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OBJECTIVE: The present study examined reports of changing eating to manage weight/shape over one year among adolescents. It also tested how changing eating for weight/shape was associated with physical activity (resistance training, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; MVPA) and mental health (depressive symptoms, flourishing), and whether weight perceptions moderated these associations. METHODS: Participants were Canadian adolescents (N = 20,614, Mage ± SD = 14.4 ± 1.3, 52.9% girls) who completed self-report surveys in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 waves of the COMPASS study. Separate multilevel models were tested for each outcome. RESULTS: Approximately 30% of adolescents reported changing their eating to manage weight/shape at least once a week. More days of changing eating were associated with significantly higher depressive symptoms and lower flourishing cross-sectionally (b = 0.51, b = -0.27) and over time (b = 0.35, -0.20); the flourishing association over time was weaker for adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight relative to about right. More days of changing eating were also associated with more MVPA and resistance training cross-sectionally (b = 2.81, b = 0.19) and over time (b = 1.28, b = 10). The relationship between changing eating and MVPA over time was stronger for adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight relative to about right; whereas the cross-sectional relationship between changing eating and resistance training was weaker. CONCLUSIONS: Reports of changing eating to manage weight/shape were associated with divergent health outcomes; research into how and to what extreme adolescents are changing eating to manage weight/shape, and identity factors that may contribute to these differences, is warranted.
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Ejercicio Físico , Conducta Alimentaria , Humanos , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , Canadá , Estudios Transversales , Estudios Prospectivos , Conducta Alimentaria/psicología , Peso Corporal , Prevalencia , Depresión , Autoinforme , Imagen Corporal/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Entrenamiento de FuerzaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Public health unit (PHU) engagement in schools is important for promoting wellness in students. We aimed to investigate if PHU engagement with schools may have provided protection against the risk of depression and anxiety in students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We used longitudinal data from the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking and Sedentary behaviour survey between the 2018/19 and 2020/21 academic years. Multilevel models were used to assess the association between PHU engagement with school mental health programs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and depressive (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale Revised) and anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale) during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The sample included 23 894 students across 104 secondary schools in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. In confounder-adjusted models, PHU engagement before the pandemic was not associated with student depressive symptoms (B = -0.01, 95% CI = -0.04, 0.02), but was protective against anxiety symptoms (B = -0.03, -0.06, 0.001) during the COVID-19 pandemic. DISCUSSION: The results highlight that PHU engagement with mental health programming in schools was protective against anxiety for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings support the importance of PHU engagement for improving student mental health and pandemic recovery.
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BACKGROUND: E-cigarette use represents a contemporary mode of nicotine product use that may be changing the risk profile of participating adolescents. Understanding differences in sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents engaging in contemporary e-cigarette use and traditional cigarette use is important for effectively developing and targeting public health intervention programs. The objective of this study was to identify and compare sociodemographic risk profiles for exclusive e-cigarette use and dual-product use among a large sample of Canadian youth. METHODS: A survey of 46,666 secondary school students in the 2021-22 wave of the COMPASS study measured frequency of past month e-cigarette and cigarette use as well as age, sex, gender, racial or ethnic background, spending money, relative family affluence, and having one's own bedroom. Rates of cigarette-only, e-cigarette-only, and dual product use were calculated, and separate classification trees were run using the CART algorithm to identify sociodemographic risk profiles for weekly dual-product use and weekly e-cigarette-only use. RESULTS: Over 13% of adolescents used only e-cigarettes at least weekly, 3% engaged in weekly dual e-cigarette and cigarette use, and less than 0.5% used only cigarettes. Available spending money was a common predictor of dual-product and e-cigarette-only use. Gender diverse youth and youth with lower perceived family affluence were at higher risk for dual-product use, while white and multiethnic adolescents were at greater risk of e-cigarette-only use. Two high-risk profiles were identified for e-cigarette-only use and four high-risk profiles were identified for dual product use. CONCLUSIONS: This study used a novel modelling approach (CART) to identify combinations of sociodemographic characteristics that profile high-risk groups for exclusive e-cigarette and dual-product use. Unique risk profiles were identified, suggesting that e-cigarettes are attracting new demographics of adolescents who have not previously been considered as high-risk for traditional cigarette use.
