School Students In Ontario Research Articles

Heavy social media use and psychological distress among adolescents: the moderating role of sex, age, and parental support.

Despite increasing evidence that social media use is associated with adolescents' mental well-being, little is known about the role of various factors in modifying the effect of this association during adolescence. This study examined the association between social media use and psychological distress among adolescents and explored whether sex, age, and parental support moderate this association. Data came from a representative sample of middle and high school students in Ontario, Canada. Cross-sectional analyses included 6,822 students derived from the 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. Our results showed that 48% of adolescents used social media for 3 h or more per day, and 43.7% had moderate to severe psychological distress, with a higher prevalence among females (54%) than males (31%). After adjustment for relevant covariates, heavy social media use (≥3 h/day) was associated with increased odds of severe psychological distress [odds ratio (OR): 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.59-2.55]. The association of social media use with psychological distress was modified by age (p < 0.05) but not sex or parental support. The association was stronger among younger adolescents. Heavy social media use is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, with younger adolescents being the most vulnerable. Longitudinal studies are recommended for future research to examine in more depth the role of sex, age, and parental support in the association between social media use and psychological distress to better determine the strength and of the association.

Focusing on Uptake: The Evolution of an Evidence-Informed Classroom Resource for Student Mental Health

It is widely recognized that the most effective student mental health interventions, tools, and resources are those that are solidly grounded in theory, evidence, and practice. But developing interventions in this way can be a time-consuming, challenging process. This article describes the process of developing a classroom resource to build social emotional learning skills among high school students in Ontario. The resource was informed by the latest research evidence while also being sensitive to the implementation context and needs of educators and students. In creating, evaluating, and revising these resources over several years, lessons have emerged about what it takes to navigate inherent challenges, balance competing needs and priorities, and ultimately develop an intervention that is both evidence-informed and implementation sensitive. Flexible funding, effective partnerships, and a commitment to contextual responsivity are key.

Developmental Trajectories of Cannabis and Alcohol Use Among a Longitudinal Sample of Secondary School Students in Ontario

ABSTRACT Objectives: Cannabis and alcohol are the 2 most prevalent substances used by youth and co-occurring use is common. This study identifies conjoint trajectories of cannabis and alcohol use over time as youth progress from grade 9 to 12. Methods: The sample consists of 1869 secondary school students from Ontario (Canada), who participated in the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking, and Sedentary behaviour study over the 4 waves of data collection that occurred during the school years immediately prior to cannabis legalization (2014–15 to 2017–18). The frequency of alcohol and the frequency of cannabis use were each measured annually on a 7-point scale and were used to characterize trajectories. Results: The parallel processes latent class growth mixture model identified 3 conjoint trajectories for both cannabis and alcohol use. Combined, the trajectories were characterized as no use-low use (87.6%), steady increase (10.5%), and high use (1.9%) classes. The 3 trajectories included some level of alcohol use in grade 9 indicating many students are beginning alcohol use before starting or at the beginning of grade 9. Members of the steady increase class were more likely male (OR = 1.9, 95% CI:1.4, 2.5), whereas the odds of membership in high use class were similar between males and females. Conclusions: While alcohol use was more common, the frequency of use increased for both cannabis and alcohol from grade 9 to 12 across all trajectories of use. Cannabis and alcohol use followed similar patterns of onset and development suggesting that prevention programming may benefit from targeting both substances simultaneously. Objectifs: Le cannabis et l’alcool sont les deux substances les plus utilisées par les jeunes et la consommation concomitante est courante. Cette étude identifie des trajectoires conjointes de consommation de cannabis et d’alcool au fil du temps à mesure que les jeunes progressent de la 9e à la 12e année. Méthodes: L’échantillon se compose de 1869 élèves du secondaire de l’Ontario (Canada), qui ont participé à l’étude COMPASS sur les 4 vagues de collecte de données qui ont eu lieu au cours des années scolaires immédiatement avant la légalisation du cannabis (2014–2015 à 2017–2018). La fréquence de consommation d’alcool et la fréquence de consommation de cannabis ont chacune été mesurées annuellement sur une échelle de 7 points et ont été utilisées pour caractériser les trajectoires. Résultats: Le modèle de mélange de croissance de classe latente à processus parallèles a identifié trois trajectoires conjointes pour la consommation de cannabis et d’alcool. Combinées, les trajectoires ont été caractérisées comme des classes à faible utilisation - pas d’utilisation (87,6%), à augmentation constante (10,5%) et à forte utilisation (1,9%). Les trois trajectoires incluaient un certain niveau de consommation d’alcool en 9e année, ce qui indique que de nombreux élèves commencent à consommer de l’alcool avant de commencer ou au début de la 9e année. Les membres de la classe d’augmentation constante étaient plus vraisemblablement des hommes (OR = 1,9), tandis que les chances d’appartenir à la classe à forte utilisation étaient similaires entre les hommes et les femmes. Conclusions: Les trajectoires d’apparition et la fréquence accrue de la consommation de cannabis et d’alcool a augmenté de la 9e à la 12e année. Des schémas similaires d’apparition et de développement de la consommation de cannabis et d’alcool suggèrent que la recherche devrait explorer les effets synergiques potentiels d’interventions futures qui abordent la nature souvent concomitante de l’apparition de la consommation de substances chez les jeunes.

