How Substance Use Differs Among American Secondary Schools

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) the extent to which student drug use and related measures vary among American secondary schools, and (2) how substance use varies among schools by certain school characteristics. Data come from the Monitoring the Future project’s annual surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students from 1991 to 2002.The results show that the preponderance of variance in drug use and related variables lies within schools; only a relatively small amount of variance is between schools. Although the variance lies primarily within schools, there remain important school-to-school differences in the extent to which students are exposed to drug use.The analyses of school characteristics show that schools do indeed differ in drug use by their students, particularly by school type, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. Eighth and 10th grade (but not 12th grade) students in public schools are more likely to be cigarette smokers than students in private schools. Students in public middle schools are at higher risk for use of alcohol and marijuana; however, among 12th graders, students in Catholic schools are at higher risk. School size is generally unrelated to substance use, with few exceptions. For the most part, there is a negative association between school socioeconomic status and student substance use among 8th graders; but by 12th grade, the association tends to be positive or not significant. Racial/ethnic composition is significantly associated with student substance use, with majority African American schools typically showing the lowest rates of use at all grades.     

A cervical cancer curriculum for Hispanic adolescents in rural high schools: a pilot study

We assessed the effectiveness of a one-hour curriculum about cervical cancer for high school students. The curriculum was developed and delivered to 142 female students in the 9th to 12th grade at two high schools in rural Eastern Washington State. Self-administered questionnaires assessed changes in knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes related to cervical cancer and Pap smears. Baseline results from a predominantly Hispanic adolescent sample (73%) indicated low pre-test knowledge and negative beliefs and attitudes. Post-test results indicated that there was a significant change in the intervention group for knowledge questions when compared with the control group. Only some changes to more positive beliefs and attitudes about cervical cancer and screening were significant in the post-test. The findings suggest that a culturally appropriate high school curriculum may inform young Hispanic women about important cervical cancer screening practices.     

Early identification of future medical students using initial undergraduate grades

This study assessed whether overall academic performance in undergraduate medical coursework can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by using grades from initial college-level courses rather than total premedical grade point averages (GPAs). Initial college grades from four areas, MCAT scores, and NBME I and II scores were recorded for students admitted to the University of Washington Medical School, for students admitted to other medical schools, and for students not admitted to any medical school. The results documented a high relationship between cumulative GPAs and initial grades, with differences found between those students admitted to medical school and those not admitted. The importance of this study is the documentation that little predictive utility is gained by waiting for overall college GPAs from medical school applicants. Initial GPAs are available 2 years earlier than overall GPAs and provide virtually the same information. Exploratory suggestions for medical school admission policies are made.     

Impact of Prosocial Behavioral Involvement on School Violence Perpetration Among African American Middle School and High School Students

The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with school violence perpetration among African American youth. African American students in 7th through 12th grade (n?=?7488) in schools within one Metropolitan area completed the Pride National Drug Survey. Chi square analyses revealed school violence perpetration significantly differed based on grade and prosocial behavioral involvement. Students in 7th–8th grade (54.7%) were more likely to engage in school violence in comparison to 9th–12th grade students (48.8%). Students with low prosocial behavior (52.8%) involvement were more likely than their counterparts (48.9%) to engage in school violence perpetration. Logistic regression also indicated females and 9th–12th students with low prosocial behavior involvement were significantly less likely than their counterparts to engage in school violence. Findings should be considered by health educators and prevention specialists when developing programs and efforts to prevent in school violence perpetration among African American students.     

A cross-national comparison of school drug policies in Washington State, United States, and Victoria, Australia

Using mail survey data collected from primary and secondary school administrators in Washington State, United States, and in Victoria, Australia, this study compared aspects of the school drug policy environment in the 2 states. Documented substance-use policies were prevalent in Washington and Victoria but less prevalent.in primary schools, especially in Victoria. Victorian school policy-setting processes were significantly more likely to involve teachers, parents, and students than processes in Washington schools. Consistent with expectations based on their respective national drug policy frameworks, school drug policies in Washington schools were more oriented toward total abstinence and more frequently enforced with harsh punishment (such as expulsion or calling law enforcement), whereas policies in Victorian schools were more reflective of harm-minimization principles. Within both states, however, schools more regularly used harsh punishment and remediation consequences for alcohol and illicit-drug violations compared to tobacco policy violations, which were treated more leniently.     