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Sistemas Electrónicos de Liberación de Nicotina , Humanos , Adolescente , Masculino , Femenino , Canadá , Sistemas Electrónicos de Liberación de Nicotina/estadística & datos numéricos , Factores Sociodemográficos , Factores de Riesgo , Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Factores Socioeconómicos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Productos de Tabaco/estadística & datos numéricos , VapeoRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern, and studying its multifaceted factors using traditional methods possess challenges. This study employs random forest (RF) algorithms to determine factors predicting adolescent depression scores. METHODS: This study utilized self-reported survey data from 56,008 Canadian students (grades 7-12) attending 182 schools during the 2021/22 academic year. RF algorithms were applied to identify the correlates of (i) depression scores (CESD-R-10) and (ii) presence of clinically relevant depression (CESD-R-10 ≥ 10). RESULTS: RF achieved a 71% explained variance, accurately predicting depression scores within a 3.40 unit margin. The top 10 correlates identified by RF included other measures of mental health (anxiety symptoms, flourishing, emotional dysregulation), home life (excessive parental expectations, happy home life, ability to talk to family), school connectedness, sleep duration, and gender. In predicting clinically relevant depression, the algorithm showed 84% accuracy, 0.89 sensitivity, and 0.79 AUROC, aligning closely with the correlates identified for depression score. CONCLUSION: This study highlights RF's utility in identifying important correlates of adolescent depressive symptoms. RF's natural hierarchy offers an advantage over traditional methods. The findings underscore the importance and additional potential of sleep health promotion and school belonging initiatives in preventing adolescent depression.
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INTRODUCTION: The present study examined predictors of negative changes in weight control intentions from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents. METHODS: Participants were Canadian secondary school students enrolled in the COMPASS study and had completed self-report surveys before (T1; 2018/2019 and/or 2019/2020 school year) and during (T2; 2020/2021 and/or 2021/2022) the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 11,869, Mage ± SD = 13.79 years old ± 1.15, 52.89% girls, 45.30% boys, 1.81% gender diverse). Demographic, interpersonal, behavioral, and psychological predictors of weight control intention change from T1 (stay the same weight, not doing anything about weight) to T2 (lose weight, gain weight) were tested using multilevel logistic regressions. RESULTS: Over one-third (37.0%) of adolescents who reported wanting to stay the same weight at T1 changed their intention to lose or gain weight at T2, as did 28.5% of adolescents who reported not wanting to do anything about their weight at T1. Changing weight control intention from "not doing anything about weight" at T1 to weight gain/loss at T2 was associated with resistance training, emotion dysregulation, bullying, social media use, and gender. Changing weight control intention from "stay the same weight" at T1 to weight gain/loss at T2 was associated with gender, perceived financial comfort, social media use, and flourishing. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the prevalence of maladaptive weight control intention changes among adolescents, and elucidate related behavioral, interpersonal, demographic, and psychological factors. Findings can inform targeted intervention and prevention strategies to disrupt maladaptive changes in weight control intentions among high-risk subgroups.
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COVID-19 , Intención , Humanos , Adolescente , Masculino , Femenino , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/psicología , Canadá , Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Estudios Prospectivos , SARS-CoV-2 , Pérdida de Peso , Peso CorporalRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: An estimated 30% of Canadian adolescents do not get the recommended 8-10hours of sleep. No prior study has examined the role of income inequality, the gap between rich and poor within a society, in adolescent sleep. The aim of this study is to examine the association between income inequality and sleep duration among Canadian adolescents, how this association differs by gender, and whether depressive symptoms, anxiety, and social cohesion mediate this relationship. METHODS: Multilevel path models were conducted using cross-sectional survey data from 74,501 adolescents who participated in the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking, and Sedentary behavior (COMPASS) study in 2018-2019. Income inequality was measured at the census division level and sleep duration, gender, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and social cohesion were measured at the individual level. RESULTS: A 1% increase in income inequality was associated with a 3.67-minute decrease in sleep duration (95% CI=-5.64 to -1.70). The cross-level interactions between income inequality and gender were significant, suggesting that income inequality has more adverse associations with sleep among females than males. Both depressive symptoms and anxiety were significant mediators, wherein greater income inequality was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety, which were in turn, associated with a shorter sleep duration. CONCLUSION: Interventions that reduce income inequality may prevent depressive symptoms and anxiety and improve sleep in adolescents. Reducing societal income gaps may improve adolescent sleep especially in those attending school in high income inequality areas, females, and those experiencing depressive symptoms and anxiety.
