Multiple-risk behavior in teenagers and young adults

1994/95

Young adults were more likely than teenagers to have engaged in risky behaviours, according to a study of nearly 2,000 young people based on a Health Canada-sponsored supplement to the 1994/95 National Population Health Survey (NPHS). The study examined whether young people aged 15 to 24 were involved in one or more of four defined risk behaviors: binge drinking, cigarette smoking, sex without a condom, and sex with multiple partners.

Risk behaviors have important implications for an individual's psychological and physical health. As well, some practices present health hazards to others.

Overall, multiple-risk behavior - that is, engaging in more than one of the four risk activities - was more common among men than women. For single-risk activities, females were more likely than males to have smoked cigarettes and not used condoms, while males were more likely to have reported binge drinking, and sex with more than one partner.

Young men more likely to try more than one potentially harmful behavior

The majority of teenagers and young adults engaged in at least one of the four potentially harmful activities, and a considerable percentage were involved in two or more. The prevalence of multiple-risk behavior rose with age and was more common among men than women.

According to the NPHS, men aged 20 to 24 were most at risk. More than one in five (22%) men in this age group reported engaging in at least three of the four risk behaviors, compared with 17% of females. On the other hand, 19% of men and 31% of women aged 20 to 24 reported that they had tried none of these activities.

Among teenagers, multiple-risk behavior was less common - more than 40% had not engaged in any of these activities. Even so, 16% of males and 12% of females said they had engaged in at least three of these behaviors.

Chart: Young people who engaged in three or four risk behaviors, Canada excluding territories, 1994/95

Note to readers

This report, which examines the prevalence of four risk behaviors among young men and women, is based on an article in the Autumn 1998 edition of Health reports, released today.

The data are from a Health Canada-sponsored supplement to the 1994/95 National Population Health Survey. The analysis is based on 905 respondents aged 15 to 19 (431 men and 474 women), and 1,055 respondents aged 20 to 24 (489 men and 566 women).

The four risk behaviors are cigarette smoking, binge drinking, sex with multiple partners, and sex without a condom. Binge drinking was defined as the consumption of five or more alcoholic beverages on at least one occasion in the year covered by the survey.

The NPHS is a longitudinal survey designed to measure the health status of Canadians, and in so doing, to expand knowledge of the determinants of health. The first cycle was conducted between June 1994 and June 1995.

This release is based on the report "Multi-risk behavior in adolescents and young adults", by Nancy L. Galambos and Lauree C. Tilton-Weaver, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria. It appears in the Autumn 1998 issue of Health reports, which is released today.

Binge drinking tends to be a male domain

Binge drinking, defined as the consumption of five or more alcoholic beverages on at least one occasion in the previous year, was even more common than smoking among teenagers and young adults. However, unlike smoking, binge drinking tended to be more prevalent among young men than young women.

About 52% of males and 35% of females aged 15 to 19 reported binge drinking. By comparison, the majority of both sexes in the 20 to 24 age group (73% of men and 51% of women) reported at least one such episode.

Multiple sex partners

The prevalence of sexual activity was similar for both males and females. At ages 15 to 19, 44% of males and 43% of females were sexually active; that is, they reported having had at least one sex partner in the year covered by the survey. The figures among young adults were higher, but there was not much difference between the sexes. About 78% of men aged 20 to 24 and 81% of women had had at least one sex partner.

There was, however, a considerable difference in the case of multiple sexual partners. One in five (21%) teenage males reported sex with at least two partners, compared with just 13% of females. For young adults, the difference persisted: 27% of men, compared with 16% of women.

Females more likely to report sex without a condom

More young women than men reported having had sex without a condom during the year covered by the NPHS. Among sexually active individuals aged 15 to 19, 51% of females reported having sex without a condom, compared with 29% of males.

At ages 20 to 24, higher percentages reported condom non-use, but the difference between men and women was narrower: 53% of women compared with 44% of men.

These figures, coupled with the findings on multiple sex partners, suggest a substantial number of young people may be putting themselves at risk of unplanned pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Indeed, 21% of sexually active men aged 20 to 24 reported that they had multiple sex partners in the year covered by the survey, and had not used condoms.