Identifying trajectories of alcohol use in a sample of secondary school students in Ontario and Alberta: longitudinal evidence from the COMPASS study.

Despite evidence indicating a rapid progression in use of alcohol during adolescence, little is known about the ways patterns of drinking develop over time. This study investigated patterns of alcohol use within a cohort of youth in Ontario and Alberta and the probability of changes between patterns. The sample consists of two-year linked longitudinal data (school year 2013/14 to 2014/15) from 19 492 students in Grades 9 to 12 in 89 secondary schools across Ontario and Alberta, Canada, who participated in the COMPASS study. The latent class analysis used two self-reported items about the frequency of drinking (measured as none, monthly, weekly, or daily use) and the frequency of binge drinking (measured as none, less than or once a month, 2-4 times a month, or more than once week) to characterize patterns of alcohol use. The effects of gender, ethnicity and cannabis and cigarette use on alcohol use patterns were examined. The study identified four drinking patterns: non-drinker, periodic drinker (reported monthly drinking and no binge drinking), low-risk drinker (reported monthly drinking and limited binge drinking) and high-risk regular drinker (reported drinking 1-3 times a week and binge drinking 2-4 times a month). Non-drinker was the most prevalent pattern at baseline (55.1%) and follow-up (39.1%). Periodic drinkers had the highest likelihood of an increase in alcohol consumption, with 40% moving to the low-risk pattern. A notable proportion of participants returned to a lower severity pattern or transitioning out of drinking. There are four distinct youth alcohol-use patterns. The high probability of transitioning to drinking during the secondary school years suggests the need for preventive interventions in earlier stages of use, before drinking becomes habitual.

The ‘World Politics’ course: changing thinking on international relations education in Ontario Secondary Schools, 1850–1970

ABSTRACTWhat do secondary school students in Ontario, Canada, need to know about the world in which they live in? How did a secondary school ‘World Politics’ course that emerged in Ontario in the 1960s address this question? The ‘World Politics’ course that emerged in the 1960s clearly came about as a result of societal and educational developments. Educators in nineteenth-century Ontario felt no need for such a course. In more recent times, post-Second World War, the discipline of history underwent dramatic upheavals. The opportunities for new courses meant possibilities to reach out to new groups of students. Simultaneously, with this change, the importance of international relations in the history curriculum was reduced but this also allowed for its re-emergence elsewhere. Finally, ‘World Politics’ emerged as one of the responses to the need for an understanding of a much more complex world.

Substance use and internalizing symptoms among high school students and access to health care services: results from a population-based study.

