McCreary Centre Society Adolescent Health Survey III: 2003 results in preparation for 2008 AHS IV A brief summary of results for the Northern Interior 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 Northern Interior Region  Located in the Northeast Geographic Area (used for identifying trends)  Includes school districts: # 28 Quesnel # 57 Prince George # 91 Nechako Lakes  All of these school districts participated

McCreary Centre Society Northern Interior Region Map

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

McCreary Centre Society Challenges in the Northeast Geographic Area Feeling safe at school  Severe emotional distress  Ever used marijuana  Physical abuse of males  Experiences of racial discrimination  Self-reported health as “excellent” 

McCreary Centre Society  74% are European  13% are Aboriginal  20% say they have ever lived on a reserve  Number of Aboriginal students who said they currently live on a reserve was too small to report  97% of youth in this region were born in Canada Family Background

McCreary Centre Society  86% of students in this region reported excellent or good health  Boys were more likely than girls to rate health as excellent or good (88% vs. 85%)  15% of students in this region (17% of girls and 14% of boys) have a chronic health condition or disability that limits their activity Physical Health Status

McCreary Centre Society  41% of girls and 62% of boys say they are satisfied with their appearance  In this region, 26% of boys and 14% of girls are overweight (based on BMI from height and weight given on survey)  79% of boys and 66% of girls report exercising 3 or more times per 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  47% 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 (55% vs. 41%) Nutrition

Eat Breakfast on a School Day

McCreary Centre Society  In BC injuries among youth declined between 1998 and 2003  39% of youth in this region 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 Northern Interior Region %26%9% BC %19%7% Northeast Area %25%8% Northeast Area %30%17%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Alcohol Northern Interior BC Ever had a drink of alcohol67%57% Used alcohol 100+ days in life11%10% Binge drinking on 3+ days in past month 16%11%

McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Ever Used Marijuana Northern Interior Region % BC % Northeast Geographic Area % Northeast Geographic Area % Northeast Geographic Area %

McCreary Centre Society  Youth are waiting longer to have sex  31% 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  70% 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  36% of sexually active students in this region report having sex with 3 or more partners in their lifetime  5% of sexually active youth reported 3 or more partners in the last 3 months Sexual Behaviour: Risk of STDs

McCreary Centre Society  9% of the youth experienced serious emotional distress in the past month  Girls are more likely than boys to feel seriously distressed (11% vs. 6%)  20% reported ever being physically abused  10% reported ever being sexually abused Emotional Health

McCreary Centre Society  Suicide thoughts and attempts among youth in BC have not declined in the past decade  20% (1 in 5 youth) in this region said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year  5% had actually planned a suicide attempt  4% of students attempted suicide 2 or more times in the past year  Girls were more likely than boys to have attempted suicide in the past year (13% vs. 3%) Emotional Health: Suicide

McCreary Centre Society  32% of youth in the Northern Interior 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  29% of students in the 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

McCreary Centre Society Help Seeking Youth sought help from: Sought help Found Helpful School staff 29%76% Health professional 30%86% Social worker, youth worker, counselor 13%73% Religious leader 11%81%

McCreary Centre Society  Internet safety is a growing concern  In the Northern Interior region, 7% of boys and 26% of girls have encountered a stranger on the internet that made them feel unsafe  8% of boys and 12% of girls have run away in the past year  Running away from home is associated with a greatly increased likelihood of risky behaviour Violence and Safety

McCreary Centre Society  In this region, 77% 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  73% 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… Library82% Classroom78% Cafeteria66% Washrooms59% Hallways59% Outside on school property during school hours 52%

McCreary Centre Society  42% have a paid, part time job  84% of students say they have money to spend on themselves each week  52% of youth in this region say they have gambled in the past year (6% gamble 1+ times a week) Community and Leisure

McCreary Centre Society Healthy Youth Development: Family Connectedness  Youth with high family and school 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

Family Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

McCreary Centre Society Healthy Youth Development: School Connectedness  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

School Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

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

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

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