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Depresión , Renta , Sueño , Humanos , Adolescente , Masculino , Femenino , Canadá , Estudios Transversales , Renta/estadística & datos numéricos , Depresión/epidemiología , Ansiedad/epidemiología , Factores Socioeconómicos , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
The purpose of this study was to explore the adaptations that schools made to physical activity programs and facilities, and disparities by area urbanicity and income, during the first school year after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a convenience sample of 132 secondary schools in Canada, school contacts responded to an annual survey in the 2020-2021 school year on changes to physical activity programs and facilities, and related staff training. Content analysis categorized open-ended text responses, and schools were compared based on area urbanicity and median income. Most schools canceled all interschool sports (88.9%) and intramurals (65.9%). New programs were added by 12.6% of schools, and about half (49%) of schools reported some continuing programs, most of which were sports programs, followed by facility and equipment access. Physical activity facilities were closed in 18.1% of schools, while 15.7% had new facilities added, and 11% temporarily converted facilities into learning spaces. Large/medium urban schools were at greater odds of having made any change to their facilities compared to schools in rural/small urban areas (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.3 (1.1, 4.8)). The results demonstrate the considerable scale and nature of the restrictions in school provisions of physical activity opportunities during this period, as well as the resourcefulness of some schools in adding new programs and facilities.
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COVID-19 , Ejercicio Físico , Instituciones Académicas , COVID-19/prevención & control , COVID-19/epidemiología , Humanos , Canadá , Adolescente , SARS-CoV-2 , CuarentenaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Research characterizing substance use disparities between gender minority youth (GMY) and non-GMY (i.e. girls and boys) is limited. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in substance use behaviours among gender identity (GI) groups and identify associated risk and protective factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from Canadian secondary school students (n = 42 107) that participated in Year 8 (2019/20) or Year 9 (2020/21) of the COMPASS study were used. Hierarchal logistic regression models estimated current substance use (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, binge drinking, cannabis and nonmedical prescription opioids [NMPOs]). Predictor variables included sociodemographics, other substances, mental health outcomes, school connectedness, bullying and happy home life. Interaction terms were used to test mental health measures as moderators in the association between GI and substance use. RESULTS: Compared to non-GMY, GMY reported a higher prevalence for all substance use outcomes. In the adjusted analyses, GMY had higher odds of cigarette, cannabis and NMPO use and lower odds for e-cigarette use relative to non-GMY. The likelihood of using any given substance was higher among individuals who were involved with other substances. School connectedness and happy home life had a protective effect for all substances except binge drinking. Bullying victimization was associated with greater odds of cigarette, e-cigarette use and NMPOs. Significant interactions between GI and all mental health measures were detected. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of collecting a GI measure in youth population surveys and prioritizing GMY in substance use-related prevention, treatment and harm reduction programs. Future studies should investigate the effects of GI status on substance use onset and progression among Canadian adolescents over time.
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Consumo Excesivo de Bebidas Alcohólicas , Cannabis , Sistemas Electrónicos de Liberación de Nicotina , Humanos , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , Estudios Transversales , Consumo Excesivo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/epidemiología , Canadá/epidemiología , Identidad de Género , Analgésicos OpioidesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness-a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes-from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset. METHODS: We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian secondary schools that participated during the 2019-2020 (T1; pre-COVID-19 onset) and 2020-2021 (T2; ongoing pandemic) school years. Fixed effects analyses tested differences in school connectedness changes by gender, race, bullying victimization, socioeconomic position, and school learning mode. RESULTS: Relatively greater declines in school connectedness were reported by students that identified as females, were bullied, perceived their family to be less financially comfortable than their classmates, and attended schools in lower income areas. Marginally greater school connectedness declines resulted among students attending schools that were fully online at T2 than those at schools using a blended model. CONCLUSION: Results point to disparate school connectedness declines during the pandemic, which may exacerbate pre-existing health inequities by gender and socioeconomic position, and among bullied youth. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Effective strategies to improve school climates for equity denied groups are critical for pandemic recovery and preparedness for future related events.
