title: An academic paradox: high school students' perceptions of their class standing and self-reported risk-taking.
abstract: The centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) administered its 75-item 1991 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey to a nationwide random sample of 12,248 high school students. In a secondary analysis of their data, one item on students' perceived class standing, was compared with selected health risk-taking practices. The 7.7% of students who indicated that they were "below the middle" in comparison with their classmates reported more participation in all risk-taking behaviors than students who reported being "in the middle" (28.6%) or "above the middle" (63.7%). Students' grades, ages, and ethnicity showed significant differences, with younger students and selected ethnocultural minority students more likely to report being "below the middle." Perceived class standing may be a proxy measure for estimating participation in health-compromising practices.
authors.affiliation: Health, Kinesiology and Leisure Studies Department, Purdue University, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Holcomb
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Westhoff
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McDermott
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment