From the STATCAN DAILY for Friday, October 30, 2003

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  http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031031/d031031.pdf

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03 10 31 08 30
Friday, October 31, 2003. Released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time

MAJOR RELEASES

    Factors related to adolescents' self-perceived health, 2000/01

        While the majority of Canadian adolescents considered
        themselves to be in "very good" or "excellent" health
        in 2000/01, nearly one in three 12- to 17-year-olds rated
        their health as no better than "good." Adolescents who
        considered their own health to be poor, fair or good were
        more likely to smoke, drink or be obese.
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Factors related to adolescents' self-perceived health
2000/01


   While the majority of Canadian adolescents considered themselves to be in
"very good" or "excellent" health in 2000/01, nearly one in three 12- to
17-year-olds rated their health as no better than "good," according to a new study.

   Adolescents who considered their own health to be poor, fair or good were
more likely to smoke, drink or be obese. They were also less likely to live in a
relatively high-income household. The study also found that the lower the
educational level is in the adolescent's household, the worse his or her
self-rated health is likely to be.

   Boys' self-perceived health tends to be better than that of girls. According
to data from the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), girls'
perceptions of health become less favourable in mid- to late-adolescence. At
ages 12 to 14, 73% of boys and girls reported very good or excellent health. But
by ages 15 to 17, the proportion for boys remained about the same, while it
dropped to 66% for girls.


Girls vulnerable to depression


   Mental health is a major factor in overall health. Previous studies have
shown that adolescents, and girls in particular, are vulnerable to depression.

   According to the 2000/01 CCHS, nearly 6% of 12- to 14-year-old girls had a
high risk of having had a major depressive episode in the year before the
survey, compared with 2% of boys the same age. Among 15- to 17-year-olds, the
proportion of girls who had had such an episode was much higher (11%). By
contrast, 15- to 17-year-old boys were no more at risk of depression than those
aged 12 to 14.

   Depression was significantly associated with reduced odds of reporting
excellent or very good health for both older and younger adolescents, even
accounting for other factors such as chronic conditions, socio-economic status,
obesity and health behaviours.
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Note to readers

   This study is the first of several on the health of Canadian children that
will be released this fall in the How Healthy are Canadians? series of annual
supplements to Health reports. The articles, based on data from three Statistics
Canada surveys - the National Population Health Survey, the Canadian Community
Health Survey and the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth -
examine the conditions that impede, as well as those that enhance, children's
potential to grow up healthy. A printed compendium will be released in December.

   This article, based on data from the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey
(CCHS), describes levels of self-perceived health among adolescents. The sample
for this analysis consists of 12,715 adolescents aged 12 to 17. The variables
associated with those assessments include physical and mental health,
socio-economic status and lifestyle factors.
______________________________________________________________________



Knowledge of risks don't prevent smoking and drinking


   Smoking and drinking were associated with the way that adolescents rate their
health. Even after accounting for other contributing factors, the 15- to
17-year-olds who were daily smokers or episodic heavy drinkers had lower odds of
reporting very good or excellent health, compared with those who did not drink
or smoke. "Episodic heavy drinking" is defined as having five or more drinks on
one occasion at least once a month.

   Other studies have suggested that adolescents may be aware of the health
effects of smoking and excessive drinking. Nonetheless, 14% of 15- to
17-year-olds were daily smokers, with girls slightly more likely than boys to
smoke daily. About the same proportion of adolescents in that age group also
reported episodic heavey drinking, although in this case, the practice was more
common among boys.


Obesity also key factor in self-perceived health


   Being obese lowered the odds of an adolescent reporting very good or
excellent health, even when the effects of other potential factors were taken
into account.

   The study also found that adolescents who reported relatively low fruit and
vegetable consumption or being physically inactive had lower odds of reporting
very good or excellent health.


Chronic conditions


   In 2000/01, a substantial number (29%) of 12- to 17-year-olds reported having
at least one chronic condition, most commonly asthma, bronchitis, back pain or
migraine. For boys, the prevalence of chronic conditions did not differ by age.
For girls, however, the prevalence of chronic conditions was significantly
higher for the older age group (36%).

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3226.

   The report Factors related to adolescents' self-perceived health (82-003-SIE,
free) is now available online. The study is the first of several articles to be
released this fall in the How Healthy are Canadians? series, an annual
supplement to Health reports (82-003-XIE, $17/$48; 82-003-XPE, $22/$63).
Upcoming releases will focus on topics such as children who become active, youth
obesity, adolescent self-concept and the effects of witnessing violence. A print
compendium of all articles will be released in December 2003.

   For more information, or to enquire about the methods, concepts or data
quality of this release, contact Stéphane Tremblay (613-951-4765), Health
Analysis and Measurement Group.

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