Cancer understanding among Japanese students based on a nationwide survey

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine cancer understanding among Japanese primary and secondary school students.

Methods

The study design was a cross-sectional nationwide survey using a self-administered questionnaire. The prefecture with the lowest student population was set to 1, and that with the highest student population was set to 18 for elementary schools and 19 for junior high and high schools based on the ratio of the student population. In this way, 213 elementary schools, 222 junior high schools, and 208 high schools were selected from all 47 prefectures in Japan, and questionnaires were sent to each school. The questionnaire listed the names of 15 cancers and asked respondents to choose one answer from three: “Never heard of,” “Heard of/Don’t understand,” or “Heard of/Understand.”

Results

Response rates for schools were 44.1 % (n = 94) for elementary schools, 46.4 % (n = 103) for junior high schools, and 55.8 % (n = 116) for high schools. A total of 8,876 questionnaires were used for the analysis. Our survey suggests that the most commonly understood types of cancer differed by grade, with lung cancer the most commonly understood in elementary school, leukemia in junior high schools, and breast cancer in high schools. Girls tended to demonstrate greater cancer understanding than boys, with particularly large differences by gender in rates of understanding of breast and uterine cancer at each assessed grade level.

Conclusions

Here, we examined Japanese primary and secondary school students. Marked differences in cancer recognition by grade and gender suggest that educational efforts are needed at various grade levels and gender-specific cancer education. Further, more than 50 % of students at any school level were not familiar with most cancers. It suggests that cancer education is deficient.     

ASHA self-study continuing education: rates of student-reported antisocial behavior, school suspensions, and arrests in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State, United States

BACKGROUND: Few methodologically rigorous international comparisons of student-reported antisocial behavior have been conducted. This paper examines whether there are differences in the frequency of both antisocial behavior and societal responses to antisocial behavior in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States. These 2 states were chosen due to their similarities on sociodemographic characteristics and their differences in policy frameworks around problem behavior including antisocial behavior and substance use. METHODS: State representative samples of students (N = 5769) in school grades 5, 7, and 9 in Victoria and Washington State completed a modified version of the Communities That Care self-report survey of behavior and societal responses to behavior. Chi-square analyses compared frequencies of antisocial behavior, school suspensions, and police arrests in the 2 states. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for each outcome measure to examine the effect of state, controlling for sample design, clustering of students within schools, age, socioeconomic status, and urbanicity. RESULTS: Few state differences in student-reported antisocial behavior were found, although frequencies varied across behavior type and grade level. Differences in societal responses were observed across grade levels with grade 5 Washington students reporting higher rates of school suspension. Older Washington students reported more arrests. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of student antisocial behavior appear similar in these 2 states in Australia and the United States. However, youth in the United States relative to Australia may experience greater societal consequences for problem behavior. Further research is required to examine the impact of these consequences on subsequent behavior.     

Rates of student-reported antisocial behavior, school suspensions, and arrests in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States

Background: Few methodologically rigorous international comparisons of student‐reported antisocial behavior have been conducted. This paper examines whether there are differences in the frequency of both antisocial behavior and societal responses to antisocial behavior in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States. These 2 states were chosen due to their similarities on sociodemographic characteristics and their differences in policy frameworks around problem behavior including antisocial behavior and substance use. Methods: State representative samples of students (N = 5769) in school grades 5, 7, and 9 in Victoria and Washington State completed a modified version of the Communities That Care self‐report survey of behavior and societal responses to behavior. Chi‐square analyses compared frequencies of antisocial behavior, school suspensions, and police arrests in the 2 states. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for each outcome measure to examine the effect of state, controlling for sample design, clustering of students within schools, age, socioeconomic status, and urbanicity. Results: Few state differences in student‐reported antisocial behavior were found, although frequencies varied across behavior type and grade level. Differences in societal responses were observed across grade levels with grade 5 Washington students reporting higher rates of school suspension. Older Washington students reported more arrests. Conclusions: Rates of student antisocial behavior appear similar in these 2 states in Australia and the United States. However, youth in the United States relative to Australia may experience greater societal consequences for problem behavior. Further research is required to examine the impact of these consequences on subsequent behavior.     

