Eating healthy means regularly consuming a variety of foods from all four food groups.[1] Eating nutritious foods plays an important role in children and youth behaviour and learning.[2] Children and youth who eat healthy are more likely to have the energy to function and concentrate in school.[3] On the other hand, poor nutrition and eating habits during childhood and adolescence are linked to an increased risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases later in life.[4]
Senior kindergarten parents who say it is a challenge to get their child to eat healthy |
About the MeasureThis measure comes from the Kindergarten Parent Survey (KPS), a questionnaire completed by parents of senior kindergarten students. The KPS collects information on factors that may influence a child's developmental health. The survey asks about the challenges experienced by parents, including encouraging their child to eat healthy. The 2018 KPS was administered in Dufferin, but not Wellington and Guelph. If you would like to access 2018 KPS data for Dufferin, please contact Jane Hall at County of Dufferin Children’s Services: jahall@dufferincounty.ca Key FindingsIn 2015, parents in Guelph (33.5%) were more likely to report that it is a challenge to get their child to eat healthy than parents in Wellington (28.1%) and Dufferin (28.2%). Data at the municipal level can be found in the downloadable Excel file at the bottom of this page.
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Source: Kindergarten Parent Survey, 2015. Prepared by the County of Dufferin and the County of Wellington. WDG Report Card Coalition (distributor). Last updated August, 2016. LimitationsThe KPS is completed voluntarily and may be subject to underreporting and response bias. Certain sub-groups of the population are less likely to respond to voluntary surveys. As a result, the data may not be representative of the entire population. This measure relies on parental knowledge of healthy eating. A parent's definition of healthy eating may not align with Canada's Food Guide. As a result, data from this question should be interpreted with caution.
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Youth who report consuming fruits and vegetables five or more times daily |
About the MeasureThis measure is collected from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Youth Survey that gathers self-reported well-being data from grade 7 and 10 students. Students are asked about the number of times they consume fruits and vegetables on a typical day. According to Canada’s Food Guide, grade 7 students should consume six servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Grade 10 males should consume eight servings and grade 10 females should consume seven servings. Key FindingsAcross the three Youth Survey cycles, the percentage of students who reported consuming fruits and vegetables five or more times a day declined. More grade 7 than grade 10 students reported consuming fruits and vegetables. Not shown in the graph, males (18%) and females (18%) reported consuming fruits and vegetables at comparable frequencies, although non-binary youth (11%) are notably lower. Municipal level data can be found in the downloadable Excel file at the bottom of this page.
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Source: WDG Youth Survey, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2017-18. WDG Report Card Coalition. Last updated August 2, 2018. LimitationsThe WDG Youth Survey collects self-reported data and is subject to response bias and recall bias. Additionally, this questions asks about the number of times fruits and vegetables are consumed, not the number of servings consumed. This measure can only be used to monitor consumption patterns over time, not the adherence to Canada’s Food Guide.
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[1] Government of Canada. (2015). What is healthy eating? Ottawa, ON: Available at: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/healthy-eating-saine-alimentation/tips-conseils/what-is-quest-ce-qu-une-eng.php
[2] National Agriculture Library. (2011). Role of nutrition in learning and behavior: A resource list for professionals. Beltsville, MD: Available at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fnic_uploads//learning.pdf
[3] Dieticians of Canada. (2014). 5 steps to healthy eating for children aged 4-11. Toronto, ON: Dieticians of Canada. Available at: https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Toddlers/Healthy-Eating-for-Children-Aged-4-11.aspx
[4] Community Food Centres Canada. (n.d.). Diet-related diseases and healthy eating. Toronto, ON: Available at: https://cfccanada.ca/sites/default/files/CFCC%20Diet-Related%20Diseases%20and%20Healthy%20Eating.pdf