Chart: Sexually active young people with at least two sex partners plus condom non-use in past year, Canada excluding territories, 1

Smoking more common among women

Substantial proportions of young people were daily or occasional cigarette smokers at the time of the survey. Females aged 15 to 24 had higher rates of daily or occasional smoking than males, according to the NPHS, which corroborated results from previous surveys in Canada and other western countries.

About 30% of teenage females said they smoked, compared with 28% of teenage males. Rates were higher at ages 20 to 24 - 40% for women and 33% for men.

Likelihood of risky behavior varies

Not all young people aged 15 to 24 were equally likely to engage in multiple-risk behavior. A number of demographic, socioeconomic and personal characteristics tended to be associated with such behavior.

For example, young people who were married, enrolled in school or living with parents tended to avoid multiple-risk behavior. Also, attendance at religious services was linked with lower levels of multiple-risk behavior. Taking on adult responsibilities, such as those in marriage, has been shown to deter risk behavior.

Yet at the same time, the increased autonomy that comes with leaving home may let young adults explore multiple-risk behaviors more readily than when they live with parents.

High levels of distress increased the likelihood a young person would engage in multiple risk behaviors, whereas there was no direct connection with unhappiness or low self-esteem. In this study, however, it was not possible to establish cause-and-effect relationships, so distress may be just as likely the cause of multiple-risk behavior as the result of it.

The Autumn 1998 issue of Health reports (82-003-XPB, $35/$116; 82-003-XIE, $26/$87) is now available. See How to order publications.

For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Mary Sue Devereaux (613-951-4381), Health Statistics Division.

Steel primary forms

Week ending October 24, 1998 (preliminary)

Steel primary forms production for the week ending October 24, 1998, totalled 237 274 tonnes, down by 2.8% from the week-earlier 244 039 tonnes and down 12.1% from the year-earlier 269 826 tonnes. The cumulative total at the end of the week was 13 079 766 tonnes, a 4.4% increase compared with 12 529 212 tonnes for the same period in 1997.

For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Greg Milsom (613-951-7093; milsomg@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction and Energy Division.

Stocks of frozen meat products

October 1998

Total frozen meat in cold storage at the opening of the first business day of October totalled 39 550 tonnes compared with 40 604 tonnes last month and 39 507 tonnes a year ago.

Available on CANSIM: matrices 87 and 9517-9525.

The data is available on the Internet (www.statcan.ca; 23-009-XIE, free). The menu path is "Products and services", "Downloadable publications" and "Index of downloadable publications".

For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Tony Dupuis (613-951-2511; duputon@statcan.gc.ca), Agriculture Division.

Asphalt roofing

September 1998

Production of asphalt shingles totalled 3 921 414 metric bundles in September, a 19.7% increase from 3 276 438 bundles produced a year earlier.

Year-to-date production amounted to 32 696 118 (revised) bundles, a 3.5% decrease from 33 864 264 bundles produced during the same period in 1997.

Available on CANSIM: matrices 32 and 122 (series 27).

The September 1998 issue of Asphalt roofing (45-001-XPB, $7/$62) will be available shortly. See How to order publications.

For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Don Grant (613-951-5998; grantdo@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction and Energy Division.

Electric lamps

September 1998

Light bulb and tube manufacturers sold 26.6 million light bulbs and tubes in September 1998, down 3.3% from 27.5 million a year earlier.

Year-to-date sales at the end of September totalled 208.8 million light bulbs and tubes, down 5.6% from 221.2 million in 1997.

The September 1998 issue of Electric lamps (43-009-XPB, $7/$62) is now available. See How to order publications.

For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact R.W. Kowaluk (613-951-0600; kowarus@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction and Energy Division.

Sawmills and planing mills

August 1998

Sawmills produced 4 993.7 thousand cubic metres of lumber and ties in August, an increase of 1.1% from 4 935.5 thousand cubic metres (after revisions) produced in August 1997.

Year-to-date production was 42 741.7 thousand cubic metres, down 3.3% from 44 213.7 thousand cubic metres (after revisions) produced over the same period in 1997.

Available on CANSIM: matrices 53 and 122 (series 2).

The August 1998 issue of Sawmills and planing mills (35-003-XPB, $12/$114) will be available shortly. See How to order publications.

For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Gilles Simard (613-951-3516; simales@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction, and Energy Division.