上海市某社区初级中学生心理健康状况调查分析

目的调查社区初级中学生心理健康状况,分析不同性别、年级群体心理健康水平,为开展初中学生心理干预提供理论依据。方法抽取某社区3所初级中学所有学生,以调查问卷形式完成SCL-90（90项症状清单）量表。结果初中学生除了在人际关系因子中与普通人群无明显差异外,其余总分、总均分、躯体化、强迫、抑郁、焦虑、敌对、恐怖、偏执和精神病性等因子均与一般人群不同（P均〈0.01）,且初中学生心理健康状况不如一般人群;初中女生在抑郁、焦虑和恐怖因子中与男生存在显著差异（P〈0.05）,且不如男生健康;初中各年级学生在多项因子的心理健康水平均存在差异（P总均分、躯体化、强迫、抑郁、偏执、精神病性P〈0.01、焦虑和敌对P〈0.05）,且各因子状况随年级增加有不同程度恶化,尤其是毕业年级在所有因子中均有明显恶化现象（P均〈0.01）。外来务工子女与城镇子女心理健康水平无明显差异。结论初级中学生心理健康水平低于一般人群,是心理健康干预的重点人群。初中女生、毕业年级和初二年级是初中学生心理弱势群体,需根据其不同心理困扰特点,采取早期综合性干预措施。相对外来务工子女而言城镇学生的心理适应优势并不明显,同时城镇子女可能存在生活与心理独立方面弱势。     

Perceived smoking prevalence at school-level and children's smoking initiation: a multi-level analysis of a cross-sectional data in Taiwan

OBJECTIVES: Literature on the influence of smoking prevalence at school-level on the smoking initiation among elementary school children is scarce. The aim of the current study was to explore this in school clusters stratified according to student's perceived smoking prevalence in the school while adjusting for social impact of individual students. METHOD: The data was obtained from a survey administered to 13 elementary schools in Taoyuan County, a final sample of 1585 3rd and 4th grade students. Multi-level logistic regression analysis (MLRA) was used to examine the influence variable at school-level as well as individual socio-environment level had on smoking status of elementary schools students. RESULTS: Attending a school where the students reported a perception of high smoking prevalence had a greater effect on smoking behavior in boys than girls when compared with students attending a lower smoking prevalence school, after adjustment for student-level characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that a broader school environment with a high student perception of smoking prevalence is associated with children's smoking behavior in boys. The findings further indicate the need for enforcement of anti-smoking policies within schools with higher smoking rates to reduce visibility of smoking among school children.     

学校心理干预对中小学生心身健康水平的影响

目的了解心理卫生教育对中小学生心身健康的影响. 方法以学校心理卫生教育干预形式,结合家庭干预,对小学四年级一个班52名学生和初中一个班50名学生进行一个学期16课时的心理教育和四个学时的家长公开课相结合.以53名同校四年级和51名同校初二另二个班学生为对照,用SCL--90分别进行测查. 结果心身健康水平有显著提高,其中强迫、人际敏感、焦虑、精神病性四项心理指标的提高较为显著,男女生干预前后在某些指标上的变化却有差异.本实验对有轻微心理症状学生的心身健康水平的改善最为明显,而对存在明显心理障碍学生的心身健康水平的改善不明显. 结论心理干预能够减少或消除不良因素,预防心理疾病的发生,提高中小学生的心身健康水平.     

