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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this paper by the American School Health Association was to report the findings of the 1988 National Adolescent Student Health Survey.
METHODOLOGY:
The article examined findings of the National Adolescent Student Health Survey, presented at the National Press Club in Washington, on August 9, 1988. The report represented the first national survey in twenty years to examine the attitudes, behavior and knowledge of youth in the United States about various health issues. The survey involved the questioning of more than eleven thousand students in the eighth and tenth grades across the nation, and involved issues concerning AIDS, injury prevention, violence, suicide, substance use, sexually transmitted diseases, consumer health and nutrition.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The report found that America's youth does not always make positive health decisions, and needs to be better informed. One-fifth of people who currently have AIDS are in their twenties, and many adolescents have been exposed to the virus. Between 82% and 94% of subjects knew that AIDS could be transmitted through sexual intercourse or drug needles, and that the risk of infection was greater with more sexual partners. Between 86% and 91% knew that use of protection could reduce the risk of AIDS, and that such protection should be used during intercourse. However, 71% believed that AIDS could be contracted through blood transfusions, and 47% thought that donating blood could put a person at risk for the disease. 94% of girls and 76% of boys thought it was acceptable to say no to having intercourse, and more boys (62%) than girls (43%) thought it was acceptable to have sexual intercourse with a person if they have been dating for a long time. Whilst 18% of boys believed that sex with a number of different people was acceptable, this belief held for only 4% of girls. There are 2.5 million teens who are infected with sexually transmitted diseases each year. Many adolescents could not identify early signs of sexually transmitted diseases, and most did not know that taking the pill or washing after intercourse could not prevent disease. Just under 80% of subjects mistakenly believed that parents must be informed in order to receive treatment for a sexually transmitted disease, and almost half of all those surveyed reported that they would not know where to seek treatment, would find it difficult to pay for treatment, would be embarrassed and would not know an adult with whom to talk about such issues. Adolescent males between the ages of 12 and 19 have the highest rates of victimization in the country. Homicide is the leading cause of death for black men aged 15 to 24. Many adolescents report having been involved in fights or having been the victim of violence over the previous year. Almost half the boys and a quarter of the girls reported fighting, one third reported being threatened and nearly one in five of the girls reported attempted forced intercourse. 41% of the boys and 24% of the girls could obtain a handgun if so desired, 23% of the boys had taken a knife to school at least once in the previous year, and 3% had taken a handgun to school. About three-quarters of the students had walked alone at night or had gone to dangerous places, two-thirds did not know that alcohol is usually involved in homicide, and fewer than half knew that most murder victims know their attackers. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 15 to 24, and the rate has doubled over the past thirty years. More males commit suicide than females, with the rate increasing 50% between 1970 and 1980. 42% of girls and 25% of boys have thought about suicide, with 18% of girls and 11% of boys actually trying to commit suicide. More than half the girls and one-third of the boys report difficulties in dealing with stress, with twice as many girls (34%) as boys (15%) often feeling hopeless. Unintentional injuries form the number one cause of death for all youth between the ages of 15 and 25, with car accidents causing more than 70% of deaths in this group. More than half of the students did not wear a seat belt the last time they travelled, and between 32% and 44% had ridden with an intoxicated driver recently. About 90% of those surveyed ride bicycles, but 92% of those never wear a helmet and 72% do not use a light at night. Of the 60% who ride motorbikes, 42% wear no helmet. 17% had used some form of substance whilst swimming or boating in the previous year, and 64% of boys and 19% of girls had used a gun. Cigarette smoking is decreasing among adolescent males, but not among females, whilst alcohol and drug use has decreased since the 1970s. Between 51% and 63% of students had tried cigarette smoking, with between 16% and 26% having smoked in the past year. Over three-quarters had tried alcohol, and between 34% and 53% had drunk in the past month. More than a quarter had been drinking heavily in the past two weeks. 15% of the eighth graders and 35% of the tenth graders had tried marijuana, with 6% and 15% respectively using marijuana in the last month. About one in fifteen adolescents had tried cocaine, with fewer than 5% using cocaine in the past month. Dietary patterns have been linked to six of the ten leading causes of death in the United States. 61% of girls and 28% of boys had dieted in the past year, with almost 20% reporting using pills or vomiting to control their weight. Many adolescents eat too much fat and sugar in their diets, although three-quarters know of the connection between fat and heart disease and between salt and high blood pressure - only 16% know of the relationship between too little fiber and colon cancer. Many students had skipped breakfast, but most had eaten lunch and dinner. Many of the students involved in the survey could lacked the consumer skills necessary to health-enhancing behavior patterns. The report concluded that the results were generally encouraging, although there was some cause for concern.
EVALUATION:
This report provides a vital service in that it assesses the behavior and knowledge of a large, nationwide group of adolescents. The report presents information that is vital to contemporary society, in that it shows educators and policy makers where the message is getting through and where more attention is required. A discussion about the implications of the findings would have been useful, although it is clearly apparent where the areas of concern are to be found. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - 1980s
KW - Junior High School Student
KW - Senior High School Student
KW - Grade 8
KW - Grade 10
KW - Late Adolescence
KW - Early Adolescence
KW - National Survey
KW - Juvenile Attitudes
KW - Juvenile Perceptions
KW - Juvenile Knowledge
KW - Juvenile Behavior
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Victim
KW - Juvenile Substance Use
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Risk Behavior
KW - AIDS-HIV Transmission
KW - Sexually Transmitted Disease
KW - Juvenile Suicide
KW - Injury Prevention
KW - Drug Use
KW - Substance Use Perceptions
KW - Alcohol Use
KW - Tobacco Use
KW - Nutrition
KW - Public Health Approach
KW - Juvenile Sexual Activity
KW - Juvenile Sexual Behavior |