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  North Vancouver Island “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

North Vancouver Island – A Picture of Health

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) European66% Aboriginal/First Nations18% East Asian4% Latin/South/Central American3% South East Asian2% African2% Australian/Pacific Islander2% South Asian2% Other (excluding Canadian)2% Don’t know18%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother87% Father64% Stepfather9% Other adults related to me 5% Stepmother3% Other adults not related to me 2% Do not live with any adults 1%

North Vancouver Island– A Picture of Health

 84% reported good or excellent health.  11% of youth reported a debilitating health condition or disability.

 15% of youth did not get medical help when they felt they needed it.

 32% of students were injured seriously enough in the past year to need medical attention.

Injury Prevention  66% of youth always wore a seatbelt.  26% of students always wore a helmet while bike riding.

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water7%22%72% Milk, cheese, yogurt9%37%54% Fruit15%43%42% Green salad or vegetables 23%47%30% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 35%48%16% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 50%39%11% Pop/soda58%30%12% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 70%21%10% Energy drinks85%11%4% Note: Percentages do not always total 100% due to rounding. At least 49% of youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables

 20% of male youth were very satisfied with their body image, compared to only 10% of females.

North Vancouver Island – A Picture of Health

North Vancouver Island– A Picture of Health

 70% of youth never had sexual intercourse (lower than provincial rate: 78%)  Most common reasons for not having sex:  Waiting to meet the right person (48%)  Not ready for sex (45%)  Not wanting to get pregnant or cause pregnancy (38%)  Among those who had sex:  Most commonly started between age  24% first had sex before age 14

Birth control method used last time youth had sex:  Condoms: 64%  Birth control pills: 50%  Only withdrawal: 4%  Emergency contraception: 3%  No method: 4% 9% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

North Vancouver Island– A Picture of Health

† Indicates that the difference between 2003 and 2008 North Vancouver Island estimates was statistically significant

North Vancouver Island– A Picture of Health

†Difference between North Vancouver Island and provincial estimates was statistically significant

† Difference between 2008 North Vancouver Island and provincial estimates was statistically significant

North Vancouver Island BC Prescription pills17%15% Any hallucinogens12%9% † Mushrooms13%8%† Cocaine6%4% Inhalants5%4% Any amphetamines4%3%† Steroids2% Heroin2%1% Injected an illegal drug2%1% † Difference between 2008 North Vancouver Island and provincial estimates was statistically significant

North Vancouver Island – A Picture of Health

 Internet Safety ◦ 16% had been in contact with someone who made them feel unsafe  Relationship Violence ◦ 8% of male and female students reported that their partner hit, slapped or hurt them in the past month  Discrimination ◦ 20% experienced discriminations due to their physical appearance

North Vancouver Island– A Picture of Health

 63% of students liked school “somewhat”  Females more likely than males to like school “very much” (22% vs. 14%)  33% skipped at least one full day of school

North Vancouver Island– A Picture of Health

North Vancouver Island – A Picture of Health

 Having protective factors in their lives can promote health and reduce the negative effect of some risk behaviors.  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 behaviors

A Picture of Health

 84% reported that their health was good or excellent  32% of students in this area were injured seriously enough to need medical attention  15% of local youth did not get medical help when they felt they needed it

 For many sport and exercise activities, participation rates did not differ between this area and the province a whole  Among youth who were at a healthy weight, 53% of females were trying to lose weight and 30% of males were trying to gain weight  The majority of youth in this area reported high self-esteem

 7% of students attempted suicide in the past year  Students were more likely than those across the province to have tired alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco  Majority of youth reported never having sexual intercourse (70%)

 24% had experienced either physical or sexual abuse and 7% had experienced both types of abuse  16% of students in this area had been in contact with someone on the Internet who made them feel unsafe  Being connected to their family, school or cultural group and being engaged in extracurricular activities were associated with lower risk of suicidal ideation

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