深圳市中学生预防艾滋病干预措施评价

目的 探索在中学开展预防艾滋病（AIDS）有效干预模式及其效果评价。方法 对深圳市10所中学初一、高一学生进行预防艾滋病健康教育干预前后相关知识、态度及行为的变化进行比较。结果 （1）知识方面：干预后,学生预防AIDS基本知识平均得分初一男生由7.47提高到10.21（满分为15）;初一妇生从7.17提高互10.21;高一男生从10.30提高到11.09;高一妇生从9.58提高到10.55。（2）态度方面:对待HIV/AIDS患采取正向态度明显提高,男生由22.6％上升到34.9%;女生由24.4%上升到41.5%。（3）行为方面：同学可以运用更多的信息来源获取有关知识。结论 学校预防AIDS教育干预措施以帮助学生增强抵御HIV／AIDS的能力,树立正向的态度,但要由知识转变行为还需要一定的时间、综合的干预和社会的多方支持。     

Health risk behaviors of Texas students attending dropout prevention/recovery schools in 1997

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.     

Smoking prevalence among students from a metropolitan area in the southern region of Brazil, 1991

A prevalence study on smoking habits was carried out in 1991, among 864 school children from eight municipal schools in Sapiranga, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from the 6th through 8th grade of primary school. Data was collected in class, using a questionnaire applied by trained teachers. Among students, 3.2% were smokers, although 20.3% had been exposed to tobacco. Males had begun the smoking habit at a mean age of 14.7 years and females at about 15 years old. The prevalence showed an increasing trend by age and individual school grade. As for gender, male smokers outnumbered females (p < 0,05). Smoking by older brothers and fathers seems to be positively associated with acquisition of the habit by school children.     

北京市中学生自我伤害行为现状及与自杀相关行为关系的研究

目的 了解北京市中学生自我伤害流行特征,探讨自我伤害与自杀相关行为关系。方法 采用分层整群随机抽样方法对北京市16所学校初一至高三5 807名学生进行匿名问卷调查。结果 参与调查的中学生35.6%报告发生自我伤害,7.0%经常发生自我伤害行为;女生自我伤害报告率高于男生,初二女生和初三男生是自我伤害发生的高发年级;重点高中、单亲和重组家庭学生是自我伤害的高发人群;自我伤害行为发生越频繁的学生,自杀相关行为报告率越高,与无自我伤害行为发生者相比,经常发生自我伤害行为者自杀相关行为报告率增加5.7～12.3倍。结论 北京市中学生经常性自我伤害与自杀相关行为密切相关,二者高发年龄一致。应尽早对青少年开展心理行为干预和生命教育,及时发现自我伤害高发人群,开展自杀预防干预。     

Effects of School-Level Norms on Student Substance Use

This study examines the relationship between school norms of substance use disapproval (disapproval by the student body) and students' use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Data came from nationally representative samples of 8th (N = 16,051), 10th (N = 13,251), and 12th (N = 8,797) grade students, attending 150, 140, and 142 schools, respectively. These students participated in the Monitoring the Future Project in 1999. Measures of school norms of disapproval of substance use were obtained by aggregating students' personal disapproval of daily cigarette use, heavy drinking, and marijuana use within each school. Analysis using logistic nonlinear hierarchical models indicated that in general, school-level disapproval lowered the probability of students' use of these substances, controlling for their own disapproval and for student and school demographic characteristics. The beneficial effect of school-level disapproval of cigarette and marijuana use on 8th-grade students' probability of daily cigarette use and marijuana use was significantly higher than it was for the 12th-grade students. The effect of school-level disapproval of heavy drinking on the probability of students' drinking was not significantly different across the three grades. Further, a school environment of disapproval was also found to create a protective environment for those students in the 8th and 10th grades who were themselves not disapproving of daily cigarette use. These results argue for prevention programs that include creation of an overarching environment of disapproval of substance use in schools.     

Adolescents'' Reasons for Smoking

Part of the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project, this study provides information on reasons reported by adolescents for their smoking behavior. A total of 1,615 10th grade students in 20 rural and suburban school districts in Washington state were asked why they currently smoke and why they first smoked. For beginning smoking, curiosity, social norms, and social pressure were the most frequently given reasons for smoking. For current smoking, pleasure and addiction were mentioned most often. A number of gender differences occurred with 10th grade students beginning and current smoking. More females than males reported social norms and social pressure as reasons for beginning to smoke, whereas for currently smoking, pleasure was given as a reason more frequently by females than males. When developing interventions, smoking prevention programs need to consider students' current and past smoking behavior, and the reasons they give for smoking.     

