NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region, Qikiqtaaluk Region

Tags: health, program development, social sciences, health promotion, youth

Objective(s): To gain insight into, and increase understanding of, the health behaviours and attitudes of young people, including their related social contexts; and, to monitor trends in the health of young Canadians over time.

Project Description: The study titled, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), is a cross-national research project conducted by the Social Program Evaluation Group (SPEG) at Queen’s University in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO Europe) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The HBSC study aims to gain insight into, and increase understanding of, the health behaviours and attitudes of young people, including their related social contexts. It is also used to monitor trends in the health of young Canadians over time. This study utilizes a student survey and a school administrator survey. Students in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will be asked to complete a health survey (paper or online) in their classroom once during the 2017-18 academic year under the supervision of a teacher. The survey is anonymous and it takes between 30 to 60 minutes to complete for students who are at grade-level for reading. Some teachers may choose to read the questionnaire aloud and have their students go through it together. With this approach it is understood that the time required is increased. Additionally, a school administrator survey will be used to collect data on school-level information about school climate, school health education curricula, school health policies, and the physical environment of the school and neighbourhood. The administrator survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. For the HBSC study, there is an option to use active or passive parent/guardian consent. Data collection in NWT is facilitated by the NWT department of Education, Culture, and Employment and they have opted to use the passive consent methodology. The sharing of data that includes both territorial and regional analysis will be facilitated by the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment of the Government of the Northwest Territories with support from the HBSC Research Team. It is the understanding that community members and stakeholders will receive the information and will have input in the interpretation of the findings. Student questionnaires are NWT specific and incorporate recommended changes to the standard versions received from NWT Joint Consortium for School Health representatives from the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment with the intent to ensure the data is more culturally relevant. A national report on the findings of the study will be sent to each participating school. A territorial report and regional reports written in consultation with our partners in NWT will be provided to the NWT government, as well as, the NWT data set through a licensing agreement. The research team provides support for use of the data. It is our understanding that the dissemination of territorial and regional results and the engagement of communities and stakeholders in the interpretation of the results is facilitated by our partners in NWT. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from April 5, 2018 to May 31, 2018.