14 - Wednesday, May 7, [986 - North Shore News

Low

:elf-esteem

influences young

peopile’s

A MAJOR conclusion of a na-
tional study recently released by
Health and Welfare Minister Jake
Epp is that effective health pro-
grams for young people must be
concerned with factors not com-
monly associated with health.

When young people have low
self-esteem, negative attitudes
towards home and school and are
not physically active, they often
take risks in other aspects of their
lives: cigarette, alcohol and other
drug use; diet; dental! health and
safety.

The $169,000 project, which
studied the health-related attitudes
and behaviors of young Cana-
dians, was undertaken by the
Social Program Evaluation Group
of Queen's University.

It was funded by the National
Health Research and Development
Program (NHRDP) of Health and
Welfare Canada.

Epp said the study would con-
tribute to the achievement of a na- -

tional consensus on issues affecting
the health of young people and

* provide a better basis for preven-
tative activities.

“The findings confirm the need
for cooperation among federal and
provincial governments and volun-
tary health agencies in such pro-
grams as the Break Free anti-
smoking campaign. They also in-
dicate a need for further co-or-
dination and special efforts to

develop prograins directed at high

tisk youth.’’ the minister said.

The study was undertaken in .

4984-85 and is a sequel to the
"1982-83 Queen’s University survey

on health knowledge of Canadian

students.

In this second survey, 33, il
students from grades four, seven
and ten were asked questions on
nutrition, physical and leisure ac-
tivities, alcohol, drugs and tobac-
co, dental health, safety, parent/

health

quarter, high in sugar.

e More-physically-active
youngsters are more likely than the
less-active to have self-confidence
and positive relationships with
their parents, and less likely to
report mental health concerns.

These and other findings will be
presented to policy makers and
program developers in a series of
seminars sponsored by Health and
Welfare Canada across the country
this Winter and Spring.

child relationships, peer influence, .. §

self-concept, body image, sex/

family roles and mental health.

. Other highlights of the study in- ~ §

clude:

¢ Forty per cent of 15-year-olds
drink .alcoho! at least twice a
month; of greater concern is the
_fact that 30 per cent of these
drinkers ‘typically consume five or

snore drinks at one sitting.
. © Over 10 per cent of 12-year-
olds and over 25 per cent of 15-
year-olds. smoke cigarettes, with
more girls than boys .in the latter
age group.

e Twenty per cent of the 15-
year-olds surveyed reported that
they use cannabis at least once a
month.

e Nearly half the young people
do not eat a balanced diet; two-
thirds have diets high in fat; one-

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