Going “holistic” on health
The message on youth health is mixed – better to focus on wellness, risks and resilience
by Thor Larson (Research Editor, GETOUT! Ideas Factory), March 21, 2005
» state of health among Vancouver’s youth uncertain
» better to go “holistic” in terms of youth health
» let’s talk risk & resilience
New findings show a shift in the trend away from decreasing levels of physical activity among Vancouver’s youth... but while physical fitness among youth appears to be on the rise - its quality, scope and resilience are still in doubt. The frequency of obesity-related diseases among Canadian youth is still increasing and there is a strong suspicion that levels of fitness may be very different among Vancouver’s diverse communities of young people. Moreover, physical fitness is only one aspect of overall health and quality of life.
Measures of health need to consider other important, interconnected factors such as psychological, social, cultural and spiritual well-being. Youth who participate in their communities – who feel connected and safe at home, at school and in their city – are healthier and less likely to engage in risky behaviours. This holistic understanding of health as wellness and resilience refocuses efforts on promoting health through the active engagement of Vancouver’s youth in any of a diverse range of community activities such as sports, recreation, arts, culture, volunteering and activism.
By providing varied and innovative programes that appeal to less active and less resilient youth, Vancouver’s youth-serving community can enable young people:
- to identify and build on their unique interests, passions and talents;
- to connect with their families, schools and communities;
- to increase their resilience to life’s risks and challenges; and
- to pursue greater physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual health.
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state of health among Vancouver’s youth uncertainThe 2002 Physical Activity Monitor (PAM) (
pdf, 1.2mb) published by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) reported that only 50% of British Columbia’s youth aged 15 to 19 are active enough for optimal growth and development. Yet physical activeness among BC youth is on the rise.
The number of teens that are physical active has increased by 8% since 2001 – when only 42% of youth were found to be physically active. This trend parallels the increase in physical activeness of youth at the national level. The number of physically active Canadian teenagers has increased by 6% since 1995 to a national average of 41%.
While British Columbia’s youth are among the most active in Canada, the prevalence of youth inactivity remains a serious health issue.
Half of this province’s teenagers lead a physically inactive lifestyle in which they accumulate less than one hour of walking a day (the recommended amount of energy expenditure suggested by Canadian guidelines for the best possible health and development).
Meanwhile, international guidelines set forth a stricter standard, suggesting that 6-8 kilocalories be spent during a day. This level of physical activity can be achieved by playing team sports for one hour or running for a half hour, combined with a total of one hour of walking each day.
Only 18% of Canadian youth do enough daily activity to meet this international guideline. Teenage boys are more active than girls, and twice as likely to meet the international guideline for optimal health and development (24% vs. 12%).
The 2002 PAM findings are based on the results from a national telephone-interview survey in which 5,303 Canadian were interviewed. Data was collected with a randomly chosen individual aged 15 and older within the homes selected for the survey.
Enthusiastic young swimmers
Photo courtesy of Vancouver Parks & Recreation
These findings are based on the self-reported level of an individual’s own physical activity and involved parental perceptions of their children’s level of activeness (especially for those under 15). There is a potential disparity between what was reported by the survey participants and the actual reality of youth physical activeness.
In 1999, the CFLRI published a profile of physical activity of Canadian youth aged 11-15 ( pdf, 439kb). The study found that over a quarter of teens (27%) reported playing sports or exercising outside of school every day. Yet, when the number of hours per week youth played sports or exercised after school was investigated, it was found that only one fifth (19%) gained enough time to meet the average one hour per day recommendation.
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better to go “holistic” in terms of youth healthWhile CFLRI’s findings provide an indication of the physical activeness of Vancouver’s youth, the survey’s singular focus on physical well-being does not represent the full picture of youth health.
By extending the indicators of health beyond physical activeness, a more comprehensive understanding of the current state of youth health is provided.
The McCreary Centre Society’s 2003 Adolescent Health Survey uses this more holistic definition of health, asserting that good health is more than just physical well-being. The survey focuses on the broad factors that affect youth health and identifies emerging risks facing today’s youth.
Results are provided for both the province and specific geographic areas. The results reviewed here focus on those for the Greater Vancouver geographic area.
The energetic young musicians of Jabulani
Photo courtesy of Vancouver Park Board
One key difference for Greater Vancouver is the social and cultural diversity of the region. Nearly a third (29%) of students speak a language other than English at home most of the time, compared to only 2% - 7% in other regions. It is strongly suspected by many in the youth-serving sector that the state of health among Vancouver’s diverse communities of youth varies considerably.
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let’s talk risk & resilienceHighlighted in the survey is the value of protective factors that guard youth from the risks negatively affecting their health.
Youth who feel connected and safe at home, at school and in the community report having better health, being less likely to engage in risky behaviours and holding higher educational aspirations. Participation in the community also plays an important protective role for youth. As volunteering increases, risk taking decreases.
Youth who were involved in one or more volunteer activities in the past year were less likely to have ever had sex (13% v. 19%), to have tried smoking (17% v. 25%), or used marijuana (23% vs. 27%) than youth who did not volunteer.
The McCreary report also identifies a number of major challenges confronting youth health:
- Less than half of students always feel safe at school. A sense of safety at school was highest in grades 7 (38%) and 12 (42%) and lowest in the first years of secondary school.
- Internet safety is an emerging issue, especially for girls. Almost one in four girls has been in contact with a stranger on the Internet who has made her feel unsafe.
- More than half of youth gambled in the past year.
- Almost one in ten youth ran away from home in the past year, and are at danger for virtually every risk: abuse, poor health, suicide, pregnancy, and alcohol and drug use.
- Youth with a health condition or disability, and those who look older than their age are at higher risk.
- Youth who moved three or more times in the past year feel less connected to their families and school, and are more likely to run away from home.
- More girls who are a healthy weight think they are overweight, and about half are trying to lose weight. Only 39% of girls are satisfied with their appearance and this satisfaction decreases with age.
- While physical and sexual abuse of youth has declined in the past decade, a number of youth still face abuse.
- The number of youth who consider or attempt suicide has not declined in the last ten years. 15% of youth seriously considered suicide in the past year and 12% actually planned a suicide attempt.
- Many students continue to face harassment and discrimination. Over a quarter (27%) of youth said they had been discriminated against due to skin colour, sexual orientation or physical appearance in the past 12 months.
- The proportion of youth who use alcohol and marijuana frequently has not decreased over the past decade, and the percentage of boys who are heavy marijuana users has continued to increase. Over a quarter of boys (26%) who have used marijuana, used it 100 or more times in their life.
These risks to Vancouver’s youth are priority challenges for our youth-serving sector.
By strengthening the protective factors identified by McCreary (active youth participation in community and safety and connectedness within their families, schools and city), Vancouver’s youth can be given the stability required to build resiliency in the face of these risks to their well-being.
In particular, the authors of the McCreary report argue that youth need caring adults in their lives and strong adult-youth relationships.
Adults need to create safe environments for youth; have high positive expectations; and provide opportunities for youth to develop, demonstrate competences and participate in family, school and community life.
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