To examine co-occurring mental health problems among a population-based sample of high school students in Ontario, Canada, to understand their prevalence, associated risk factors, and relationship with mental health service access and utilization. The data were derived from the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a biennial survey of students attending publicly funded Ontario schools, from a subsample of students who completed both the internalizing and substance use portions of the survey (n = 2945). Rates of co-occurring problems were calculated for the previous 12months. Service use for students with co-occurring problems was also calculated for the past 12months. Odds ratios were estimated using binary logistic regression models correcting for the survey design. In an adjusted model, youth with internalizing symptoms were 2.40 times more likely and youth with substance use problems were 2.24 times more likely to have accessed mental health services during the past 12months than youth without these problems. Youth with co-occurring internalizing and substance use problems were 6.74 times more likely (95% CI 4.66-9.76, p < 0.001) to have accessed mental health services during the past year compared with youth without co-occurring problems, but only 52.8% of youth with co-occurring problems (95% CI 45.6-59.9%) used mental health services. The findings suggest that just over half of Ontario students in grades 9 through 12 who have co-occurring internalizing and substance use problems are utilizing mental health services. Further research should examine the factors related to service use in this population in order to better inform policy and program development.

Observation of High School Students' Food Handling Behaviors: Do They Improve following a Food Safety Education Intervention?

Youth are a key audience for food safety education. They often engage in risky food handling behaviors, prepare food for others, and have limited experience and knowledge of safe food handling practices. Our goal was to investigate the effectiveness of an existing food handler training program for improving safe food handling behaviors among high school students in Ontario, Canada. However, because no schools agreed to provide control groups, we evaluated whether behaviors changed following delivery of the intervention program and whether changes were sustained over the school term. We measured 32 food safety behaviors, before the intervention and at 2-week and 3-month follow-up evaluations by in-person observations of students ( n = 119) enrolled in grade 10 and 12 Food and Nutrition classes ( n = 8) and who individually prepared recipes. We examined within-student changes in behaviors across the three time points, using mixed effects regression models to model trends in the total food handling score (of a possible 32 behaviors) and subscores for "clean" (17 behaviors), "separate" (14 behaviors), and "cook" (1 behavior), adjusting for student characteristics. At baseline, students ( n = 108) averaged 49.1% (15.7 of 32 behaviors; standard deviation = 5.8) correct food handling behaviors, and only 5.5% (6) of the 108 students used a food thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken (the "cook" behavior). All four behavior score types increased significantly ∼2 weeks postintervention and remained unchanged ∼3 months later. Student characteristics (e.g., having taken a prior food handling course) were not significant predictors of the total number of correctly performed food handling behaviors or of the "clean" or "separate" behaviors, working or volunteering in a food service establishment was the only characteristic significantly associated with food thermometer use (i.e., "cook"). Despite the significant increase in correct behaviors, students continued to use risky practices postintervention, suggesting that the risk of foodborne disease remained.

Cannabis use among middle and high school students in Ontario: a school-based cross-sectional study.

Cannabis use can have serious detrimental effects in children and adolescents. It is therefore important to continually assess the use of cannabis among young people in order to inform prevention efforts. We assessed the prevalence of cannabis use among middle and high school students in Ontario and examined its association with demographic and behavioural factors. Data were obtained from the 2015 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide school-based survey of students in grades 7 through 12. Analyses included a representative sample of 9920 middle and high school students. Bivariate cross-tabulations and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the factors associated with cannabis use. Overall, 21.5% and 13.9% of students reported using cannabis in the previous year and previous month, respectively. The conditional probability that an adolescent who reported cannabis use in the previous year would report daily use was 12.5%. There was a significant dose-response gradient with age, with older students being more likely to use cannabis than younger students. In multivariable analyses, being in grades 10 through 12 (odds ratios [ORs] ranged from 3.71 to 3.85), being black (OR 2.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.76-4.05]), using tobacco cigarettes (OR 10.10 [95% CI 8.68-13.92]) and being an occasional (OR 5.35 [95% CI 4.01-7.13]) or regular (OR 14.6 [95% CI 10.8-19.89]) alcohol user were associated with greater odds of cannabis use. Being an immigrant was associated with lower odds of cannabis use (OR 0.55 [95% CI 0.39-0.78]). The findings suggest that cannabis use is prevalent among middle and high school students in Ontario and is strongly associated with tobacco cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Future research should document trends in cannabis use over time, including its risks, especially when the legalization of recreational cannabis comes into effect.