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Acoso Escolar , COVID-19 , Instituciones Académicas , Estudiantes , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/psicología , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , Canadá/epidemiología , Acoso Escolar/psicología , Acoso Escolar/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudiantes/psicología , Estudiantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudios Prospectivos , SARS-CoV-2 , Factores Socioeconómicos , PandemiasRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Internalized weight bias (IWB) has been identified as a correlate of higher depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents with higher weights. However, there has been limited investigation into how IWB relates to positive mental health and whether these associations differ across genders. OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations between IWB and mental health (depression, anxiety, flourishing) in adolescents with higher weights, and to test the potential moderating role of gender. METHODS: Canadian adolescents with higher weights (N = 7538, 60% boys, 36% girls, 4% gender diverse, ages 12-19) from the COMPASS study completed a survey during the 2021-2022 school year. Data were analysed using generalized linear models. RESULTS: Highest IWB and poorest mental health were noted within gender diverse adolescents, followed by girls then boys. Gender moderated the relationship between higher IWB and higher depression, higher anxiety and lower flourishing, with the strongest relationships noted among girls. CONCLUSION: IWB interventions should be tailored to gender subgroups that may be particularly vulnerable to maladaptive mental health outcomes associated with IWB. System-level changes that mitigate perpetuation of weight bias and discrimination which lead to IWB are also essential, particularly for girls.
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Ansiedad , Depresión , Salud Mental , Humanos , Adolescente , Masculino , Femenino , Canadá/epidemiología , Salud Mental/estadística & datos numéricos , Ansiedad/epidemiología , Ansiedad/psicología , Depresión/epidemiología , Depresión/psicología , Niño , Adulto Joven , Imagen Corporal/psicología , Autoimagen , Prejuicio de Peso/psicología , Factores Sexuales , Peso Corporal , Obesidad Infantil/epidemiología , Obesidad Infantil/psicologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Dual use of cannabis and alcohol has increased in adolescents, but limited research has examined how it relates to impaired driving or riding with an impaired driver (IDR) compared to single substance use. This study aimed to examine the odds of alcohol- and/or cannabis-IDR among adolescents based on their use of alcohol and/or cannabis, and whether associations differed by gender and age. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data were used from a sample of 69,621 students attending 182 Canadian secondary schools in the 2021/22 school year. Multilevel logistic regression estimated the odds of exclusive alcohol-IDR, exclusive cannabis-IDR, and both alcohol and cannabis IDR (alcohol-cannabis-IDR). Substance use interactions with gender and age were tested. RESULTS: Overall, 14.7% of participants reported IDR; 7.5% reported exclusive alcohol-IDR, 3.2% reported exclusive cannabis-IDR, 4.0% reported alcohol-cannabis-IDR, and 7.4% were unsure if they had experienced IDR. The prevalence of IDR varied across substance use groups, 8.0% among nonuse, 21.9% among alcohol-only use, 35.9% among cannabis-only use, and 49.6% among dual use groups. Gender diverse, older, and students with lower socioeconomic status exhibited a higher likelihood of reporting alcohol-cannabis-IDR. Dual use was significantly associated with 9.5 times higher odds of alcohol-cannabis-IDR compared to alcohol-only use, and 3.0 times higher odds compared to cannabis-only use. Dual use was also associated with an increased likelihood of either alcohol- or cannabis-IDR. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that all students, regardless of substance use, are at risk of IDR, but students engaged in dual use of alcohol and cannabis face an elevated risk compared to both peers who do not use substances and those who use only a single substance. These findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions that address the risks associated with IDR.
