Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: June 3, 2008

Director of Health Releases 2007 Data on High School
and Middle School Youth Risk Behaviors;
Worsening Trends Seen in Dating and Sexual Violence and Nutrition Underscore Need for Parent, Community, and School Involvement in Addressing the Issues 

Today Director of Health David R. Gifford, MD, MPH released the 2007 data from the high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This year marks a decade of survey data from 1997 to 2007 at the high school level, and for the first time in 2007 middle school data are also available.  Full survey reports are available on the Department of Health (HEALTH) website at: www.health.ri.gov/chic/statistics/yrbs.php

Key data from the high school report show improving trends in 22 of the 39 risk areas, such as helmet and seatbelt use, physical activity, TV watching, tobacco use, fighting, and weapon carrying. However, despite the improvements, many of the rates of risk behaviors are much too high. For example:

• In 2007, current alcohol use among high school students is 43%.
• Students who have ever taken painkillers without a prescription ranged from 15% among 9th and 10th graders to 22% among 12th graders.
• Nearly half of all students ever had sex.

The high school data also reveal several disturbing worsening trends and areas for heightened concern, especially pertaining to dating and sexual violence and nutrition:

• There has been a significant increase from 9% in 2001 to 14% in 2007 in the proportion of high school students who indicated they have been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year. 
• The percentage of students who indicated ever being forced to have sexual intercourse when not wanting to increased significantly from 8% in 2001 to 10% in 2007.
• Fruit and vegetable consumption has been decreasing– from 27% of high school students eating at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day in 2001 to 19% in 2007.
• The percentage of high school students who drink 3 or more glasses of milk per day has decreased from 23% in 2001 to 16% in 2007.

The middle school youth Risk Behavior Survey data show that certain behaviors are initiated at a young age and that prevention efforts must target pre-teens as much as teenagers.  Some key findings reveal that:

• One in five middle school students have ever carried a weapon.
• Almost half have ever been in a physical fight.
• Twenty-eight percent have ever drunk alcohol.
• Some risk factors increase greatly by grade -- for example there were substantial increases from 6th to 8th grade in the lifetime use of alcohol (13% to 41%), marijuana (4% to 16%) and painkillers (7% to 15%), suggesting that some behaviors may be even more established by the time students leave middle school.

“The data show us that there is much to be hopeful about and much evidence to suggest that statewide and local prevention initiatives and partnerships are working,” said Director of Health, David R.Gifford, MD, MPH. “However, while we have seen improvements, there is still much work to do and the state, schools, communities, and families all have a role to play in reducing youth risk behaviors.”

“All educators are well aware that children who are healthy and who make wise decisions about their health-risk behavior are better prepared to learn in school and more likely to graduate,” said Education Commissioner Peter McWalters. “Though we are pleased that most of the trends are improving, we remain concerned about such areas as dating violence and alcohol use, and we are working to strengthen the capacity of schools and communities to alleviate these problems in our schools.”

The YRBS was designed to identify risk behaviors in youth and to measure public health successes in improving outcomes for youth. Sustained improvements in adolescent health require coordinated investments in neighborhoods and schools. Current research and practice indicate that building youth assets, such as the following, will result in improved outcomes that cut across all the YRBS risk taking behaviors:

• Effective parenting, including emotional support, expectations and accountability for responsible and healthy behaviors, and constructive family communication
• Social supports like positive, caring adult role models and mentors
• Safe school environments that encourage healthy behaviors
• Social supports like positive peer influences
• Internal values and motivations that drive healthy choices

HEALTH sponsors a number of initiatives utilizing these strategies, such as the Talk to Teens campaign and ParentLinkRI, both designed to provide parents with tips and resources for building positive relationships with their children. HEALTH’s Men 2B Program trains caring adult males to be mentors for young men. For more information about these initiatives, visit HEALTH’s website at www.health.ri.gov. 

To address the increase in incidents of dating violence, the Education Department (RIDE) has recently published a “Guide to Preventing Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Violence in Schools,” which is available on the RIDE-Health Department “thrive” Web site:
http://www.thriveri.org/documents/Guide_Bullying_TDV_RI.pdf
RIDE is using this guide to lead workshops that will help school leaders develop and implement school wide violence-prevention programs.

The Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals provides funding to communities and schools for prevention programs aimed at reducing rates of underage drinking among youth. Communities identify local needs and develop solutions working with the parents, schools, police departments, and others. Communities use funds to reduce youth access to alcohol, enforce underage drinking laws, and raise public awareness of underage drinking and its impact on youth, their families, and their community. MHRH funding also supports student assistance counselors in both middle schools and high schools. The counselors reach out to students engaged in, or at risk of, alcohol and drug use providing information, support, and referral to services when needed.

The YRBS is administered by HEALTH, with support from the Department of Education; the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and Rhode Island’s schools.