Exploring the Predictive Validity of the Susceptibility to Smoking Construct for Tobacco Cigarettes, Alternative Tobacco Products, and E-Cigarettes.

Within tobacco prevention programming, it is useful to identify youth that are at risk for experimenting with various tobacco products and e-cigarettes. The susceptibility to smoking construct is a simple method to identify never-smoking students that are less committed to remaining smoke-free. However, the predictive validity of this construct has not been tested within the Canadian context or for the use of other tobacco products and e-cigarettes. This study used a large, longitudinal sample of secondary school students that reported never using tobacco cigarettes and noncurrent use of alternative tobacco products or e-cigarettes at baseline in Ontario, Canada. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the susceptibility construct for predicting tobacco cigarette, e-cigarette, cigarillo or little cigar, cigar, hookah, and smokeless tobacco use 1 and 2 years after baseline measurement were calculated. At baseline, 29.4% of the sample was susceptible to future tobacco product or e-cigarette use. The sensitivity of the construct ranged from 43.2% (smokeless tobacco) to 59.5% (tobacco cigarettes), the specificity ranged from 70.9% (smokeless tobacco) to 75.9% (tobacco cigarettes), and the positive predictive value ranged from 2.6% (smokeless tobacco) to 32.2% (tobacco cigarettes). Similar values were calculated for each measure of the susceptibility construct. A significant number of youth that did not currently use tobacco products or e-cigarettes at baseline reported using tobacco products and e-cigarettes over a 2-year follow-up period. The predictive validity of the susceptibility construct was high and the construct can be used to predict other tobacco product and e-cigarette use among youth. This study presents the predictive validity of the susceptibility construct for the use of tobacco cigarettes among secondary school students in Ontario, Canada. It also presents a novel use of the susceptibility construct for predicting the use of e-cigarettes, cigarillos or little cigars, cigars, hookah, and smokeless tobacco among secondary school students in Ontario, Canada.

High School Choices and the Gender Gap in STEM

Women who graduate from university are less likely than men to specialize in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). We use detailed administrative data for a recent cohort of high school students in Ontario, Canada, combined with data from the province's university admission system to analyze the dynamic process leading to this gap. We show that entry to STEM programs is mediated through an index of STEM readiness based on end-of-high-school courses in math and science. Most of the gender gap in STEM entry can be traced to differences in the rate of STEM readiness; less than a fifth is due to differences in the choice of major conditional on readiness. We then use high school course data to decompose the gap in STEM readiness among university entrants into two channels: one reflecting the gender gap in the fraction of high school students with the necessary prerequisites to enter STEM, and a second arising from differences in the fractions of females and males who enter university. The gender gap in the fraction of students with STEM prerequisites is small. The main factor is the lower university entry rate by men -- a difference that is due to the lower fraction of non-science oriented males who complete enough advanced level courses to qualify for university entry. We conclude that differences in course-taking patterns and preferences for STEM conditional on readiness contribute to male-female differences in the rate of entering STEM, but that the main source of the gap is the lower overall rate of university attendance by men.

