Health Behaviours

Nutrition and the cost of healthy eating

In December 2017, the Health Unit completed online surveys with students from 13 secondary schools to help understand food purchasing behaviours of local grade 9-12 students, both inside and outside of school, during the school day.
The Healthy School Food Zones visual report highlights the findings from this research and provides opportunities for action for secondary schools, school boards and municipalities. It is available in English and French.

In 2020, two out of three individuals (age-standardized) 12 years or older in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region reported eating vegetables and fruits four or less times a day (70.6%), statistically similar to the Ontario percentage (78.7%).

Last updated: November 21, 2023.

Visit the Public Health Ontario (PHO) Self-Reported Nutrition and Healthy Weights Snapshot page for more detail.

In the 2014/15 school year about three in every 100 students between grades 7 and 12 in the Health Unit region reported often or always going to bed hungry. This estimate did not vary significantly between regions, or between elementary (grade 7 & 8) and secondary (grades 9 to 12) students.
Overall, about 13.1% of students within the Health Unit region reported not eating breakfast in the previous five school days in 2014/15, similar to the percentage in other northern regions (19.2%) and Ontario (16.2%).
On an average date, about one in five students in the Health Unit region ate no fruits/vegetables or only one fruit/vegetable, similar to the percentage for other northern regions and Ontario.

In 2014/15, about one in ten students in the Health Unit region drank pop or other drinks once each day during the previous seven days, significantly higher compared to the percentages for other northern regions (6%) and Ontario (5%). About one in three students in the Health Unit region drank pop, sports drinks, sweetened tea, or coffee two to four times a week.

More information can be found in the following report: Healthy Eating Among Students in Grades 7 to 12 in the NBPSDHU region (November 2017).

Food skills are those that are necessary in order to plan, purchase for and prepare safe, nutritious, and culturally-acceptable meals. They impact food choice and eating behaviours and contribute to healthy eating. The Environmental Scan of Food Skills Programming in the District of North Bay report highlights the outcomes from research to understand the programs and resources that are being utilized within North Bay to address food skills development in the community.

Stay on Your Feet has created a summary of dietitian support, community food programs, and emergency food services for certain areas in our district as part of a Nutrition Project conducted in 2019.

Each year, the Health Unit conducts the Nutritious Food Basket survey at 12 grocery stores in the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts. The Cost of Eating Well 2022 shares the findings from the survey. It explains why nutritious food is not affordable for many low income households. It also describes the effect of food insecurity on health, and calls for income-related policy measures to reduce food insecurity.

More information can be found in The Cost of Eating Well 2022 (February 2023)

In 2020, 53.2% of individuals aged 18 years and older in the Health Unit region were physically active at or above the recommended level (150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week) according to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, similar to the Ontario percentage (52.1%).

Visit the PHO Snapshots Self-Reported Physical Activity page for more detail.

In 2014/15 about one in four students in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region reported being physically active for at least 60 minutes a day during the previous seven days, similar to the percentage for other northern regions and Ontario. This percentage has not changed between 2010/11 and 2014/15 school years in any of the three regions.
Almost one of every two students in the Health Unit region reported no physical activity at school (46.4%), similar to the percentage for students in other northern regions (41.2%) and Ontario (41.9%). This percentage has not changed between 2010/11 and 2014/15 school years in the Health Unit region or Ontario, but has decreased by about 10% in other northern regions.
About half of all students in the Health Unit region usually travel to school on a school bus, significantly higher compared to students in Ontario where about one in four come to school in a school bus. About one in eight in the Health Unit region travelled to school by walking or bicycling (17.7%), similar to students of other northern regions (14.0%) but significantly lower compared to Ontario students.
About a third of students in all three regions spent three to four hours using screens recreationally. About six in ten students in the Health Unit region spent an average of three or more hours on an average using screens recreationally (62.6%), similar compared to students in other northern regions (60.1%) and in Ontario (64.1%).

Almost half (48.5%) of youth (aged 15-19 years) in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region report having had sexual intercourse, significantly higher than for Ontario (30.3%). Almost 90% responded that they had had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months. Of the youth who indicated that they had had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months, 58.1% reported having had one partner in the past 12 months and 41.9% reported having had two or more different sexual partners during this time frame.

Almost 90% of young adults (aged 20-24 years) in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region report having had sexual intercourse, statistically similar to Ontario (76.6%). Of those who indicated that they had had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months, 80.5% reported having had one partner in the past 12 months and 19.5% reported having had two or more different sexual partners during this time frame.