1. McCreary Centre Society Adolescent Health Survey III: 2003 results in preparation for 2008 AHS IV A Brief Summary of Results for the Vancouver Region

2. 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

3. McCreary Centre Society Vancouver Region  Located in the Greater Vancouver geographic area (used to identify trends)  The Vancouver School District #39 is the only school district in the Vancouver Region

4. McCreary Centre Society Vancouver Region

5. McCreary Centre Society What’s Improved: Trends for Vancouver Area Trying alcohol  Current smokers  Exposed to tobacco smoke in home on a daily basis  Having sex before age 14  Exercise 3 or more days a week  Injuries  Physical fights  Physical abuse  Condom use  Birth control use  Drinking & driving 

6. McCreary Centre Society What Needs Improvement: Trends for Vancouver Area Feeling safe at school  Always use seatbelts  Expect to attend post- secondary  Boys who are overweight  Racial discrimination  Girls who seriously considered suicide  Frequent marijuana use  No change in frequent binge drinking Self-reported health status as “excellent” 

7. McCreary Centre Society Family Background  49% of youth are East Asian  28% European  12% Southeast Asian  10% South Asian  2% Aboriginal/First Nations  60% of students were born in Canada

8. McCreary Centre Society Physical Health Status  Most students in this region (82%) report excellent or good health  More boys than girls feel they have excellent or good health (85% vs. 80%)  8% of students in this region have a chronic health condition or disability that limits their activity (9% of girls and 8% of boys)

9. McCreary Centre Society Physical Health: Appearance, Weight & Exercise  47% of boys and 39% of girls are satisfied with their appearance  20% of boys and 7% of girls are overweight (based on BMI from height and weight given on survey)  70% of boys and 56% of girls exercise 3 or more days a week  Level of exercise decreases with age

10. Hours Spent in Front of a Screen on School Day

11. McCreary Centre Society Nutrition  Only half of students (50%) always eat breakfast on a school day  Eating breakfast daily declines with age  Boys are most likely than girls to always eat breakfast on a school day (52% vs. 48%)

12. Eat Breakfast on a School Day

13. McCreary Centre Society Injuries  In BC injuries have declined between 1998 and 2003  Vancouver has a lower rate of injuries (22%) than the provincial average (34%)  Most injuries occurred during a sport or recreational activity

14. Injury Prevention Behaviour by Gender

15. McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Tobacco Non- Smoker Experimental Smoker Current Smoker Vancouver 200381%15%4% BC 200373%19%7% Greater Vancouver Area 2003 78%16%6% Greater Vancouver Area 1998 60%26%12%

16. McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Alcohol Vancouver has lower than provincial average rates of trying alcohol, alcohol use, and binge drinking VancouverBC Ever had a drink of alcohol44%57% Used alcohol 100+ days in life 5%10% Binge drinking on 3+ days in past month 5%11%

17. McCreary Centre Society Substance Use: Ever Used Marijuana Vancouver 200322% BC 200337% Greater Vancouver Area 200328% Greater Vancouver Area 199833% Greater Vancouver Area 199216%

18. McCreary Centre Society Sexual Behaviour  Youth are waiting longer to have sex  15% of youth in Vancouver have ever had sexual intercourse (24% in BC)  19% of sexually active youth first had intercourse before age 14 (20% in BC)

19. Sexual Behaviour: Birth Control Used Last Time Had Sex

20. McCreary Centre Society Sexual Behaviour: Risk of STDs  67% of students who have had sex in Vancouver used a condom last time had sex (BC average is 68%)  Sexually active students 17 years of age and older were the least likely to use a condom the last time they had sex  30% of sexually active students in this region reported 3+ partners in lifetime  10% of sexually active youth reported 3+ partners in past 3 months

21. McCreary Centre Society Emotional Health  9% of youth in Vancouver reported to have experienced serious emotional distress in the past month  10% of girls and 7% of boys feel seriously distressed  14% report physical abuse  7% report sexual abuse

22. McCreary Centre Society Emotional Health: Suicide  Suicidal thoughts and attempts among youth in BC have not declined over the past decade  15% of students in Vancouver said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year  12% had actually planned a suicide attempt  6% attempted suicide in past year (9% girls vs. 3% boys)  Males are more likely to die in an attempt

23. McCreary Centre Society Emotional Health: Discrimination 27% of youth in Vancouver said they had been discriminated against due to skin colour, sexual orientation or physical appearance in the past 12 months

24. Sexual Harassment in Past Year

25. Harassment, Exclusion, & Assault by Another Youth at School in Past Year

26. Help Seeking

27. McCreary Centre Society Violence and Safety  Despite the media headlines, the 2003 survey results provided no evidence of an increase in violent behavior among youth  Young people who feel safe have better physical and emotional health, and are less likely to take risks

28. McCreary Centre Society Violence and Safety  Internet safety is a growing concern  In Vancouver, 6% of boys and 20% of girls have encountered a stranger on the Internet who made them feel unsafe  6% of youth have run away in the past year  Running away is associated with a greatly increased likelihood of risky behaviours

29. Always Feel Safe at School by Grade

30. McCreary Centre Society Always or Usually Feel Safe at School in… Library80% Classroom78% Cafeteria67% Washrooms55% Hallways59% Outside on school property during school hours 46%

31. McCreary Centre Society Community and Leisure  23% of students had a paid, part-time job  85% of students say they have money to spend on themselves each week  45% of youth in Vancouver say they have gambled in the past year (7% once a week or more)

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

33. Family Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

34. McCreary Centre Society School  81% of students like school some or very much  Girls are more likely to have positive feelings about school  Dislike for school increases with age  78% of students in Vancouver plan to continue their education to post-secondary school (75% in BC)

35. 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 risk behaviours

36. School Connectedness & Risk Behaviours

37. 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

38. 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

39. McCreary Centre Society Available at: www.mcs.bc.ca For More Information