The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNegative peer experiences may lead adolescents with overweight and obesity to be less active and engage in more sitting-related behaviors. Our study is among the first to empirically test these associations and hypothesized that 1) peer victimization would mediate the negative association between body weight status and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and 2) peer victimization would mediate the positive association between body weight status and screen time. Differences by gender were also explored.MethodsParticipants were a part of the Year 1 data (2012–2013) from the COMPASS study, a prospective cohort study of high school students in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. The final sample consisted of 18,147 students in grades 9 to 12 from 43 Ontario secondary schools. The predictor variable was weight status (non-overweight vs. overweight/obese), the mediator was peer victimization, and the outcome variables were screen time and MVPA. Multilevel path analysis was conducted, controlling for clustering within schools and covariates. A few differences were observed between males and females; therefore, the results are stratified by gender.ResultsFor both males and females peer victimization partially mediated the association between weight status and screen time. Specifically, females with overweight/obesity reported 34 more minutes/day of screen time than did females who were not overweight and 2 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing peer victimization. Similarly, males who were overweight/obese reported 13 more minutes/day of screen time than the males who were not overweight and 1 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing more victimization. Males and females who were overweight/obese also reported less MVPA compared to those who were not overweight; however, peer victimization did not mediate these associations in the hypothesized direction.ConclusionsWe found that higher rates of peer victimization experienced by adolescents with overweight and obesity partially explained why they engaged in more screen time than adolescents who were not overweight. However, the effects were small and may be of limited practical significance. Because this is one of the first studies to investigate these associations, more research is needed before bully prevention or conflict resolution training are explored as intervention strategies.

Sleep duration trends and trajectories among youth in the COMPASS study

ObjectivesLimited Canadian studies have examined youth sleep over time. This study explored sleep duration over recent years among youth, patterns over the course of secondary school, and subgroups at greater risk of sleep deprivation and problematic trajectories. DesignLongitudinal survey. Participants/SettingSecondary school students in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. Measures and analysesIn cross-sectional analyses, student-reported sleep duration was analyzed in three waves of the COMPASS study (Y2: 2013/2014, Y3: 2014/2015, Y4: 2015/2016), and differences by student-level (race/ethnicity, grade, sex) and school-level (urbanicity, median household income) variables were tested in the most recent wave. For the longitudinal analyses, group-based trajectory modeling was conducted using 3-year linked data, adding risk factors as predictors of problematic trajectories. ResultsAverage sleep durations declined over the 3 study waves, resulting in less than half of youth meeting the guideline of 8-10 hours per night. Four trajectory groups comprised almost 90% of participants, with 8.8% of students classified as long sleepers, whereas more than one-third of students belonged to 2 sleep-deprived trajectory groups (short [9.3%] and low-normal [26.7%]). In both the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, longer sleep durations were more likely among students who identified as male, White, in earlier grades, and attending schools in areas with higher median household income and classified as rural/small urban, relative to their counterparts. ConclusionsResults support the necessity of continued surveillance and interventions to monitor and counteract what appears to be an ongoing trend of diminishing sleep and a growing number of sleep-deprived adolescents. Targeted efforts in less affluent and more metropolitan areas warrant consideration.

Ethnoracial differences in cannabis use among native-born and foreign-born high school students in Ontario

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to examine the association of ethnoracial background and immigrant status to cannabis use among students in Ontario, Canada. Data were derived from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a school-based, province-wide survey of students in Grades 7–12. The survey utilized a stratified two-stage cluster design. Analyses were based on a pooled subsample of 12,527 students in Grades 9–12 during the 2011 and 2013 survey cycles and included adjustments for the complex sample design. Results indicate that youth who were of South Asian or East/Southeast Asian background were at lower odds of cannabis use than those who were White, Black, or mixed-race backgrounds. Youth who were of mixed-race background (i.e., White and another group) were at higher odds of cannabis use than youth who were of White background. The association between ethnoracial background and cannabis use also varied for some foreign-born and native-born youth. These findings suggest that ethnoracial background should be an important consideration in investigations of cannabis use among foreign- relative to native-born youth.

Looking beyond cigarettes: Are Ontario adolescents with asthma less likely to smoke e-cigarettes, marijuana, waterpipes or tobacco cigarettes?

ObjectivesThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether high school students in Ontario with asthma smoke cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana or e-cigarettes more or less than those without asthma. MethodsThe 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey provides self-report data on tobacco cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana and e-cigarette smoking and asthma rates from 109 high schools in Ontario, Canada. Individual and social characteristics were also collected. Multiple binary logistic regression models measures the association with the various types of smoking in relation to asthma. ResultsAdolescents with asthma have higher odds of smoking e-cigarettes or smoking any type including either cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana or e-cigarettes. Respondents of lower socio-economic status had a higher odds of smoking marijuana or any type. Boys were more likely to smoke waterpipes, e-cigarettes or any type, while students in higher grades had a higher odds of smoking cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana or any type. ConclusionsResults from this study suggest that adolescents with asthma have a higher odds of smoking e-cigarettes than those without asthma, but no relationship was found for cigarettes, waterpipes or marijuana. Findings present some new challenges as technology changes how adolescents can smoke. Public health campaigns should target adolescents, especially those with asthma, to raise their awareness of the risks of all types of smoking including e-cigarettes.

The search for healthy schools: A multilevel latent class analysis of schools and their students.

The objective of this study was to establish and investigate a taxonomy of school health among high school students in Ontario, Canada. Data analyzed were based on 3358 9th–12th graders attending 103 high schools who participated in the 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. Based on 10 health-related indicators, multilevel latent class analysis was used to extract 4 student-level latent classes and 3 school-level latent classes. Unhealthy schools (19% of schools) had the lowest proportion of healthy students (39%) and the highest proportion of substance-using (31%) and unhealthy (18%) students. Healthy schools (66%) contained the highest proportion of healthy students (56%) and smaller proportions of substance-using (22%) and unhealthy students (8%). Distressed schools (15%) were similar to healthy schools in terms of the proportions of healthy and unhealthy students. Distressed schools, however, were characterized by having the largest proportion of distressed students (35%) and the lowest proportion of substance-using students (4%). Meaningful categories of schools with respect to healthy environments can be identified and these categories could be used for focusing interventions and evaluating school health programs.

Food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices among Ontario high school students.

To measure the food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices of high school students in Ontario. We administered a school-wide paper survey to the student body (n = 2,860) of four Ontario high schools. We developed the survey by selecting questions from existing, validated questionnaires, prioritizing questions that aligned with the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education's educational messages and the food safety objectives from the 2013 Ontario High School Curriculum. One in five students reported currently handling food in commercial or public-serving venues; of these, 45.1% had ever taken a course that taught them how to prepare food (e.g., food and nutrition classes, food handler certification). Food safety knowledge among respondents was low. For example, 17.3% knew that the best way to determine whether hamburgers were cooked enough to eat was to measure the temperature with a food thermometer. Despite low knowledge, most respondents (72.7%) reported being confident that they could cook safe, healthy meals for themselves and their families. Safe food handling practices were frequently self-reported. Most students (86.5%) agreed that being able to cook safe, healthy meals was an important life skill, although their interest in learning about safe food handling and concern about foodborne disease were less pronounced. Our findings suggest that food safety knowledge is low, yet confidence in preparing safe, healthy meals is high, among high school students. Because work and volunteer opportunities put students in contact with both the public and food, this group is important to target for increased education about safe food handling.

School factors associated with the provision of physical education and levels of physical activity among elementary school students in Ontario.

To explore school and student characteristics associated with the number of physical education (PE) classes that elementary students received and to determine whether these characteristics and amount of PE were associated with the physical activity (PA) levels of elementary students. Multi-level modeling with school-level (n = 30) and student-level (n = 2,447) questionnaire data from the PLAY-ON study was used to explore the school factors associated with the number of PE classes that students in grades 5 to 8 report receiving, and how these factors were associated with their PA. The Theories of Organizational Change served to operationalize the main school factors measured in this study and included assessments of: organizational climate (school practices related to PE or PA), organizational capacity (school ability to provide students with more PE or PA), and school PA/PE policies. The number of PE classes reported per week was higher in schools that had two PA facilities in addition to a gymnasium (β = 1.13, p = 0.048) and in schools with greater levels of parental involvement in school-based PA decisions and programs (β = 2.06, p = 0.001). However, students in schools that provided more intramural programs reported fewer PE classes than those without (β = -1.97, p &lt; 0.001). The number of PE classes provided in the previous week was associated with greater odds of students being highly active compared to minimally active (OR = 1.14, p = 0.003). Organizational and structural factors within the school environment are related to the amount of PE that students receive at school. Strategies are required to resolve the resulting inequities.

