Health Risk Behaviors of Texas Students Attending Dropout Prevention/Recovery Schools in 1997

Abstract

This study determined prevalence of health risk behaviors of 9th through 12th grade students attending dropout prevention/recovery alternative schools in Texas in 1997. Participants were 470 youth whose health risk behaviors were assessed using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in an anonymous, self-administered format. Behaviors measured included frequency of weapon-carrying and fighting, suicide-related behaviors, substance use, and sexual behaviors. A substantial percentage of alternative school students reported participating in behaviors that placed them at acute or chronic health risk. Differences in the prevalence of risk behaviors were noted by gender, racial/ethnic, and age subgroups. In addition, alternative school students frequently engaged in multiple risk behaviors. These findings suggest a need for comprehensive school-based health education/intervention programs to reduce the prevalence of risk behaviors in populations of alternative school students.

Health risk behavior pattern among students from Cartagena, Colombia: prevalence and associated variables

“…The percentage is signifi cantly higher than the 6.9% reported among students in Japan (4) . However, it is inferior to the 21.2% found in students in Cartagena, Colombia (5) and the 35.9% documented for teenagers in voca onal schools in the US (3) .…”

“…However, these findings show discrepancies with previous studies. Several researchers reported that HRBP occurs more frequently in men than in women (3,5) , but others found that the frequency was comparable, independent of gender (4) .…”

“…In the US, Weller et al evaluated HRB in high school students aged 14-20 and reported that 35.9% showed signs of HRBP (four to six behaviors). HRBP was more prominent among the young men than the young women (3) . In Japan, it was observed that 6.9% of a sample of students aged 15-18 presented with HRBP (three to eight behaviors).…”

Safer choices 2: Rationale, design issues, and baseline results in evaluating school-based health promotion for alternative school students

“…The 1998 national Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (ALT-YRBS) found that 87.8% of students reported having had sexual intercourse during their lifetime [13], compared to 49.9% of students in regular high schools in 1999 [17]. Alternative school students were also more likely to have initiated sexual intercourse at an early age, less likely to report using condoms at last sexual intercourse, and almost twice as likely to report using alcohol or drugs at last sexual intercourse [13,16,17].…”

“…Students may be assigned to attend alternative schools for a variety of reasons, including behavioral problems, truancy, excessive absenteeism, poor grades, or pregnancy. Students in alternative schools are more likely to engage in behaviors that put them at high risk of contracting HIV [13][14][15][16]. The 1998 national Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (ALT-YRBS) found that 87.8% of students reported having had sexual intercourse during their lifetime [13], compared to 49.9% of students in regular high schools in 1999 [17].…”