre Society  While some aspects of youth health have improved or stayed the same, there is still room for improvement in some areas  This report highlights the importance of connectedness to family, school, and community in fostering health and decreasing risk behaviours in youth Summary

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