The provincial results of a student health survey were released today and new school health grants will be available for schools, says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Doug Currie.
“For the first time, we have a reliable health profile of close to 10,000 Island youth,” said Minister Doug Currie. “Government is pleased to support this excellent research initiative with funding of $50,000 for schools to take the next steps in putting the research into practice.”
The School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES-PEI) was used by researchers at the University of Prince Edward Island to collect data from 5,000 students in Grades 5-12 on healthy eating, physical activity, and mental fitness. It was implemented in collaboration with the national Youth Smoking Survey, funded by Health Canada, which collected data from an additional 5,000 Island students in Grades 6-12 on tobacco use. The provincial results on tobacco use is expected in Summer 2010.
“The Comprehensive School Health Research Group is pleased to be working in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development,” says principal investigator, Dr. Donna Murnaghan; “This research provides locally relevant and evidence based information that will be valuable for planning school-based initiatives that can potentially lead to healthier children and youth who are able to engage in active learning.”
Of the students surveyed:
• 66 percent were considered to have high mental fitness. Typically, students with high mental fitness are more likely to feel connected to school, report more pro-social behaviours such as helping others and tend to make healthy lifestyle choices.
• 29 percent reported being physically active for at least 90 minutes every day, which meets current national physical activity guidelines.
• 61 percent of boys and 52 percent of girls reported eating breakfast every day in a usual school week.
“SHAPES-PEI has provided us with valuable information for planning at the school, district, and provincial level,” says Minister Currie. “I encourage school communities to take advantage of this great opportunity to improve student health and I look forward to hearing more about some of the great projects supported by the new School Health Grants.”
SHAPES-PEI was implemented by the University of Prince Edward Island and the University of Waterloo. Researchers were Dr. Donna Murnaghan, Tasha Herrell, and Dr. Brandi Bell. SHAPES will be used to survey students again next year and every second year following that.
“I want to acknowledge the significant participation of Island schools and the support of the Comprehensive School Health Research Group at the UPEI who assisted with the development of this program to encourage positive change for students,” said Minister Currie.
Prince Edward Island Provincial Results: Mental Fitness, Physical Activity and Healthy Eating is available at www.gov.pe.ca/edu.