Health Reports, January 2024

Released: 2024-01-17

The January issue of Health Reports contains two articles.

Where do adolescents in Canada obtain their sexual health information?

Sexual health education has been associated with increased rates of condom use and improvements in many other sexual risk behaviours. The study "Where do 15- to -17-year-olds in Canada get their sexual health information?" found that more than half of 15- to -17-year-olds in Canada identified school (56%) and parents or caregivers (51%) as sources of sexual health information. The Internet (46%), friends (36%), and health care professionals (21%) were other common sources.

Using data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, the study also found that a majority (97%) of adolescents reported having at least one source of sexual health information, while 3% reported not having any source. Nearly 15% of adolescents reported not having an adult to talk with about sexual health or puberty.

Sex at birth, sexual attraction, and/or gender diversity among the many factors associated with differences in sources consulted

Differences in sources consulted and having an adult to talk with depended on many factors, including one's sex at birth, sexual attraction and/or gender diversity, racialized status, immigrant status, lower-income status, strength of parent-adolescent relationship based on the frequency of communication, and region of residence.

More boys (59%) than girls (53%) identified school as a source of sexual health information. However, a higher percentage of girls identified parents or guardians (56% for girls versus 47% for boys), friends (41% for girls versus 32% for boys), health care professionals (25% for girls versus 17% for boys), and books (8% for girls versus 6% for boys). It was more common for boys to report having one source (38% for boys versus 33% for girls) or no typical sources (5% for boys versus 2% for girls). Reporting three sources (21% for girls versus 17% for boys) or four or more sources (19% for girls versus 15% for boys) was more common among girls.

Shingles and pneumococcal vaccination among older Canadians

Vaccination can play an important role in the overall health and well-being of older adults. Because immunity declines with age, older adults are at higher risk of contracting certain diseases and experiencing more severe outcomes and medical complications. The study "Factors associated with shingles and pneumococcal vaccination among older Canadians," addresses the uptake of two vaccines recommended for older Canadians using data from the Canadian Health Survey on Seniors, 2019/2020. It estimated that over one-third (36%) of Canadians aged 65 and older had received the shingles vaccine, while approximately half (51%) had received the pneumococcal vaccine (also known as the pneumonia vaccine).

Having a regular health care provider or having previously had the flu shot made vaccination more likely

After accounting for other sociodemographic, economic, and health factors, those with a regular health care provider had more than twice the odds of pneumococcal vaccination and 1.6 times the odds of shingles vaccination. Compared with those who had never had a flu shot, the odds of being vaccinated against pneumococcal disease were 13.5 times higher for those who had had a flu shot in the 12 months prior to the survey. The corresponding figure was 5.2 times for shingles vaccination.

Being a woman and having a higher socioeconomic status were also associated with a greater likelihood of vaccination against both shingles and pneumococcal disease, while immigrants, those living outside large population centres, and members of South Asian and Chinese population groups were less likely to have been vaccinated against either disease.

More than one-third of the unvaccinated think the vaccines are unnecessary

More than one-third of unvaccinated individuals did not think the shingles (40%) or the pneumococcal (37%) vaccine was necessary. Other frequently reported reasons for not getting either vaccine were not knowing about it or the doctor not mentioning it. Additionally, cost was a factor for 12% of those unvaccinated against shingles.

Identifying factors associated with vaccine uptake can help to support efforts to target the promotion of vaccines.

Products

The articles "Where do 15- to -17-year-olds in Canada get their sexual health information?" and "Factors associated with shingles and pneumococcal vaccination among older Canadians" are now available in the January 2024 online issue of Health Reports, Vol. 35, No. 01 (Catalogue number82-003-X).

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).