Health and well-being of P.E.I. youth is improving: survey

A woman shops for fruit in a grocery store. (Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)

A new survey shows steady improvements in the health and well-being of P.E.I. students in grades 7 to 12.

Students from 33 schools across the province responded to the COMPASS student survey, and the findings suggest year-over-year gains in several areas, according to a news release from the province.

The survey tracks behaviours like healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, substance use and mental well-being.

“The COMPASS student survey gives us a clearer picture of how young people are doing in real time, and this year’s results show steady gains in areas that matter most to long-term health,” says Cory Deagle, minister of health and wellness, in the news release.

Here are some of the key findings from the survey:

• daily fruit consumption increased to 44 per cent, up from 42 per cent in last year’s survey
• daily vegetable consumption rose to 43 per cent, continuing an upward trend
• three-in-four students met national daily physical activity guidelines
• sixty-four per cent met recommended sleep guidelines of eight to 10 hours per night, an improvement over previous years
• cigarette use declined to five per cent, down from seven per cent in the 2023 to 2024 survey
• vaping decreased to 10 per cent (16 per cent in 2023 to 2024)
• cannabis use fell to six per cent (11 per cent in 2023 to 2024)
• binge-drinking declined to 12 per cent (14 per cent in 2023 to 2024)
• reports of bullying dropped to 24 per cent, (30 per cent in 2023 to 2024)
• sixty-eight per cent of students rated their mental health as good, very good or excellent
• seventy-eight per cent reported feeling a sense of belonging at school.

Minister of Education and Early Years Robin Croucher says they’ve worked hard over time to bring in new policies and programs to help the mental and physical well-being of Island students.

“To see these numbers improving gives us some indication that the efforts of school staff, administrators, and indeed students and their families, are helping to inspire better mental and physical health in our children,” says Croucher.

Some behaviours didn’t show significant changes, which the province says require attention.

The survey found only five per cent of students met national guidelines recommended for recreational screen time. Eleven per cent of students felt they could personally contribute to addressing climate change. Thirty-six per cent of Grade 12 students reported binge-drinking in the last 30 days.

But overall, the provincial government says, “the findings point to meaningful and sustained progress in youth health outcomes across the province.”

“These improvements don’t happen by accident, they’re the result of ongoing collaboration between schools, families, communities, community organizations and government,” adds Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison in the release.

For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.