Gender, sex and health data
Both gender and sex can have negative and positive influences on a person's health. When data is collected, it's based on the gender data available or how a person has self-identified.
Choices, risks and behaviours
Rates of smoking, heavy drinking and injuries are high in the Yukon compared to the rest of Canada. Although these rates are higher for all Yukoners, data shows there are higher rates among men. Prevalence of these behaviours differs depending on age and location.
For youth, substance use can relate to school climate and peer and family support.
Gender, age and location influence self-care and wellness
In the Yukon, rates of perceived health are similar between genders. But women are more likely to engage in self-care behaviours, like healthy eating and going to a doctor.
According to a study, girls in grades 9 and 10 in rural communities have the poorest health. They also have higher smoking rates and are most likely to have had an alcoholic drink in the past 30 days.
Active Yukoners
Most Yukoners are moderately active or active during their leisure time. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, people who are physically active:
- live longer;
- are more productive;
- have a higher quality of life; and
- experience less illness and injury.
Gender and sports
Positive experiences with sport contribute to healthy self-esteem for young women. And increased self-esteem allows women and girls to positively engage with their community.
Barriers to sport participation
There are many barriers to sport participation. These can include:
- income;
- living in a remote community;
- disabilities; or
- having recently moved to Canada from another country.
There are also barriers for women, girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, 2-spirit plus people in sport.
Time-based
These barriers stem from responsibilities like school, work or family responsibilities.
Access and opportunity
This includes cost, lack of transportation and lack of culturally relevant opportunities.
Programming
Including a lack of female-only or safer options for gender diverse Yukoners.
Sports for women
The most popular sport that women in the Yukon engage in is cross-country skiing. They also take part in:
- traditional Indigenous sports like archery and arctic sports;
- dance;
- hiking; and
- biking.
What are the indicators?
The indicators below tell us more about sex, gender and health in the Yukon. The last 2 indicators tell us about gender, sports and physical activity in the Yukon.
Perceived health
61.2%
In 2019/2020, the proportion of Yukoners who perceived their health as very good or excellent was 61.2% (61.7% for women and 60.7% for men).
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table 13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Perceived mental health
66.1%
The proportion of Yukoners who viewed their mental health as very good or excellent in 2019/2020 was 66.1%, with a similar proportion among men (67.3%) and women (64%).
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Perceived life satisfaction
94.3%
- In 2019/2020, 95.1% of women and 93.6% of men reported having a perceived life satisfaction of satisfied or very satisfied.
- In total, the proportion of Yukoners who had a perceived life satisfaction of satisfied or very satisfied in 2019/2020 was 94.3%.
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Perceived life stress
16.5%
- In 2019/2020, 17.5% of women and 15.6% of men reported perceived life stress of quite a lot.
- The proportion of Yukoners overall who reported quite a lot of life stress in 2019/2020 was 16.5%
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Yukoners with diabetes
6.9%
In 2019/20, 6.9% of Yukon women and 3.5% of Yukon men had diabetes.
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Students who brush their teeth
62.3%
- In 2018, 62.3% of urban grade 9-10 girls and 50% of rural girls in grade 9-10 reported brushing their teeth more than once a day.
- Rural boys in grades 6-8 were least likely to report brushing their teeth at least twice a day, at 40%.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing one year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Yukoners with a mood disorder
10.6%
- In 2019/20, 10.6% of Yukon women and 5.7% of Yukon men reported having been diagnosed with a mood disorder.
- This trend is also seen at the national level, with a greater proportion of women than men having a diagnosis of a mood disorder.
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Students engaging in certain behaviours
48.5%
In 2018:
- 48.5% of grade 9 and 10 urban girls and 45.8% of grade 9 and 10 rural girls reported that most of their friends help others in need, compared to
- 41.9% of grade 9 and 10 urban boys and 37.9% of grade 9 and 10 rural boys.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing one year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education. The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Yukoners who smoke cigarettes
16%
In 2019/20, 20.2% of Yukoners (23% of men and 17.3% of women) were occasional or daily smokers.
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Yukoners who report heavy drinking
20.7%
- In 2019/20, 20.7% of Yukoners were heavy drinkers.
- This is higher than at the national level (17.5%).
