The state of Canadian society is rapidly changing - children and youth are encountering obstacles in family dynamics, economics, technology, and overall health. Some of these have been developing over the past few decades, while others are unique to present day. The impact of these obstacles on the growth and development of young Canadians is not known. Family Life Economics Technology Health Physical Inactivity and our Young Family Life The number of parents who separate or divorce has tripled in the last 20 years. One out of every six children under the age of 12 has parents who are separated or divorced. While the majority of these children are faring well, about one in three had one or more behavioral problems, one in 10 had repeated a grade at school, and one in 20 had difficulty relating to others. Although most children with such problems come from two-parent families, the incidence is higher among children in lone-parent families Top Economics In Canada, the gap between rich and poor families grew by more than $3,000 between 1994 and 1996. Furthermore, the number of poor families grew from 1.36 million in 1994 to 1.5 million in 1996, raising the child poverty rate from 19.5 to 21 per cent. These families spend most of their income on the bare essentials and cannot afford many of the luxuries that wealthier families take for granted. Top Technology New technology has the potential to both positively and negatively influence physical activity levels among children and youth. The average Canadian child watches more than 26 hours of television, and young people are spending a great deal more time on computers and playing video games. From this perspective, technology can be viewed as contributing to sedentary lifestyles. However, numerous programs developed to help children and youth are delivered through the Internet, including those which encourage participation in physical activity and sport. While there is a socioeconomic gap with regard to home-based internet access the number of public access sites to the internet through schools, libraries, and community centres is steadily increasing. (40% of households own computers; 25%, have internet access;*) Hence, technology must be viewed with both an awareness of its limitations, as well as a respect for its capacity to enhance physical activity opportunities for children and youth. * Source: National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NITIA) and U.S. Census Bureau, 1999. Top Health An estimated 57,000 Canadian children under 12 experience hunger due to lack of food or money in 1994. The effects of hunger on child health and well-being are serious and wide-ranging. They include a greater incidence of illness compared to well-fed children, and a decreased ability to concentrate, which in turn reduces the ability to learn. Other health issues are smoking and inactivity. Among youth aged 15 to 19, smoking rates have increased from 21 per cent of both young women and men in 1990, to 31 per cent of young women and 28 per cent in young men in 1996. With respect to physical activity, two-thirds of children are not active enough to lay a solid foundation for future health and well-being. Top Physical Inactivity and our Young Benefits The benefits of physical activity are numerous and diverse. Physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality in general, and of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and diabetes mellitus. In addition, there are educational, psychosocial and financial benefits. Despite these benefits, just over one-third of children and youth meet the guidelines for optimal growth and healthy development. Children's habitual physical activity levels are low, and more important, these levels decline dramatically from childhood through adolescence. Childhood is an important time to lay the foundation for future health. Moreover, the habits of inactivity established in childhood will be carried into adulthood. Barriers There are various constraints that prevent children and youth from participating in physical activity programs. Often cited as a barrier is lack of money. This can be on the part of the families, in the educational system, or in the community recreation departments. Aspects of the programs themselves that are barriers to participation include excessive focus on competition, the structure of the program, bias towards males, and the lack of youth input in the planning of the programs. Other barriers to physical activity are lack of family support and the inability to obtain information on the programs. Top