Use of caffeinated energy drinks among secondary school students in Ontario: Prevalence and correlates of using energy drinks and mixing with alcohol.

Caffeinated energy drinks have become increasingly popular among young people, raising concern about possible adverse effects, including increased alcohol consumption and related risk behaviours. The current study examined consumption of caffeinated energy drinks and use of energy drinks with alcohol, as well as associations with socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics, among a sample of secondary school students in Ontario. Survey data from 23,610 grade 9-12 students at 43 purposefully sampled Ontario secondary schools participating in the baseline wave (2012/13) of the COMPASS study were analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Outcomes were any energy drink use, frequency of use, and use of alcohol mixed with energy drinks; covariates were age, sex, race, spending money, bodymass index (BMI), weight-related efforts and alcohol use. Two-way interactions between sex and other covariates were tested. Nearly one in five students (18.2%) reported consuming energy drinks in a usual week. Use of energy drinks was associated (p &lt; 0.01) with all socio-demographic variables examined and was more common among students who were male, off-reserve Aboriginal, had some spending money, had a BMI outside of "healthy" range, were trying to lose weight, and/or reported a higher intensity of alcohol use. Interactions with sex were observed for age, spending money and weight-related efforts. Use of energy drinks mixed with alcohol in the previous 12 months was reported by 17.3% of the sample, and was associated with race, spending money, and more frequent binge drinking. Regular use of energy drinks was common among this sample of students and strongly linked to alcohol consumption.

Waterpipe use among high school students in Ontario: Demographic and substance use correlates.

To examine waterpipe use and its association with demographic factors, tobacco cigarette smoking, ever use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and alcohol use among high school students. Data were derived from the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a school-based survey of 7th to 12th grade students. This province-wide survey was based on a stratified two-stage cluster design. Analyses were based on a subsample of 2,873 high school students and included adjustments for the complex sample design. Overall, 12.5% of high school students (grades 9-12) had used a waterpipe in the previous year. Awareness of waterpipes was high - 68.4% of students reported that they were aware of waterpipes but had not used one in the past year; 19.1% had never heard of waterpipes or hookah. The percentage of high school students reporting waterpipe use in the past year was similar to reports of tobacco cigarette use (12.5% and 11% respectively). Waterpipe use was highly associated with past-year tobacco cigarette and regular alcohol use as well as ever use of e-cigarettes. In multivariate analyses, males and females had similar odds of waterpipe use, and non-White students and those in higher grades had greater odds of use after controlling for other substance use. These findings suggest that waterpipe use among high school students should be of some concern and suggest the need for policy measures to address potential risks associated with use.

The dandelion evolution outreach program: learning through inquiry-based community engagement

Science outreach programs have positive effects on students in both elementary and high school, but are often developed as internships, thus limiting access and requiring significant financial investment. Several larger scale evolution-themed outreach programs have been developed in the United States where academic institutions are addressing a specific need to actively promote science-thinking in direct opposition to other ways. This context is unfamiliar in other countries. Here we present a pilot implementation of the Dandelion Evolution Outreach Program designed to provide an inquiry-based learning opportunity in evolution for grade 11 high school students in Ontario, Canada. This program is flexible with respect to time commitment, low cost, is applicable throughout North America and many other regions of the world, and is learner-centered through active learning with both simulation and inquiry-based activities. We found that students were engaged with our lesson plan including both the simulation and inquiry-based activities. Results of our post-assessment suggested that students were able to formulate appropriate predictions relevant to the concepts of natural selection. The scalability of this program will be demonstrated further as more schools become involved in future offerings. The Dandelion Evolution Outreach Program is an effective means of engaging secondary school students in active, inquiry-based learning that does not restrict access.