Comparing the health and lifestyles of 13 year-olds around the world

(Using CANSIM data dating back to 1998)

Overview

Intermediate (Grade 8) students should be able to adopt personal goals that reflect healthy lifestyles. Students will research habits such as smoking, exercise, alcohol abuse and lifestyles from various countries.

Contributor: Paul ApSimon, Statistics Canada Support Teacher.

Objectives

• To examine the international trends in health and lifestyle choices of 13 year-olds.
• To retrieve and interpret data on the lifestyles of youth.
• To appreciate the difference between estimated and actual observations.

Suggested grade level and subject areas

Intermediate
Health, Physical Education

Duration

minimum of 2 periods
up to 4 periods if the survey is done with the class and by the students with another group

Outcomes

Students will:

• identify lifestyle behaviours of youth in Canada and around the world; and
• compare their own behaviours with statistical data.
  

Materials

• Access to either the Internet version of E-STAT or teacher-generated tables if computer access is limited, using Student instructions A or B below.

You can choose to do this exercise using updated 2002 data or the original 1998 data.

• Student instructions A, 2002 data
• Student worksheet A, 2002 data (PDF)

OR

• Student instructions B, 1998 data
• Student worksheet B, 1998 data (PDF)

Classroom instructions

Begin the exercise by having the students answer the questions below, based on their beliefs. This should be done in the Expectations section of the Student worksheet A or B. Then, guide your students through the E-STAT steps from Student instructions A or B.

1. How do you think Canadian 13 year-olds compare with those living in other countries?
   Do they smoke more?
   Do they drink more beer?
   Do they exercise more after school?
   Do they watch more T.V.?
   Do they play more computer games?
   Give a reason for each answer.
   
   
2. Select four other countries to research. You may choose from the available list:

-If using 2002 data: Czech Republic, Estonia, Northern Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

-If using 1998 data: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Northern Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales.

Have students write the name of their four selected countries in the first column of Student worksheet A or B.

Evaluation

Collect the handouts. Reviewing student expectations and observations will allow the teacher to evaluate student effort, ability to select and retrieve data from E-STAT, and ability to interpret tables and charts.

Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.

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