McCreary Centre Society Adolescent Health Survey III: 2003 results in preparation for 2008 AHS IV A brief summary of results for the East Kootenay 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 East Kootenay Region  Located in the Kootenay Geographic Area (used for identifying trends)  Includes school districts: # 5 Southeast Kootenay # 6 Rocky Mountain # 8 Kootenay Lake  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  74% European  9% Aboriginal  16% of Aboriginal students who have ever lived on reserve  68% Live with both parents

McCreary Centre Society Physical Health Status  86% reported excellent or good health  Boys were more likely than girls to rate health as excellent  12% have chronic health condition or disability which limits activity

McCreary Centre Society Physical Health: Appearance & Weight BoysGirls Not satisfied with appearance 11%25% Satisfied with appearance 61%43% Overweight 21%16% Trying to lose weight 19%57%

Hours Spent in Front of a Screen on School Day

McCreary Centre Society  48% always eat breakfast on a school day  Eating breakfast declines with age  10% of females reported ever purging  Most youth exercise 3 or more days a week Healthy Eating & Exercise

McCreary Centre Society Injuries  43% had an injury requiring medical attention Of those injured in the past year:  50% injured during sport or recreation activities  15% were injured bike riding, roller-blading, or skateboarding  Students 15 and 16 were more likely to experience injury requiring medical attention

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Tobacco Non- Smoker Experimental Smoker Current Smoker East Kootenay Region %25%12% BC %19%7% Kootenay Area %24%10% Kootenay Area %33%17%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Alcohol East Kootenay BC Ever had a drink of alcohol69%57% Used alcohol 100+ days in life15%10% Binge drinking on 3+ days in past month 19%11%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Marijuana  50% of youth in the East Kootenay Region have ever used marijuana (37% in BC)  Girls more likely than boys to use between the age of 15 and 16  8% said they had used marijuana 20 or more times in the past month

McCreary Centre Society  Youth are waiting longer to have sex  33% of youth in this region have ever had sexual intercourse (24% in BC)  21% 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  71% of sexually active students in the region used a condom the last time they had sex  40% report having 3 or more sexual partners in their lifetime  35% 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  19% of youth have ever been physically abused (no change in Kootenay area since 1998)  9% experienced serious emotional distress in the past month  18% of females have ever been sexually abused  29% 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 in the past year  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 taking fewer risks  Sense of safety at school was highest in grades 7 and 12  From 1992 to 2003, rate of involvement in 1 or more physical fight in the past year in the Kootenay Geographic area decreased by 10% in boys and 5% in girls

Always Feel Safe at School by Grade

McCreary Centre Society Always or Usually Feel Safe at School in… Library82% Classroom79% Cafeteria72% Washrooms66% Hallways60% Outside on school property during school hours 56%

McCreary Centre Society  8% of boys and 27% 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 21%17% Never drink and drive 58%60% Always wear a seatbelt 45%48% Always wear a bike helmet 25%24%

McCreary Centre Society Help Seeking Youth sought help from: Sought help Found Helpful School staff 30%78% Health professional 28%90% Social worker, youth worker, counselor 14%71% Religious leader 11%78%

McCreary Centre Society Community and Leisure  50% of students had a paid, part-time job  41% of students 17 years and older work 5-19 hours per week  44% have less than $25 weekly to spend on themselves  53% 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  The post-secondary education aspirations of both boys and girls fluctuate from grade 7 to 12  70% have post-secondary educational aspirations  60% never skipped school  25% skipped once or twice  12% skipped 3-10 times  3% skipped 11+ times  Students highly connected to school are less likely to engage in risky behaviours

School Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

Family Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

McCreary Centre Society Healthy Youth Development  The majority of East Kootenay 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