Trends in vigorous physical activity participation among Ontario adolescents, 1997-2001.

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines trends in vigorous physical activity participation among students enrolled in grades 7, 9, 11 and 13 in Ontario between 1997 and 2001. Patterns in participation by gender and grade level are also described. METHODS: Data were derived from the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey for 1997, 1999, and 2001. Three outcomes of vigorous physical activity were included in self-report questionnaires completed by more than 5,000 students over a three-year period. They responded to the survey in classroom groups during school time. Estimates were weighted and variance and statistical tests have been corrected for the complex sample design. RESULTS: Comparisons between 1997 and 2001 indicated that, overall, patterns of vigorous physical activity remained stable. However, there were significant declines in vigorous physical activity participation by females and 11th grade students between 1997 and 2001. INTERPRETATION: The trends for females and 11th graders are disturbing, since they indicate that the normal gender and age differences in vigorous physical activity participation, found in numerous previous studies, are compounded by declining levels over time for these groups.

Secular trends in self-reported violent activity among Ontario students, 1983-2001.

INTRODUCTION: This paper examines secular trends in violence among Ontario students between 1983 and 2001, and variation by sex. METHODS: Using data from the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey, we examined self-reports of assault, weapon carrying, and gang fighting based on 10 cross-sectional surveys from 1983 to 2001. Respondents were derived from representative samples of Ontario students in grades 7, 9, 11, and 13 (OAC) who completed in-class anonymous self-administered surveys. Data were weighted to account for the complex survey design and analyzed using logit trend analyses. RESULTS: Short-term trends (1991-2001) showed assault, weapon carrying, and gang fighting have been on downward trajectories since the mid-1990s, reaching the lowest prevalence in 2001 among males and females. Long-term trends (1983-2001) among 11th-graders showed assault increased between 1985 and 1999, but declined in 2001. Gang fighting among males increased during the late 1980s and again during the mid-1990s, but declined between 1997 and 2001. Gang fighting among females remained at a stable, low level. DISCUSSION: Future monitoring is necessary to understand whether the decline in self-reported violent behaviour among adolescents is robust.

Drinking, cannabis use and driving among Ontario students.

Little is known about the risk of injury among adolescents who drive after the use of alcohol or cannabis or ride in cars driven by drunk drivers. We examined data from self-administered interviews with 1846 students in grades 7 to 13 who participated in the 2001 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey about their experiences related to alcohol, cannabis and driving during the 12 months preceding the survey. In all, 31.9% of the students reported being a passenger in a car driven by a drunk driver; of the students in grades 10 to 13 who had a driver's licence, 15.1% reported driving within an hour after consuming 2 or more drinks, and 19.7% reported driving within an hour after using cannabis. Our study shows that a sizeable proportion of adolescents are exposed to alcohol- and drug-related driving risks.