- In 2019/20 23.2% of Yukon men and 18.2% of Yukon women reported heavy drinking.
Heavy drinking refers to males who reported having 5 or more drinks, or women who reported having 4 or more drinks, on 1 occasion, at least once a month in the past year. Statistics Canada.
Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Table #13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, 2-year period estimates.
Notes on data:
- Population aged 12 and over who reported perceiving their own health status as being either excellent or very good or fair or poor, depending on the indicator.
- Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person himself or herself, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding.
- Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.
Students reporting having smoked tobacco in the last 30 days
41.3%
In 2018:
- 41.3% of grade 9-10 rural girls and 11.9% of grade 9-10 urban girls reported they smoked tobacco in the last 30 days.
- 10.4% of grade 9-10 urban boys and 22.2% of grade 9-10 rural boys reported smoking in the last 30 days.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing 1 year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Students reporting alcohol consumption in the last 30 days
47.8%
In 2018:
- 47.8% of grade 9-10 rural girls and 34.7% of grade 9-10 urban girls reported consuming alcohol in the last 30 days.
- 26.9% of grade 9-10 urban boys and 29.6% of grade 9-10 rural boys reported being drunk in the last 30 days.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing 1 year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Students reporting cannabis use in the last 30 days
34.8%
In 2018:
- 18.5% of urban grade 9-10 girls and 34.8% of rural grade 9-10 girls reported cannabis use in the last 30 days.
- 18.7% of urban grade 9-10 boys and 31.5% of rural grade 9-10 boys reported cannabis use in the last 30 days.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing one year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Students who use condoms during sexual intercourse
73.3%
In 2018:
- 73.3% of grade 9-10 rural boys and 71.9% of grade 9-10 urban boys reported having used a condom the last time they had sex.
- 44.4% of grade 9-10 rural girls and 54.8% of grade 9-10 urban girls report having used a condom the last time they had sex.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing one year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region. The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours.
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Students who agree or strongly agree with the statement “I have a happy home life”
35.4%
In 2018:
- 68.9% of grade 9-10 urban girls and 35.4% of grade 9-10 rural girls agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "I have a happy home life".
- 75% of grade 6-8 urban girls and 71.1% of grade 6-8 rural girls agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "I have a happy home life".
- In general, the proportion of students who agree with this statement decreases with age, and is higher among boys.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing 1 year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Students who felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks or more in a row, that they stopped doing some usual activities, during the past 12 months
82.6%
In 2018
- 82.6% of grade 9-10 rural girls and 47.2% of grade 9-10 urban girls reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities.
- Among students in grades 6-8, 43.2% of rural girls and 33.4% of urban girls reported this.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing one year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982, and is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.
Student participation in organized sports activities with others
56.2%
In 2018:
- 56.2% of grade 9-10 urban girls in the Yukon and 52.1% of grade 9-10 rural girls in the Yukon reported that most of the friends in their social group participate in organized sports with others.
- Among grade 9-10 boys, 61% of urban students and 50.9% of rural students in the Yukon reported that most of the friends in their social group participate in organized sports with others.
Source:
Lambe, Laura., Mciver, Theresa., kim, Samuel., Mayne, Kyla., Craig, Wendy., King, Matthew. 2019. Health and health-related behaviours among young people in Yukon. Whitehorse, YT: Government of Yukon.
Notes on data:
- As these data represent the responses of surveyed students only and as the number of respondents, particularly in rural Yukon, was quite low, these data may not represent the full cohort of Yukon youth in those grades and may be subject to some fluctuation when comparing 1 year of results to another.
- Data from the survey may point to a characteristic or challenge among a specific group of respondents, but may not be generalizable to the entire youth population of the relevant age range, gender or region.
- The HBSC survey:
- is conducted in the classroom, during school hours;
- began in 1982;
- is a cross-national survey conducted in Canada and a number of other countries every 4 years in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO); and
- collects information on the attitudes and health behaviours of young people and how these may differ based on contextual factors.
- The Yukon survey is conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on behalf of SPEG/Queen’s University and the departments of Health and Social Services and Education.
- The Government of Yukon has been included in the national HBSC survey since 2010.