Risky business

The Centers for Disease Control recently published a 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report (PDF format). Based on surveys conducted in 40 states, the report finds:

Priority health-risk behaviors, which contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among youth and adults, often are established during childhood and adolescence, extend into adulthood, are interrelated, and are preventable.

In the United States, 71% of all deaths among persons aged 10-24 years result from four causes: motorvehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 2005 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicated that, during the 30 days preceding the survey, many high school students engaged in behaviors that increased their likelihood of death from these four causes: 9.9% had driven a car or other vehicle when they had been drinking alcohol; 18.5% had carried a weapon; 43.3% had drunk alcohol; and 20.2% had used marijuana. In addition, during the 12 months preceding the survey, 35.9% of high school students had been in a physical fight and 8.4% had attempted suicide.

Substantial morbidity and social problems among youth also result from unintended pregnancies and STDs, including HIV infection. During 2005, a total of 46.8% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse; 37.2% of sexually active high school students had not used a condom at last sexual intercourse; and 2.1% had ever injected an illegal drug.

Interpretation: Since 1991, the prevalence of many health-risk behaviors among high school students nationwide has decreased. However, many high school students continue to engage in behaviors that place them at risk for the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. The prevalence of many health-risk behaviors varies across cities and states.

Public Health Action: YRBS data are used to measure progress toward achieving 15 national health objectives for Healthy People 2010 and three of the 10 leading health indicators, to assess trends in priority health-risk behaviors among high school students, and to evaluate the impact of broad school and community interventions at the national, state, and local levels. More effective school health programs and other policy and programmatic interventions are needed to reduce risk and improve health outcomes among youth.

Looking at selected findings for Southern states that participated in the survey reveals some encouraging indicators and some that are not so encouraging (click here to view a table).

Southern teens are more likely to carry weapons. With the exception of Florida, every Southern state in the survey had a higher incidence of weapons possession than the national median. Southern schools aren't as safe either, with every state except North Carolina and Florida showing a higher incidence of weapons at school.

With regard to drinking and driving, the South fares a little better. With the notable and glaring exceptions of Texas and South Carolina, Southern states are near or below the national median in terms of riding with a driver that had been drinking. When comparing drinking while driving, Georgia and Kentucky are well below the national median, and states other than Texas are near or below. But overall, Southern teens are no more or less likely to ride with someone who has been drinking or to drink while driving.

Looking at risky sexual behaviors, Teens in Arkansas and Tennessee are less likely to use condoms by a wide margin, while Florida and South Carolina teens are more likely. Regarding overall alcohol or drug use before sex, teens in Southern states are no more likely to engage in this risky behavior than the national median, and slightly less likely in Florida and Kentucky.

The full 112 page report has numerous other findings, any one of which could be an entire thesis on its own. Other topics of study include seat belt and helmet usage, nutrition, exercise, drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and more. It would appear to be a useful report in helping shape public health and education policies all over the U.S.