title: Gender differences in health risk behaviors and physical activity among middle school students.
abstract: Adolescence is a period of accelerated growth and change, bridging the complex transition from childhood to adulthood. This period offers adolescents an opportunity to begin planning for their futures and to adopt healthy attitudes about risk behaviors that can continue into adulthood, thus setting the stage for a lifetime of desirable health behaviors. This study used the Youth Risk Behavior Survey on middle school students and examined the gender differences of health risk behaviors among 674 8th-graders from an urban setting. The results showed that males were more likely to be involved in fights, to initiate alcohol use, and to participate in physical activity; whereas females were more likely to try to lose weight with unhealthy practices, such as fasting and laxatives. School nurses are in a prime position to promote adolescent health in the school setting by providing health-related services and teaching to help students initiate and maintain healthy lifestyles.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Tsu-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sherry E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Joanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bancroft
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D001828:Body Image; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009043:Motor Activity; D024802:Nurse's Role; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012573:School Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data