AHS Methodology: How the data is used
McCreary’s aim is to create new knowledge and to use that knowledge to improve the health of youth in BC. We do this through providing evidence that can be incorporated into the practice of health professions, educators, policy makers and community agencies.
Guiding Government Action
Federal and provincial governments are increasingly taking an evidence-based approach to addressing social issues. This approach involves establishing and using objective criteria as the basis for policy and action. The AHS provides a comprehensive data source that contributes to the evidence base for government response to youth issues.
- The BC Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) has developed an evaluation process to assess its performance, using AHS data to monitor success in meeting specific objectives. For example, the Ministry relies on AHS data on cigarette smoking and alcohol use to track progress towards achievement of its goals of reducing substance abuse by children and youth.
- The AHS provides representative, population-based data at the regional and provincial level. Data from previous AHSs have helped develop regional youth health profiles and identify important variations in youth health across the province.
- McCreary's capacity to conduct special analyses of the survey data, allows us to respond to government’s need for specific information. For example, a report using AHS data, entitled Promoting healthy bodies: Physical activity, weight, and tobacco use among BC youth (2006) was commissioned by the BC Ministry of Health. It presents an in-depth analysis of indicators related to physical activity, weight, and tobacco use among BC youth. .
Aiding Effective Decisions
The AHS has proven to be a valuable resource for schools, government, communities and health professionals working with and creating policy and regulations on behalf of youth. Results of the survey can help keep youth issues on the provincial agenda, determine fiscal priorities and facilitate planning of programs and services that will effectively address youth health needs.
Serving Youth
The AHS identifies new issues of concern to youth in Grades 7-12. Modified versions of the AHS have been used to better understand the experiences and needs of special high-risk populations of youth. These special studies have focused on marginalized and street-involved youth, youth enrolled in alternate education programs and young people in youth custody centres. Comparisons between youth in school and these special populations point to significant differences that signal a need for targeting interventions for high-risk youth.
Promoting Youth Involvement
As a follow-up to the AHS, McCreary developed the Next Steps workshop model as a way of bridging the gap between research and youth action. Through workshop activities, the Next Steps makes health research relevant to young people and uses it as a springboard for creating ideas for action. It brings research back to youth in an empowering way - by facilitating a dialogue to explore the research results and assisting youth in generating ideas for action on issues that are important to them.
They key components to the Next Steps are:
1) Bridging Research & Action
Research results are brought back to youth to discuss and critique. Youth then generate plans to address issues in their community and develop deliverable projects that can address youth health issues in their community.
2) Positive Youth Development
The workshop process focuses on positive action and encourages ideas that build the resiliency and strengths of young people.
3) Building Partnerships & Capacity
Workshops build on existing relationships and community strengths to promote the healthy development of youth and to build capacity in communities to be inclusive of all youth.
The Next Steps has also been adapted for use among Aboriginal youth and with populations as diverse as marginalized and street-involved youth and youth in custody centres.
Increasing Knowledge about Adolescence
The AHS is a rich source of information about the determinants of health in adolescence. McCreary has developed partnerships with a number of university-based researchers who are using the AHS to contribute to the scientific knowledge about adolescent health including submissions to peer review journals on topics as diverse as health risk and protective factors for sexual minority youth and health behaviours among immigrant Asian youth.
