Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey - PowerPoint Presentation

Provincial results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii

2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey BackgroundPositive findings and trends Areas of concern Protective factors Using the data

Administration 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey29,832 surveys were completed1,645 classrooms56 school districts325 PHN’s and nursing students

Youth in British Columbia Increasingly diverse backgroundsRise in the percentage of recent immigrantsDecrease in the percentage who spoke English at homeLess likely to identify as straight

Home life Fewer students living with their parent(s)1% currently in a foster home or group home9% ran away from home in past year1 in 5 moved from one home to another

Young carers

Health conditions and disabilities Over a quarter of students had at least one health condition or disabilityFemales were 3 x more likely to report a mental health conditionFor many the condition was debilitating

Working 29% of students had worked at a paid job during the school yearMore likely to have been injuredLinks between working and poverty

Technology 9 out of 10 students had a cell phoneStudents who don’t have a cell phoneCell phone use was linked to:More supportive adultsParental monitoringUnsafe people on the Internet Cyberbullying

Positive Findings and Trends

Most youth had seen a dentist in the past year Decrease in students who missed out on needed medical care

Decrease in serious injuries Note: The difference for females between 2008 and 2013 was not statistically significant.

Some improvements in nutrition More youth ate fruit and vegetables than in 2008Fewer youth drank pop or energy drinks12% ate food grown or caught by their familyFewer youth went to bed hungry

More youth ate breakfast

Risky sexual behaviour decreased Among those who had ever had sex:3% ever had an STI 69% used a condom the last time they had sex 5% had ever been pregnant or caused a pregnancy 24% used drugs or alcohol last time they had sex

Fewer youth tried tobacco 21% had ever tried smoking.Among those:Males more likely to smoke than femalesFemales more likely to smoke cigarettesGreater percentage of youth were recent smokers Fewer youth were exposed to second hand smoke

Fewer youth tried alcohol 45% had ever tried alcoholAmong those:Youth waited longer to try alcoholFewer youth drank in the past monthFewer youth reported binge drinking

Fewer youth tried marijuana 26% had ever tried marijuanaAmong those:Youth waited longer to try marijuanaFewer youth used last SaturdayFewer youth mixed alcohol and marijuana Students most commonly got marijuana from a youth outside their family (82%)

Decreases in substance use

Using other substances   2013 Change since 2008 Prescription pills without a doctor’s consent 11% Cocaine 3% Hallucinogens 6% Mushrooms 5% Amphetamines 2% Inhalants 2% Heroin 1% Steroids without a doctor’s consent 1%

Injury prevention improvements Fewer youth had ever driven after drinking or using marijuanaMore youth wore a seatbelt

Abuse rates decreased

Less harassment and discrimination Fewer youth had been verbally or physically sexually harassed However, 36% had been discriminated against in the past yearDating violence decreased from 2008

School safety increased

Cyberbullying decreased

Areas of Concern

Concussions 16% of youth experienced a concussion in past yearYouth who wore helmet less likely to have a concussionYouth who had experienced a concussion were more likely to miss out on health care because their parents would not take them

Ratings of mental health

Suicide Males8% considered suicide3% attempted suicide Females 17% considered suicide 9% attempted suicide

Other mental health concerns

Foregone mental health care Male students were less likely to forego needed care but no improvement for femalesMost common reason was not wanting parents to know

Getting enough sleep

Mental health and sleep

Increases in some forms of bullying

Perpetrators of bullying Students who had been bullied were more likely to be perpetrators of bullyingOlder youth were more likely to be perpetratorsFemales were more likely to be bullied

Rise in overweight and obesity rates Males Females Healthy w eight Underweight Overweight Obese

Exercise participation decreased 17% of students aged 12-17 met the daily activity recommendationsMore older youth (aged 18 or 19) reached their guidelinesParticipation in organized sports, informal sports and dance and aerobics decreased from 2008

Barriers to participation Most common reasons for not participating in sports or other activities:Being too busyCould not get there or homeCould not afford to participateThe activity was not available in their communityWorried about being bullied

Transportation challenges 3% of youth had hitchhiked in the past monthYouth who did not feel safe on transit were more likely to hitch Being reliant on transit was linked to missing out on activities and health care services

Protective Factors

School connectedness Positive family relationships Caring adults outside the family Someone to turn to for help Established Protective Factors

Peer relationships Good nutrition Feeling engaged and valued Positive future aspirations Stable home Established Protective Factors

Nine or more hours of sleep Neighbourhood safety Community connectedness Cultural connectedness Protective Factors - 2013

Using the Data

Youth are generally making better choices about their health Mental health and bullying are among the areas where there have been fewer improvementsPromoting protective factors have and can continue to play a key role in improving outcomes for BC youth

annie@mcs.bc.ca duncan@mcs.bc.ca From Hastings Street to Haida Gwaii