Young Quebecers in high school consume less alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and junk food than ten years ago, but do not consider themselves in good health, according to a study by the Institute of Statistics of Quebec (ISQ).
Data released Monday reveals that in 2022-2023, 47% of students consumed alcohol, compared to 60% in 2010-2011.
Cannabis use is also declining, from 25% to 16% over the same period.
More girls continue to consume these substances, including excessively, according to the study.
Smoking is also declining: 2.3% of students smoked cigarettes in 2022-2023, compared to 11% in 2010-2011. On the other hand, the use of electronic cigarettes increased, from 11% in 2016-2017 to 16% in 2022-2023.
Eating and physical habits to improve
Although the consumption of sugary drinks has decreased (19% of students drink them daily compared to 27% in 2016-2017), only 25% of young people eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, compared to 31% in 2010-2011.
Among the young people surveyed, 37% said they consumed junk food at least once a week when they were at school; this proportion has decreased since 2010-2011 (46%).
Additionally, in 2022-2023 around a quarter of students (26%) said they did not eat breakfast before class, a rate that has doubled since 2010-2011. According to the ISQ, girls are particularly affected (32%, compared to 21% for boys).
Physical inactivity affected 23% of students in 2022-2023, compared to 20% in 2016-2017. Girls are also more affected (27% compared to 20% for boys).
A drop in self-esteem
In 2022-2023, only 62% of students considered themselves to be in excellent or very good health, compared to 72% in 2016-2017. Girls (54%) are less likely than boys (70%) to have a positive perception of their health.
The ISQ study was conducted among 70,825 young people in 483 public and private schools, French and English, throughout Quebec. This is the third edition of the survey, the first took place in 2010-2011.
