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  HSDA 11 “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  Nearly half 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 Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) European63% East Asian16% Aboriginal/First Nations 6% South Asian 3% Southeast Asian 3% Latin/South/Central American 4% African3% West Asian6% Australian/Pacific Islander3% Other (excluding Canadian)2% Don’t know8%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother91% Father69% Other adults related to me5% Stepfather5% Stepmother3% Other adults not related to me 3% Do not live with any adults1%

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

 65% of students liked school “somewhat”  Females more likely than males to like school “very much” (24% vs. 18%)  Grade 7’s showed highest school connectedness vs. Grades 9-11 the lowest

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

 88% reported good or excellent health, consistent with results over the past decade.  8% of youth reported a debilitating health condition or disability.

 13% of students did not get medical help when they felt they needed it.  Some reasons for not seeking help  Thought or hoped problem would go away (57%)  Afraid of what doctor would say or do (18%)  Did not want parents to know (17%)

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water5%20%75% Milk, cheese, yogurt9%35%55% Fruit13%39%48% Green salad or vegetables 18%47%35% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 34%49%17% Pop/soda64%29%8% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 57%34%8% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 75%18%7% Energy drinks92%6%2% 43% youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables.

 20% of males and 12% of females were very satisfied with their body image – an increase since 2003.

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

Most common reasons for not accessing mental health services (among youth who felt they needed them)

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts:  Family or friend suicide attempts (16% vs. 2%)  Sexual abuse (22% vs. 3%)  Physical abuse (14% vs. 2%)  Aboriginal status (9% vs. 4%)  Obesity (10% vs. 4%)

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

 78% of youth never had sexual intercourse  Most common reasons for not having sex:  Waiting to meet the right person (51%)  Not ready for sex (50%)  Don’t want to get pregnant /cause a pregnancy (37%)  Among those who had sex:  Most commonly started at age 15  15% first had sex before age 14

 Condoms: 60%  Birth control pills: 55% (same as 2003 rate; above BC rate - 46%)  Only withdrawal: 5%  Emergency contraception: 6% 4% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

 † Difference between 2008 HSDA and provincial estimates was statistically significant.

Prescription pills9%15%  Hallucinogens7%10%  Mushrooms14%8%  Cocaine5%4% Inhalants3%4% Amphetamines3% Steroids1% Heroin1% Injected an illegal drug <1%1%   Difference between 2003 and 2008 HSDA estimates was statistically significant.

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

Note: The gender difference was not statistically significant for physical abuse.

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

North Shore/Coast Garibaldi – A Picture of Health

 Having protective factors in their lives can promote health and reduce the negative effect of some risk behaviours.  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 behaviours  Friends would disapprove of teen getting pregnant, getting drunk, beating someone up, etc.

A Picture of Health

 As in 2003, 88% of local youth reported their health as good or excellent. This was higher than the provincial rate of 84%, largely due to the higher percentage of females who reported their health as excellent  In the past year, 32% of students in this area were injured seriously enough to need medical attention.  Among students in this area who cycled in the past year, 32% always wore a bike helmet (compared to the provincial rate of 24%) and 23% never wore one (compared to the provincial rate of 35%).  Ten percent of students reported seriously considering suicide in the past year, which was lower than the provincial rate of 12%, and a decrease from 14% in this area in 2003.

 Twenty percent of students had been exposed to second hand smoke inside their home or vehicle, compared to the provincial rate of 28%.  Among students who had tried alcohol, 5% had first done so before the age of 9 (compared to 7% provincially), and 48% waited until they were 13 or 14 years old (compared to 42% provincially).  Thirty-two percent of local students had tried marijuana. This was a decrease from 43% in 2003, and mirrored the decrease seen in the province as a whole.

A Picture of Health

 Provincial and 14 regional reports and power points  Additional in-depth topic reports (e.g. substance use)  Fact sheets on key topics  ‘Next Steps’ workshops for youth and other youth resources

McCreary Centre Society 3552 East Hastings Street Vancouver V5K 2A