title: Health-risk behaviors among middle school students in a large majority-minority school district.
abstract: Since 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) biennially to representative samples of high school students. YRBS results indicate that health-risk behaviors often developed during middle school years. To date, few state and local education agencies have administered the YRBS-Middle School. This study measured prevalence of health-risk behaviors among middle school students in a large, majority-minority school district (n = 1,783). Results indicated that young adolescents (ages 11-14) are engaging in multiple health-risk behaviors. For example, 24.4% seriously considered committing suicide in the previous year, 53.3% had been in a physical fight, 50.2% ever drank alcohol, 17.9% ever used marijuana, and 13.4% had already had sex. Such behaviors potentially could lead to serious consequences related to their educational achievement and overall health status. Health-related policy and program applications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-4632, USA. jfetro@siu.edu
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Fetro
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology