The BC AHS is a province-wide survey administered to youth in Grade 7 to 12 every five years since 1992. The survey gives an evidence base of youth health trends, emerging issues, and risk and protective factors for healthy development. Adapted versions of the survey are administered to youth whose experience may not be captured in the BC AHS including youth in custody, and homeless and street-involved youth, and youth in alternative education.
2023 BC Adolescent Health Survey
2023 BC AHS Community Consultations
McCreary will start hosting community consultations for the 2023 BC AHS this fall and winter. Community consultations are a chance to discuss survey items people would like to see included on the 2023 survey. This includes the current and emerging health issues people are seeing in their schools and communities. For example, from consultations leading up to the 2018 BC AHS, a number of emerging issues were identified for inclusion on the survey, such as the length of students’ school commute, problem gambling, and experiences of time pressure. We would also like to learn more about how the BC AHS data has been used in your community or how you would like it to be used.
This fall, we will also be hiring Youth Health Ambassadors across BC to host consultations with their peers to gather input on what youth see as the key local health issues in their communities.
Please contact Karen (karen@mcs.bc.ca) for more information, to register for one of the regional consultations, or to schedule an additional consultation.
McCreary is hiring Youth Health Ambassadors
McCreary Centre Society is hiring youth in Grades 8–11 to become Youth Health Ambassadors! Youth Health Ambassadors will be part of a team of youth across BC who are hosting conversations with their peers about the health issues that are important to them. Information from these conversations will ensure the health issues that are important to young people in your school and community are included in our upcoming provincial survey, the 2023 BC Adolescent Health Survey.
For more information about the positions and to access a shareable poster, click here
To find out more, or to apply, visit: https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/l/YHAapplication
If you have questions, or for more information, please contact Karen at karen@mcs.bc.ca or 604-291-1996 ext 230.
2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey
Over 38,000 young people aged 12–19 in 58 of BC’s 60 school districts completed the 2018 BC AHS. The survey was developed in consultation with young people, parents, and other experts in youth health. It was extensively pilot tested before being administered by Public Health Nurses and Public Health Resource Nurses to students in mainstream public schools between February and June 2018.
Provincial report
Balance and Connection in BC: The health and well-being of our youth
This report shares provincial findings of the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey, which was completed by 38,015 Grade 7-12 students in schools across British Columbia.
Download report / Download PowerPoint
2018 BC AHS Regional Reports (Health Service Delivery Area)
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HSDA 1 - Balance and Connection in the Northwest:
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HSDA 2 - Balance and Connection in the Northeast:
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HSDA 3 - Balance and Connection in the Northern Interior:
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HSDA 4 - Balance and Connection in Thompson Cariboo Shuswap:
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HSDA 5 - Balance and Connection in Okanagan:
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HSDA 6 - Balance and Connection in Kootenay Boundary:
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HSDA 7 - Balance and Connection in East Kootenay:
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HSDA 8 - Balance and Connection in North Vancouver Island:
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HSDA 9 - Balance and Connection in Central Vancouver Island:
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HSDA 10 - Balance and Connection in South Vancouver Island:
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HSDA 11 - Balance and Connection in North Shore/Coast Garibaldi:
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HSDA 12 - Balance and Connection in Vancouver:
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HSDA 13 - Balance and Connection in Richmond:
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HSDA 14 - Balance and Connection in Fraser North:
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HSDA 15 - Balance and Connection in Fraser South:
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HSDA 16 - Balance and Connection in Fraser East:
2018 BC AHS Special Topic Fact Sheets
- Supporting BC youth who experienced physical and/or sexual abuse
- School-based support for BC youth who have experienced abuse
- A profile of BC youth who work
- BC youth's access to technology
- Supporting positive mental health among refugee youth in BC
- Supporting BC youth who experience unhealthy eating
- BC youth's school commute
- Volunteering among BC youth
- BC youth who experienced racial discrimination
- Access to health care among youth in BC
- Supporting BC youth with ADHD
Supporting BC youth poster series
- Supporting BC youth: Teachers
- Supporting BC youth: School counsellors
- Supporting BC youth: Youth workers
Sports injury and prevention posters
Members of McCreary's Youth Advisory and Action Council created posters about organized sport injuries and injury prevention using 2018 BC AHS data. One poster is aimed at a youth audience and the second is intended for adults who wish to support youth. Both posters are available in English and French.
Download the posters: Poster for youth (English) / Poster for adults (English) / Poster for youth (French) / Poster for adults (French)
SDGs: How are we measuring up?
Canada has committed to implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the federal government has called for reliable data to assess progress towards the goals. This poster shares data from the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey which provide some examples of how the health of youth aged 12–19 in the province measures up against 9 of the 17 SDGs.
Download the poster here.