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May 15, 2020THE HEALTH AND BEHAVIOURAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON YOUTH Statistics Canada developed a new web panel survey to get timely information about how Canadians are coping with COVID-19. More than 4,600 people in the 10 provinces responded to this survey between March 29 and April 3. About 22 per cent of the respondents were youth aged 15 to 30 years old. This release focuses on the most pressing concerns expressed by Canadian youth in that age group regarding the impact of COVID-19 and the kinds of activities they engage in for their mental or physical health.
Looking at the concerns expressed by youth about the impact of COVID-19, 87 per cent of the respondents indicated that they were very or extremely concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the health of vulnerable people. This was followed very closely by 86 per cent of respondents indicating concerns about overloading the health system.
About one in two respondents indicated being concerned about health of a member of their household.
Just under half of the youth aged 15 to 30 are concerned about the possibility of civil unrest while 38 per cent are very or extremely concerned about ability to cooperate during crisis.
34 per cent of respondents indicated being concerned about maintaining social ties while less than one quarter of respondents (21%) reported concerns about their own health.
The results between male and female respondents are very similar with one exception: 44 per cent of female respondents are concerned about the ability to cooperate during crisis compared to 30 per cent of male respondents.
When asked about the activities they engage in for their mental or physical health, about 9 in 10 youth aged 15 to 30 indicated communicating with their friends and family. 97 per cent of female respondents indicated communicating with friends and family compared to 90 per cent of male respondents.
Just over two-thirds of the youth (67%) reported exercising indoors while 62 per cent of respondents reported exercising outdoors. The difference between female and male respondents was notable when it came to exercise indoors. 73 per cent of female respondents indicating exercising indoors compared to 59 per cent of male respondents.
40 per cent of the youth aged 15 to 30 indicated they are changing food choices while 23 per cent are meditating for their mental or physical health.
Source: Statistics Canada. The Health and Behavioural Impacts of COVID-19 on Youth: Results from the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 1
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