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Conducir bajo la Influencia , Humanos , Masculino , Adolescente , Femenino , Estudios Transversales , Canadá/epidemiología , Conducir bajo la Influencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/epidemiología , Prevalencia , Fumar Marihuana/epidemiología , Estudiantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Consumo de Alcohol en Menores/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To provide contemporary evidence of how dietary intake and eating behaviours vary by social positions among adolescents. METHODS: We used survey data collected during the 2020-2021 school year from 52,138 students attending 133 secondary schools in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, Canada. Multiple regression models tested whether self-reported indicators of dietary intake and eating behaviours differed by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). RESULTS: Females were more likely than males to skip breakfast, restrict eating, and consume fruit, vegetables, and fast food on more days. Gender-diverse/"prefer not to say" students were more likely to restrict eating than males and the least likely to consume breakfast and drink water daily, and fruits and vegetables regularly. Black and Latin American students were more likely to restrict eating and consume purchased snacks and fast food, and less likely to drink water daily than white and Asian adolescents. Daily breakfast consumption was most likely among Latin American students. Black students were the least likely to report eating breakfast daily and fruits and vegetables regularly. Lower SES was associated with lower odds of eating breakfast and drinking water daily and regular fruit and vegetable consumption, and higher odds of restrictive eating and purchased snack consumption. Fast food consumption had a u-shaped association with SES. CONCLUSION: Results emphasize gender, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in the diets and eating behaviours of adolescents. There is a critical need to address the structural factors contributing to inequities and prevent the consequences of dietary disparities.
RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Montrer à l'aide de preuves contemporaines que les apports et les comportements alimentaires des adolescentes et des adolescents varient selon leur position sociale. MéTHODE: Nous avons utilisé des données d'enquête recueillies durant l'année scolaire 20202021 auprès de 52 138 élèves fréquentant 133 écoles secondaires en Alberta, en Colombie-Britannique, en Ontario et au Québec (Canada). Des modèles de régression multiple ont déterminé si des indicateurs autodéclarés d'apports alimentaires et de comportements alimentaires différaient selon le genre, la race/l'ethnicité et le statut socioéconomique (SSE). RéSULTATS: Les filles étaient plus susceptibles que les garçons de sauter le petit déjeuner, de restreindre leur alimentation et de consommer des fruits, des légumes et des aliments de restauration rapide sur un plus grand nombre de jours. Les élèves de diverses identités de genre/« préférant ne pas répondre ¼ à la question du genre étaient plus susceptibles de restreindre leur alimentation que les garçons; c'était aussi la population d'élèves la moins susceptible de prendre un petit déjeuner et de boire de l'eau tous les jours, et de consommer des fruits et légumes régulièrement. La population étudiante noire et latino-américaine était plus susceptible de restreindre son alimentation et de consommer des collations achetées et des aliments de restauration rapide, et moins susceptible de boire de l'eau tous les jours, que les adolescentes et les adolescents blancs et asiatiques. La consommation quotidienne du petit déjeuner était la plus probable chez les élèves latino-américains. Les élèves noirs étaient les moins susceptibles de déclarer prendre un petit déjeuner tous les jours et consommer des fruits et légumes régulièrement. Le SSE plus faible était associé à des probabilités moins élevées de prendre un petit déjeuner et de boire de l'eau tous les jours et de consommer des fruits et légumes régulièrement, et à des probabilités plus élevées de restreindre son alimentation et de consommer des collations achetées. La consommation d'aliments de restauration rapide présentait une association en U avec le SSE. CONCLUSION: Les résultats montrent qu'il existe des iniquités sur les plans du genre, de la race/l'ethnicité et du statut socioéconomique dans les régimes et les comportements alimentaires des adolescentes et des adolescents. Il existe un besoin pressant d'aborder les facteurs structurels qui contribuent à ces iniquités et de prévenir les conséquences des disparités alimentaires.
