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  Richmond “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 Survey Administration

Provincial Key Findings A Picture of Health

 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 Provincial Key Findings

 Only1 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 Provincial Key Findings

 Fewer youth smoke than a decade ago; 76% had never tried smoking  Alcohol and marijuana use declined  Fewer students had ever used cocaine, amphetamines, or mushrooms, continuing declines since 1998  But use of some other drugs, including hallucinogens like LSD, rose Provincial Key Findings

 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 Provincial Key Findings

Most BC teens are doing well, and report healthier behaviours than students 10 years ago Provincial Key Findings

Richmond- A Picture of Health Home and Family

Ethnic or Cultural background (Youth could mark all that apply) East Asian53% European24% Southeast Asian10% South Asian8% Aboriginal/First Nations4% Latin/South/Central American3% West Asian3% African3% Australian/Pacific Islander1% Other (Excluding Canadian)2% Don’t know4%

Who youth live with most of the time? (Youth could mark all that apply) Mother90% Father65% Other adults related to me12% Stepfather3% Other adults not related to me2% Stepmother1% Do not live with any adults1%

Richmond – A Picture of Health Physical Health

83% reported good or excellent health, consistent with results over the past decade. 7% of youth reported a debilitating health condition or disability.

18% of students were injured seriously enough in the past year to need medical attention.

Injury Prevention 66% of youth always wore a seatbelt 18% of students always wore a helmet while bike riding

10% of students did not get medical help when they felt they needed it. Some reasons for not seeking help Thought or hoped the problem would go away (56%) Didn’t want parents to know (23%) Parent guardian couldn’t take me (18%)

What youth ate and drank yesterday No Yes, once Yes, twice or more Water6%19%75% Milk, cheese, yogurt15%40%44% Fruit20%41%39% Green salad or vegetables 21%44%35% Cookies, cake, donuts, chocolate bars 35%46%18% Pop/soda57%33%10% Pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, French fries 50%37%13% Hot or cold coffee or coffee-based drinks 74%19%7% Energy drinks91%6%3% At least 50% of youth fell short of the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables

17% of male youth were very satisfied with their body image, compared to only 8% of females.

Richmond- A Picture of Health

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts: Family or friend suicide attempts (19% vs. 4%) Sexual abuse (24% vs. 4%) Physical abuse (15% vs. 4%)

Richmond – A Picture of Health

84% of youth never had sexual intercourse (higher than the provincial rate: 78%) Most common reasons for not having sex: Waiting to meet the right person (51%) Not ready for sex (51%) Among those who had sex: Most commonly started at 15 and 16 24% first had sex before age 14

Birth control method used last time youth had sex: Condoms: 60% Birth control pills: 32% Only withdrawal: 9% Emergency contraception: 7% 11% of sexually active students have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy

Richmond – A Picture of Health

Richmond – A Picture of Health

Note: The difference between 2003 and 2008 was statistically significant for 15-year-olds

†Indicates that the difference between Richmond and provincial estimates was statistically significant.

Prescription pills8%14%◆ Any Hallucinogens5%7% Mushrooms7%5%† Cocaine6%5% Inhalants3%4% Any Amphetamines3% Steroids2%1% Heroin1%2% Injected an illegal drug1%2% †Difference between 2008 Richmond and provincial estimates was statistically significant. ◆ Difference between 2003 and 2008 Richmond estimates was statistically significant.

Richmond – A Picture of Health

Richmond – A Picture of Health

63% of students liked school “somewhat” Unlike the province as a whole, females and males showed similar levels of school connectedness Grade 7’s showed highest school connectedness vs. later grades

Richmond – A Picture of Health

Note: The gender difference for not exercising was not significant.

Note: The difference was not significant for ‘played games for money’

Richmond – 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.

Richmond – A Picture of Health

Key Findings 83% of students reported that their health was good or excellent Fewer students were injured seriously enough to require medical attention than in this area in 2003 (18% vs. 24%) 10% did not access care when they needed it, compared to 13% provincially

Key Findings Students who always wore a seat belt when riding in a motor vehicle rose from 57% in 2003 to 66% in % of Richmond cyclists always wore a bike helmet (24% provincially) and 43% never wore one (35% provincially).

Key Findings Cigarette smoking decrease from 28% in 2003 to 18% in 2008 There was a decrease in the percentage of youth who reported seriously considering suicide Students in this area were less likely to have had sexual intercourse compared to students in the province as a whole (16% vs. 22%) The rate of STI’s was 9% (compared to 4% across the province)

18% of youth had experienced either physical or sexual abuse and 3% had experienced both types of abuse Students in this area exercised less often than those in the entire province 34% of youth spent three or more hours a day on the internet The percentage of youth in this area who watched TV for three or more hours dropped from 44% in 2003 to 26% in 2008

Compared to the province as a whole, youth in this area reported higher levels of cultural connectedness 59% of youth in this area reported participating in their group’s cultural practices Richmond students were more likely than those in the entire province to think that their friends would be upset with them if they:  beat someone up (62% vs. 54%)  got drunk (43% vs. 35%)  used marijuana (65% vs. 58%)

A Picture of Health

14 reports at HSDA level Additional in-depth reports (eg substance use) Fact sheets on key topics ‘Next Steps’ youth workshops and other resources for youth

McCreary Centre Society 3552 East Hastings Street Vancouver V5K 2A