WATERLOO, Ont. (Wednesday, June 19, 2013) — Canadian students in Grade 12 are in worse health than their younger high school peers, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo.
By the time students reach Grade 12, they are at significantly increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and lung cancer, according to the research published in the latest issue of BMC Public Health. Smoking, marijuana use, binge drinking, and physical inactivity, which are all risk factors for chronic disease, skyrocket between Grades 9 and 12.
“Large proportions of graduating high school students fail to meet the most basic health behavior guidelines. The age-related increases in substance use and excess weight-gain that occur among high school students are cause for concern,” said Professor Scott Leatherdale, a Cancer Care Ontario Research Chair in Population Studies with the School of Public Health and Health Systems at Waterloo.
Professor Leatherdale found that over the four-year high school period, the number of smokers increased by 170 per cent, there was an increase in binge drinkers of 167 per cent, and a jump in marijuana users of 124 per cent. In addition, more than 89 per cent of students did not meet Health Canada’s minimum physical activity guidelines, while 93 per cent reported inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption.
“Evidence also suggests that having more than one risk factor can increase the likelihood of disease,” said Professor Leatherdale.
By Grade 12, the average student will exhibit three risk factors for serious disease. Only 0.5% of youth surveyed reported having no risk factors. Students in the higher grades appear to be at the greatest risk.
“The only way to avoid a large future burden of preventable disease is to develop more integrated and real-world models of intervention in Canadian high schools.”
The study used data collected from 31,396 students in Grades 9 to 12 who responded to the substance use section of the 2010–11 Canadian Youth Smoking Survey (2010 YSS). The YSS is a nationally representative school-based survey of youth in Canada.
The article is available online at http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-13-569.pdf
About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
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