1. Adolescent Health Survey III: 2003 results in preparation for 2008 AHS IV
A Brief Summary of Results for the South Vancouver Island/Capital Region
AHS I in 1992 with 16,000 students participating; AHS II in 1998 with 26,000 students participating; AHS III in 2003 with 31,000 students participating.
140 questions on health status, health-promoting practice and risky behaviours
Designed to identify factors that influence present and future health
Classes randomly selected to provide a representative sample of all Health Service Delivery Area regions in the province
Administered by Public Health Nurses and trained administrators
Careful attention was paid to the sample size, selection, confidentiality, administration procedures, validity of responses and analysis to ensure accuracy
Page 10-11: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

2. 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
Page 4: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

3. South Vancouver Island Region
Located in the Capital Geographic Area (used for identifying trends)
Includes school districts:
# 61 Greater Victoria
# 62 Sooke
# 63 Saanich
# 64 Gulf Islands
All 4 school districts participated in survey

4. South Vancouver Island Region Map
These regions were created by the BC government in 2001 in relation to Health Service Delivery Areas

5. What’s Improved: Trends for Capital Geographic Area
Birth control pill é
Trying alcohol ê
Current smokers ê
Having sex before age 14 ê
Injuries ê
Drinking & driving ê
Exposure to smoke in the home every day or almost every day ê
Boys involved in 1+ physical fights ê
Pages 8-9: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

6. What Needs Improvement: Trends for Capital Geographic Area
Feeling safe at school ê
Self-reported health status of “Excellent” ê
Expect to attend post-secondary school ê
Injured while riding a bike, rollerblading or skateboarding é
Overweight é
Racial discrimination é

7. Family Background 75% of youth are European 7% are East Asian
6% Aboriginal
25% of Aboriginal students have ever lived on a reserve
90% of students were born in Canada
Page 12: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

8. Physical Health Status
Most students in this region (87%) report excellent or good health
More boys than girls feel they have excellent or good health (90% vs. 83%)
12% of students in this region have a chronic health condition or disability that limits their activity
Page 19: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

9. Physical Health: Appearance, Weight & Exercise
48% of girls and 60% of boys are satisfied with their appearance
21% of boys and 13% of girls are overweight (based on BMI from height and weight given on survey)
81% of boys and 71% of girls exercise 3+ days a week
Level of exercise decreases with age
The majority of students think they are about the right weight, this belief declines with age
46% of girls and 12% of boys dieted to lose weight in the past year
16% of boys and 35% of girls report binge eating or gorging at least once in a while
8% of girls report ever vomiting on purpose after eating
Pages 19-21: Healthy Youth Development:

10. Hours Spent in Front of a Screen on School Day
Students were asked to estimate how much time they spend watching television and on the computer playing games, ing, chatting, or surfing the Internet
60% of students said they watch 2 or more hours of television compared to 43% who used the computer for 2 or more hours for recreation
22% of students say they watch TV or use the computer for games or recreation for less than 2 hours on a school day
51% of students who said they were bored spend 5 or more hours on school days watching TV or using the computer for recreation
Page 32: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

11. Nutrition 52% of students always eat breakfast on school days
Younger youth are more likely to eat breakfast daily
Boys are more likely than girls to always eat breakfast on a school day (59% vs. 46%)
Page 21: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

12. Nutrition: Eat Breakfast on School Day by Grade
Page 21: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

13. Injuries In BC, injuries have declined between 1998 and 2003
37% of youth in South Vancouver Island reported being injured seriously enough to require medical care
Most injuries occurred during a sports or recreational activity
Page 22: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

14. Injury Prevention Behaviour by Gender
Page 23: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

15. Substance Use: Tobacco
Non- Smoker
Experimental Smoker
Current Smoker
South Vancouver Island Region 2003
74%
19% 6%
BC 2003
73% 7%
Capital Area 2003
Capital Area 1998
52%
30%
15%
Definitions: Non-smoker: never smoked a whole cigarette Experimental smoker: has smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes Current smoker: has smoked 100+ cigarettes
Of students who have smoked, 62% smoked their first cigarette when they were between ages 11 and 14 years.
Of current smokers, 77% have tried to quit in the past month
27% of students in this region are exposed to tobacco smoke inside their home
Page 14: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

16. Substance Use: Alcohol
Capital region has a higher than provincial average rate of trying alcohol, alcohol use and binge drinking
Capital Area 2003 BC
Ever had a drink of alcohol
63%
57%
Used alcohol 100+ days in life
11%
10%
Binge drinking on 3+ days in past month
14%
Binge drinking is defined as having five or more alcoholic drinks in a couple of hours and is associated with high rate of other risk behaviours
Use of alcohol increases with age (39% of 14 years and under; 74% of 15 & 16 year olds; 85% of 17 or older have tried alcohol)
17% of students who have used alcohol have used it 100 or more days in lifetime
32% of males and 26% of females have engaged in binge drinking in past month
Page 13: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

