Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Canadian young people are struggling with health issues: 15% or 1.2 million youth suffer from mental illnesses, rates of sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia have increased among young people over the past decade, and dating violence and problematic substance use continue to compromise the health of young Canadians. As some sub-populations of youth are more susceptible to ill-health, researchers are increasingly looking to the social context of health (i.e. social determinants rather than biological factors) to address health inequities. Adolescent dating relationships, defined as early romantic encounters and relationships during the teenage years, have generally been overlooked by public health as part of the social context in which teens' health behaviours and coping strategies develop. To address this gap in the literature, I will conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with youth ages 13-19 in two distinct communities (Vancouver, a large metropolitan community and Fort. St. James, a rural, resource-based town) to better understand the role of dating relationships in the everyday lives of youth. The interviews will be analyzed using intersectional gender relations theory to determine how gender, diversity and place impact teens' dating relationships. The study findings will be used to develop intervention strategies to address dating issues in both communities. Ultimately, my doctoral research will contribute to our understanding of how social and structural factors impact dating relationships in adolescence and will offer public health intervention strategies to promote positive relationships and the health of Canadian youth.