The Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth explores issues that have an impact on the physical and mental health of children and youth, such as physical activity, the use of electronic devices, time spent in school and extracurricular activities, mental health, childhood experiences, suicidal thoughts, substance use and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information from the survey will be used to develop appropriate programs and policies to better serve Canadian children and youth, as well as promote good physical and mental health.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
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Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
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Block Information on Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Data sharing agreements
To reduce response burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations.
For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with: Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial and territorial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec. The information you provide us will only be shared with your consent.
The personal identifiers (names, addresses, telephone numbers and health numbers) will be provided only to the provincial and territorial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec. No personal identifiers will be shared with Health Canada or the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Record linkage
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the burden on survey respondents, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with information from tax data of all members of your household.
For respondents who provide consent to share, the information you provide may also be combined by the provincial and territorial ministries of health and, for Québec residents, the Institut de la statistique du Québec, with information from other survey or administrative sources. This may include information on past and continuing use of health services such as visits to hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices.
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Topics covered in the survey
The survey collects data on various topics, including perception of the selected child or and their parents or legal guardians' physical and mental health, chronic conditions, use of health care services in the last year and during the pandemic, as well as behaviours thought to be related to health such as physical activity, sedentary activity, use of electronic devices, extracurricular activities, childhood experiences, suicide, self-harm and school (including schooling during the pandemic).
More specifically:
Parents can expect questions about:
- use and availability of health care services;
- health conditions and allergies;
- eating behaviours;
- school, child care, sports, clubs and other activities.
Youth (12+) can expect questions about:
- school, sports, clubs, extracurricular and physical activities;
- use of social media and electronic devices;
- eating behaviours;
- friends, family and community;
- behaviours (e.g. smoking, alcohol and other substance use);
- bullying;
- suicide and non-suicidal self-harm;
- childhood experiences and sexual attraction (for youth 15+).
Socio-demographic information is also collected. This allows for analysis for specific population groups (by age groups, geographies, etc.).
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Block Published data
Published data
Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.
Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.
Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.
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Block Information on Survey-specific questions
Survey-specific questions
- What are the objectives of this survey?
- How is this survey conducted?
- How long does it take to complete the survey?
- Why is participation important?
- As a parent, can I complete this survey with my child?
- I recently completed a survey on children and youth. Why is Statistics Canada contacting me again?
- How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
- When will the results be available?
What are the objectives of this survey?
The purpose of this survey is to collect information on the health and well-being of Canadian children and youth and the factors influencing their physical and mental health. The information is used by policy makers to determine where funding is most needed and to create relevant programs and services.
How is this survey conducted?
Statistics Canada is conducting the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, with the support of the Offord Group (McMaster University), the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada.
The survey asks a variety of questions on the physical and mental health of children and youth. One part of the survey is for parents or guardians of children aged 1 to 17, one part is for youth aged 12 to 17 and one part is for young adults aged 18 to 22.
The collection is done using an electronic questionnaire and a telephone follow-up.
How long does it take to complete the survey?
The interview length varies depending on each respondent's answers and on the age of the child selected for the survey.
- Parents or guardians of a selected child aged 1-4, on average, may take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete the survey.
- Parents or guardians of a selected child aged 5-11, on average, may take approximately 45 minutes to complete the survey.
- Parents or guardians of a selected youth aged 12-17, on average, may take approximately 35 minutes to complete the survey.
- Youth aged 12 to 17, on average, may take approximatively 40 minutes to complete the survey.
- Young adult 18 to 22 who will answer for themselves, may take up to 45 minutes on average.
Why is participation important?
Your participation in this survey is voluntary, however, your participation ensures we have an accurate and up-to-date picture of the health status of the youth population aged between 1 and 22 years old.
As a parent, can I complete this survey with my child?
To get the most truthful answers possible, we recommend that each respondent complete the survey on their own. Your child can skip questions they are not comfortable answering.
I recently completed a survey on children and youth. Why is Statistics Canada contacting me again?
In 2023, Statistics Canada will be conducting two more children and youth surveys: the Canadian Survey on Early Learning and Child Care and the Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements - Children with Long-Term Conditions and Disabilities.
While every effort has been made to reduce the number of surveys that each household will be asked to complete, your household may also be contacted. Although some of the questions are similar, each survey aims to help ensure Canadian families have access to high-quality and affordable early learning and child care services.
How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act.
Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. Published data can never identify you or your household.
To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.
When will the results be available?
Results will be released in 2024. A report produced by Statistics Canada will be announced in The Daily, Statistic Canada's official release bulletin.
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