17. Substance Use: Ever Used Marijuana
S. Vancouver Island 2003
45%
BC 2003
37%
Capital Area 2003
Capital Area 1998
50%
Capital Area 1992
34%
31% of boys and 18% of girls who had used marijuana, used it 100 or more times in their life
Boys and girls are equally likely to have used marijuana
Use increases with age: 23% of youth 14 years and under; 54% of 15 & 16 year olds; 67% of 17 and older have tried marijuana
Page 18: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

18. Sexual Behaviour Youth are waiting longer to have sex
27% of youth in South Vancouver Island have ever had sexual intercourse (24% in BC)
18% of sexually active youth first had intercourse before age 14 (20% in BC)
The likelihood of being sexually active increases with age: 9% of youth 14 years and under; 28% of 15 & 16 year olds; 54% of 17 and older have had sex
Page 17: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

19. Sexual Behaviour: Birth Control Used Last Time Having Sex
Remember this data is for those who are sexually active only 27% of the students in grades 7-12.
Page 18: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

20. Sexual Behaviour: Risk of STDs
65% of sexually active students in South Vancouver Island region used a condom last time they had sex (BC average is 68%)
The group the least likely to use a condom the last time they had sex was sexually active students 17 years of age and older
29% of sexually active students in this region reported 3 or more partners in lifetime
12% of sexually active youth reported two or more partners in past 3 months
Multiple partners are known to increase risk of acquiring an STD
The number of students who reported to ever having had an STD was too small to report in this region
Males more likely than females to use alcohol and drugs before sex (29% vs. 23%)
Use of alcohol and drugs has been shown to increase the risk of unprotected sex
Page 18: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

21. Emotional Health
7% of youth in South Vancouver Island reported serious emotional distress in the past month
Girls are more likely than boys (10% vs. 4%) to report serious emotional distress
15% report ever being physically abused
8% report ever sexually abused
Page 24: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

22. Emotional Health: Suicide
Suicide thoughts and attempts among youth in BC have not declined over the past decade
15% of students in South Vancouver Island said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year
11% had actually planned a suicide attempt
3% attempted suicide once in the past year
Girls are more likely than boys to have attempted suicide in the past year (7% vs. 3%), though boys are more likely to die in an attempt
Youth with a family member who committed or attempted suicide are at higher risk of suicide themselves
Page 25: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

23. Emotional Health: Discrimination
28% of youth in South Vancouver Island said they had been discriminated against due to skin colour, sexual orientation or physical appearance in the past 12 months
Page 25: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

24. Sexual Harassment in Past Year
Page 27-28: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

25. Harassment, Exclusion, & Assault by Another Youth at School in Past Year
Pages 27-28: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

26. Violence and Safety Involvement in physical fights has decreased
Young people who feel safe at home, at school and in the community have better physical and emotional health and are less likely to take risks
27% of students were in a physical fight
Boys are more likely than girls to be in a fight (38% vs. 17%)
8% of students carried a weapon to school in past month
Weapon most often carried was a knife
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27. Help Seeking

28. Violence and Safety Internet safety is a growing concern
In South Vancouver Island, 6% of boys and 23% of girls have encountered a stranger on the Internet who made them feel unsafe
8% of boys and 11% of girls have run away in the past year
Running away is associated with a greatly increased likelihood of risky behaviours
p.30

29. School 78% of students like school some or very much
Girls are more likely to have positive feelings about school
Dislike for school is highest among students in grades 9 and 12
71% of students in South Vancouver Island plan to continue their education to post-secondary school (75% in BC)
p.31

30. Always Feel Safe at School by Grade
In this region, a sense of safety at school was highest in grades 11 (54%) and 12 (58%)
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31. Always or Usually Feel Safe at School in…
Library
87%
Classroom
85%
Cafeteria
76%
Washrooms
67%
Hallways
69%
Outside on school property during school hours
64%
Page 27: Healthy Youth Development: South Vancouver Island Region

32. Community and Leisure 43% of students had a paid, part-time job
88% of students say they have money to spend on themselves
55% of youth in South Vancouver Island say they have gambled in the past year (7% once a week or more)

33. Healthy Youth Development: Family Connectedness
Youth with high family connectedness are less likely to engage in some risk behaviours
The presence of parents in the home at critical times of the day has been shown to promote healthy youth development

34. Family Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

35. 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 risk behaviours

36. School Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

37. 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
Being involved in extracurricular activities
Volunteering in the community

38. 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 areas

39. For More Information
Available at