From February to April of 2011, Peel Public Health collaborated
with the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board to implement the largest health
behaviours survey of its kind, reaching over 8,500 students
from grades 7 to 12.
STUDENT PROFILE
• Over 8,500 students participated in the survey
• 52% of students were female and 48% were male
• 26% were born outside of Canada
• 53% reported living with two parents with other family members
living together
HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY RESULTS:
Peel students think they eat far better than they actually do.
While 67% of females and 76% of males described their eating habits as good to
excellent, only 7% of students reported eating raw or cooked vegetables and 6%
reported eating fresh or canned fruit three or more times per day. In addition, one
in 10 (10%) males and one in 12 females (8%) ate deep-fried foods at least once or
twice a day. And close to one in five of all students said they ate salty snacks, like
cheesies and chips, at least once or twice a day.
Male students are much more likely to be obese than female students.
In Peel, approximately 32% of students are overweight/obese. Male students are
almost twice as likely to be obese compared to female students (16% and 9%,
respectively).
More females than males can’t put down their cell phone, Smartphone
and computer
Twenty-two per cent of females and 12% of males reported spending seven hours or
more on a weekday using a cell phone, Smartphone or computer.
Fitness levels for both males and females just starting high school are already
so low that their overall health is at considerable risk.
More than one-third (35%) of males and nearly half (48%) of females fail to meet
current standards of acceptable cardiorespiratory fitness, and approximately threequarters (76%) of all grade 9 students’ musculoskeletal fitness scores fall within a
range that is associated with some to considerable health risks.
TOPIC AREAS:
HEALTHY EATING
BODY WEIGHT
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
PHYSICAL FITNESS OF
PEEL GRADE 9 STUDENTS
TOBACCO, ALCOHOL,
MARIJUANA AND OTHER
DRUGS
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL
WELL-BEING
SAFETY AT HOME, SCHOOL
AND IN THE COMMUNITY
INJURIES
SUN SAFETY
RELATIONSHIPS AND
SEXUAL HEALTH
Peel youth try smoking early and have easy access to cigarettes.
Forty-one per cent of Peel students who ever smoked a cigarette reported having
done so before entering high school. Of those currently smoking, 50% reported
buying them themselves from a retailer.
Too many Peel youth get into vehicles with drivers who are under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.
Twenty-two per cent reported being a passenger with a driver who had been
drinking alcohol or were unsure if the driver had ingested alcohol. And 19%
reported being a passenger with a driver who had been using marijuana or were
unsure if the driver had been using marijuana.
Males are more optimistic than females, but too many had no one to talk
to about their feelings.
Males were significantly more likely than females to report a positive sense of self
(76% versus 59%, respectively). However, 23% of males (and 10% of females) said
they had no one to talk to about their secrets and private feelings.
Peel students are far more likely to wear a helmet for winter activities than
summer ones.
Peel students reported they more often wore a helmet always or most of the time
when skiing (71%) and snowboarding (76%), then when biking (22%),
rollerblading (26%) and skateboarding (22%).
Peel students are having sex, and many who are have a lot of partners.
Approximately one-quarter of students in grades 9 to 12 reported having had
sexual intercourse. Of those sexually active, almost one-quarter reported having
four or more sexual partners.
Next Steps: Working Together!
This survey is just one example of Peel Public Health’s successful partnership with
both school boards and their collective commitment to the positive growth and
development of Peel’s youth.
In the next few months, Peel Public Health will:
• Communicate the results of the survey to key stakeholders across Peel region
—schools, families, community partners and youth—to create an awareness
of the current health behaviours of Peel’s youth
• Work in partnership with other key stakeholders servicing children and
youth to address the issues identified through the student health survey
Together with families, schools, community partners and youth, Peel Public Health
wants to provide youth with the services, supports and opportunities they need to
help them grow in to healthy, responsible and caring adults.
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY!
For more information on the survey results and/or next steps, call 905-799-7700
or visit: peelregion.ca/health/health-status-report/studenthealth2011
CDI-0351 12/09