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Backgrounder - Improving the Health and
Well-Being of Canada's Youth
Toward a Healthy Future: Second Report on the Health of Canadians summarizes
the most current information we have on the health of Canadians and the
factors that influence or "determine" health. It suggests several priority
areas for action in the new millennium. One of these is the need to invest
in Canada's youth.
A number of things are going well for young Canadians. For example, youth
volunteering has increased dramatically and the number of young women
completing post-secondary levels of education is at its highest point
ever. At the same time, Toward a Healthy Future alerts to us some conditions
affecting the psychosocial well-being of Canada's youth.
Highlights
- In contrast to the high levels of physical health enjoyed by most
young people, psychological well-being is, on average, lowest among
this age group. Young Canadians aged 18 and 19 were the most likely
to report high stress levels (37%) and to report being depressed. Young
women aged 15 to 19 were the most likely of any age-sex group to show
signs of depression (9%).
- The 1996 suicide rate of 19 per 100,000 among young men aged 15 to
19 was almost twice as high as the 1970 rate. Suicide rates among young
men aged 20 to 24 were even higher (29 per 100,000). The suicide rate
for Aboriginal youth is much higher than for their peers in the general
population. As in the case of the population at large, young men are
the most likely to commit suicide.
- Despite some recent improvements, youth unemployment and underemployment
rates remain high.
- Between 1990 and 1995, the proportion of young people aged 18 to 24
(with their families or alone) who lived in low-income situations (i.e.
below Statistics Canada low-income cut-offs) increased from 21% to 26%.
- Education is often an important factor in determining whether young
people obtain jobs that enable them to support themselves and their
families. Young people who leave school before high school graduation
(22% of young men and 14% of young women in 1995) are more likely to
dislike school, to have failed a grade in the past, to come from low
socioeconomic backgrounds and to be young parents.
- Young women aged 12 to 17 are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse
by a family member or date. Young women aged 18 to 24 are most likely
of all age groups to report being assaulted by an intimate partner.
- Despite recent high profile events of youth violence, in 1997, the
percentage of young people aged 12 to 17 charged with Criminal Code
offences dropped 7% from the previous year. The 1997 rate, however,
was still more than double that of a decade ago.
- Over the last 10 years, the rate of young women charged with violent
crimes has increased twice as fast as that of young men; however, young
men are still three times more likely than young women to be charged
with violent crimes.
Risk Taking by Young People
- Increased risk taking among young people may be a reflection of reduced
opportunities and increased pressures to succeed.
- Unintentional injuries, most often due to motor vehicle collisions,
are the leading cause of death and disability among young people.
- Teenagers are the only age group in which smoking levels continue
to increase. Young women aged 12 to 17 are more likely than young men
the same age to smoke. Many of them report that they smoke to manage
stress and control their weight.
- Underage drinking and the combined use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis
increased dramatically between 1991 and 1998 in several provinces.
- In 1996-97, almost 50% of sexually active young people aged 20 to
24 and 40% of young people aged 15 to 19 reported an inconsistent or
non-use of condoms.
Investing in the Well-Being of Canada's Young People
A comprehensive plan to invest in Canada's young people needs to pay
attention to how gender, culture and membership in various population
groups affect the opportunities available to young people. Young people
themselves must be involved in identifying both problems and solutions,
and in providing input to policy and program decisions related to their
well-being.
Key strategies to address this priority include:
- Helping young people prepare for intimate relationships and family
life. Young people who are ready for intimate relationships respect
each other and share roles between the sexes. Family members are young
people's most important role models. Older peers and adult leaders in
schools, the community, media and sport and recreation programs can
also help young people learn to form and maintain relationships. At
the same time, school and community programs are needed to help young
men and women prepare for parenting.
- Helping young people make a successful transition from school to
meaningful employment. A number of factors may help young people
stay in school: stimulation in early childhood, nurturing schools that
promote success, involved parents who value education, community support
for troubled young people, efforts to prevent teen pregnancy and increased
financial support (debt relief) for students who wish to attend universities
and colleges. Mentoring, cooperative education, apprenticeship programs
and school curricula that teach generic work-related skills can also
help young people make a smoother transition from school to work.
- Helping young people prepare to participate in community life.
Partnerships among schools, community agencies, businesses and parents
are an effective way to help young people learn the civic and social
skills they need for adulthood. Community service and volunteer work
give youth an opportunity to develop meaningful roles, to apply academic
learning in real life situations, to learn job skills such as cooperation
and decision-making, to develop self-respect and to earn the respect
of the community.
- Making the healthy choices the easy choices. Programs to address
and reverse risk-taking behaviours are needed. At the same time, we
need to recognize that personal lifestyle choices are linked to the
capacity of homes, schools, communities, workplaces and governments
to make "the healthy choices, the easy choices". Crowded housing, neighbourhoods
where there may be drug dealing, isolated living conditions with little
to do, and threatening school environments contribute to increased violence,
youth misuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and increased feelings
of alienation and depression. Involving young people in the healing
process is critical.
For More Information
Toward a Healthy Future: Second Report on the Health of Canadians was
developed by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee
on Population Health in collaboration with Health Canada, Statistics Canada,
the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Centre for Health
Promotion, University of Toronto. The full text can be found on the Health
Canada Web site: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
Printed copies of the Report are available from Provincial and Territorial
Ministries of Health or from:
Publications
Health Canada
Tunney's Pasture (AL 0900C2)
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
Telephone: (613) 954-5995
Fax: (613) 941-5366
E-mail: Info@www.hc-sc.gc.ca
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