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Dieta , Conducta Alimentaria , Humanos , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , Canadá , Dieta/estadística & datos numéricos , Inequidades en Salud , Ingestión de Alimentos , Conducta del Adolescente , Factores Socioeconómicos , Estudiantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudiantes/psicologíaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the impact of risk factors for adolescent mental health, including financial worry. Social support has shown to protect from negative mental health during times of stress. We examined the effect of financial worry on changes in anxiety and depression symptoms among Canadian adolescents prior to and during the pandemic, and assessed whether social support from family and friends moderated any changes. METHODS: We analyzed 2-year linked data from the 2018/19 (pre-pandemic) and 2020/21 (during-pandemic) waves of the COMPASS study, with reports from 12 995 Canadian secondary school students. A series of multilevel linear regressions were conducted to examine the main hypotheses under study. RESULTS: Students scored an average (SD) of 7.2 (5.8) on the anxiety (GAD-7) and 10.0 (6.5) on the depression (CESD-10) scales; 16.1% reported they experienced financial worry during the pandemic. Financial worry was a strong and significant predictor of increased anxiety scores (+1.7 score between those reporting "true/mostly true" versus "false/mostly false") during the pandemic, but not for depression scores. Low family and friend support were associated with anxiety, and low family support was associated with depression. No significant interactions were detected between social support and financial worry. CONCLUSIONS: Pandemic-related financial worry was significantly associated with anxiety in our large sample of Canadian adolescents. Clinical and public health initiatives should be aware of adolescents' financial worry and its associations with anxiety during times of crisis.
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COVID-19 , Pandemias , Adolescente , Humanos , Estudios Prospectivos , Salud Mental , COVID-19/epidemiología , Canadá/epidemiología , Ansiedad/epidemiología , Apoyo Social , Depresión/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: To assess whether changes in breakfast and water consumption during the first full school year after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic varied based on sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status among Canadian adolescents. METHODS: Prospective annual survey data collected pre- (October 2019-March 2020) and post-COVID-19 onset (November 2020-June 2021) the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, and Sedentary behaviour (COMPASS) study. The sample consisted of 8,128 students; mean (SD) age = 14.2 (1.3) years from a convenience sample of 41 Canadian secondary schools. At both timepoints self-reported breakfast and water consumption were dichotomized as daily or not. Multivariable logistic generalized estimating equations with school clustering were used to estimate differences in maintenance/adoption of daily consumption post-COVID-19 based on demographic factors, while controlling for pre-COVID-19 behaviour. RESULTS: Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals are reported. Females (AOR = 0.71 [0.63, 0.79]) and lower socioeconomic status individuals (AORLowest:Highest=0.41 [0.16, 1.00]) were less likely to maintain/adopt daily breakfast consumption than male and higher socioeconomic status peers in the 2020-2021 school year. Black identifying individuals were less likely than all other racial/ethnic identities to maintain/adopt plain water consumption every day of the week (AOR = 0.33 [0.15, 0.75], p < 0.001). No significant interaction effects were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the hypothesis that changes in nutritional behaviours were not equal across demographic groups. Female, lower socioeconomic status, and Black adolescents reported greater declines in healthy nutritional behaviours. Public health interventions to improve adherence to daily breakfast and water consumption should target these segments of the population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not a trial.
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BACKGROUND: Very little research has examined how perceptions of cannabis access among underage youth in Canada have changed since cannabis was legalized and since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this paper examines the effect of the early and ongoing stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period on youth perceptions of cannabis access over time since the onset of the Cannabis Act in 2018 in a large sample of Canadian youth. METHODS: Using data from the COMPASS study (T1:2018/19, T2:2019/20, T3:2020/21), we used both repeat cross-sectional data [T1 (n = 38,890), T2 (n = 24,109), and T3 (n = 22,795)] to examine overall trends in perceptions of cannabis access, and sequential cohort longitudinal data [n = 4,677 students linked from T1 to T3] to examine the differential changes in perceptions of cannabis access among students over time. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional sample, the frequency of students reporting that cannabis was easy to access decreased by 26.7% from T1 (51.0%) to T3 (37.4%), although respondents who have used cannabis were more likely to report access was easy. In the longitudinal sample, perceptions of cannabis access being easy increased over time, especially among cannabis users. Perceived ease of access appears to have been slightly impeded during the initial pandemic period but rebounded during the ongoing pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS: While the prevalence of youth reporting that cannabis is easy to access has declined since legalization and throughout the early and ongoing pandemic periods, a substantial number of underage youth continue to report that cannabis is easy to access. This suggest that there is an ongoing need for continued cannabis control efforts to address this issue.