Fewer teens in the province are experimenting with drugs and alcohol, but more are dealing with levels of extreme stress or despair. These findings are part of the results from the McCreary 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey released recently.
The survey, conducted between February and June 2013, asked questions of almost 30,000 students in grades seven through 12 in schools across BC. It was the fifth time the survey has been conducted; the last time was in 2008.
Powell River was one of the 56 out of 59 school districts that participated.
According to information from the McCreary Centre Society, a non-government, non-profit organization committed to improving youth health, the 2013 survey had the highest regional coverage of all surveys past.
Youth answered 130 questions about their thoughts on their current and emotional health, risky behaviours and health-promoting practices.
“What youth have told us loud and clear through the survey is that they are getting the message about health-risk behaviours,” said Annie Smith, executive director of the McCreary Centre Society, in a media release. However, she added youth are “also telling us that we have to focus our attention on the major areas of concern such as mental health, bullying and rising obesity.”
Some findings from the report include:
• A greater number of youth were obese than in previous survey years.
• Only 17 per cent of youth aged 12 to 17 met the Canadian guidelines of one hour of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity.
• Females were three times as likely as males to report a mental or emotional health condition.
• One in five students cared for a relative on an average school day.
• Students aged 14 and older were more likely in 2013 than in 2008 to report extreme levels of despair to the point where they could not function.
• Students who played sports or exercised were more likely than their less active peers to rate their mental health as good or excellent.
• Students who felt their family paid attention to them were more likely to engage in injury-prevention behaviours like wearing seat belts. They were less likely to drive a car after drinking alcohol or use marijuana.
• Students in 2013 were more likely than their peers in 2008 to have friends who would disapprove of risky behaviours such as becoming intoxicated from drinking alcohol, joining a gang, fighting or dropping out of school.
• Eight per cent of males reported they had suicidal thoughts in the past year, which was a decrease from nine per cent in 2008 and 11 per cent in 2003. The decline in numbers for female students seen between 2003 (21 per cent) and 2008 (14 per cent) did not continue, but rose to 17 per cent in 2013.
• Students who slept nine or more hours the night before completing the survey were more likely than students who slept less to report their mental health as good or excellent.
More information from the youth survey can be found on the McCreary society’s website.
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