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  East Kootenay “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

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) European70% Aboriginal/First Nations15% East Asian2% Latin/South/Central American2% Australian/Pacific Islander2% South Asian1% Southeast Asian1% African1% Don’t know17%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother87% Father67% Stepfather8% Other adults related to me4% Stepmother3% Other adults not related to me 3% Do not live with any adults1%

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

 83% reported good or excellent health, consistent with results from  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  61% of youth always wore a seatbelt.  22% of students always wore a helmet while bike riding.

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water6%22%72% Milk, cheese, yogurt9%36%55% Fruit20%42%38% Green salad or vegetables 24%48%29% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 37%49%15% Pop/soda57%34%10% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 48%42%10% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 72%19%9% Energy drinks83%12%5% At least 53% of youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables

 15% of youth were very satisfied with their body image.

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts:  Family or friend suicide attempts (24% vs. 4%)  Sexual abuse (24% vs. 6%)  Physical abuse (20% vs. 4%)

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

 68% of youth never had sexual intercourse (lower than provincial rate: 78%)  Most common reasons for not having sex:  Waiting to meet the right person (51%)  Not ready for sex (47%)  Among those who had sex:  Most commonly started at age 15  21% first had sex before age 14

Notes: * The rate for 18-year-olds should be interpreted with caution The decrease between ages 17 and 18 is not statistically significant.

Birth control method used last time youth had sex:  Condoms: 68%  Birth control pills: 48%  Only withdrawal: 4%  Emergency contraception: 6% 6% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

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

Prescription pills11%17% ♦ Any Hallucinogens8%11% Mushrooms20%13% † ♦ Cocaine8%5% Inhalants7%7% † Any Amphetamines5%3% ♦ Steroids2%1% † Difference between 2008 East Kootenay and provincial estimates was statistically significant. ♦ Easy Kootenay difference between 2003 and 2008 estimates was statistically significant.

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

Note: The rate of male students who have been both physically and sexually abused cannot be released due to small sample size.

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

 68% of students liked school “somewhat”  Males more likely than females to dislike school (22% vs. 13%)  Grade 7’s showed highest school connectedness vs. later grades Note: * The rate for Grade 12 should be interpreted with caution

East Kootenay – A Picture of Health

East Kootenay – 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.

Note: *This rate should be interpreted with caution

A Picture of Health

 83% of youth in this area reported that their health was good or excellent.  38% of students were injured seriously enough to need medical attention (29% provincially).  61% of students always wear a seatbelt, an increase from 2003 (47%).  More students are exposed to second-hand smoke inside their home or vehicle than across the province overall (41% vs. 28%).

 There was a decrease in the rate of students who have tried smoking, but it is still above the provincial rate.  Although fewer students are trying marijuana in this area, there has been no change since 2003 in the rate of students who have tried alcohol.  There was a decrease in the percentage of students who had used amphetamines, but an increase in prescription pill use.

 Youth in this region were more likely to have had sexual intercourse and oral sex than youth across the province  Students in this area were more likely to participate weekly in non-coached sports (75% vs. 69% provincially).  Furthermore, fewer students are watching TV three or more hours a week than in 2003 (22% vs. 37%).

 Compared to the entire province, youth in this area reported lower levels of cultural connectedness.  Compared to 2003, youth in 2008 were more likely to think that their friends would be upset with them if they got arrested (61% vs. 47%) or used marijuana (51% vs. 43%).  Protective factors can reduce the likelihood of experiencing negative outcomes for even the most vulnerable youth.

A Picture of Health

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

McCreary Centre Society 3552 East Hastings Street Vancouver V5K 2A