Viewpoints of Minnesota Students on School-Based Sexuality Education

ABSTRACT: This study gathered information on the perceptions of high school students with regard to human sexuality education. Six focus groups were conducted with 9th-12th grade students at public high schools in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, area. Students described the content of effective sexuality education as covering a variety of human sexuality topics as well as emotional/social aspects of sexuality and relationships. They advocated starling such education in early elementary school and cover ing all topics by eighth grade. Students strongly favored a presentation style that was open, honest, comfortable, and nonjudgmental, and they believed teachers should be specially trained in this area. Relating material to students' lives and using a discussion format were also considered essential to effective sexuality education. The students' viewpoints have significant implications for teachers, school administrators, and policy makers.     

The effectiveness of mandatory-random student drug testing: a cluster randomized trial

PurposeThis article presents findings from the largest experimental evaluation to date of school-based mandatory-random student drug testing (MRSDT). The study tested the effectiveness of MRSDT in reducing substance use among high school students.MethodsCluster randomized trial included 36 high schools and more than 4,700 9th through 12th grade students. After baseline data collection in spring 2007, about half the schools were randomly assigned to a treatment group that was permitted to implement MRSDT immediately, and the remaining half were assigned to a control group that delayed MRSDT until after follow-up data collection was completed 1 year later, in spring 2008. Data from self-administered student questionnaires were used to compare rates of substance use in treatment and control schools at follow-up.ResultsStudents subject to MRSDT by their districts reported less substances use in past 30 days compared with students in schools without MRSDT. The program had no detectable spillover effects on the substance use of students not subject to testing. We found no evidence of unintentional negative effects on students' future intentions to use substances, the proportion of students who participated in activities subject to drug testing, or on students' attitudes toward school and perceived consequences of substance use.ConclusionsMRSDT shows promise in reducing illicit substance use among high school students. The impacts of this study were measured for a 1-year period and may not represent longer term effects.     

汶川地震后重灾区中学生创伤后应激障碍的随访研究

目的 了解汶川地震后1年内重灾区中学生创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)随时间变化趋势以及相关影响因素.方法 采用一般情况问卷和标准心理量表(PTSD自评量表、领悟社会支持量表),分别于震后3、6、9和12个月对汶川县3所中学1966名中学生进行自填式问卷随访调查,通过建立多水平随机系数模型,分析研究对象PTSD随时间的变化趋势及相关危险因素.结果 全程参与灾后PTSD随访研究并获得有效问卷者共1677名.震后3、6、9和12个月,研究对象PTSD总分分别为(35.14±11.08)、(32.90±11.03)、(30.67±11.28)和(29.75±11.22)分,筛查阳性率分别为36.6%(613/1677)、30.7%(515/1677)、24.8%(416/1677)和22.2%(373/1677).领悟社会支持系统得分中位数为60.00分,存在问题者筛查阳性率为17.20%(289/1677).震后1年内,随着时间的推移,研究对象的PTSD得分总体呈下降趋势(β时间=-1.879,x2=47.03,P＜0.05).男生4次随访平均分分别为33.71、31.61、29.66、28.83分,女生分别为36.33、33.98、31.51、30.52分,初中生分别为35.46、33.28、30.18、29.22分,高中生分别为34.89、32.62、31.04、30.15分.性别和年级因素对个体PTSD总分下降趋势有影响,其中,女生快于男生、高中学生快于初中学生(β性别-时间=-0.354,x2=4.83,P＜0.05;β年级-时间=0.622,x2=11.30,P＜0.05).结论灾后1年内调查对象PTSD患病率较高,PTSD存在随时间自行恢复的趋势,但男生和初中学生恢复速度更慢.

Abstract：

Objective This study was to identify the post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)changes and the relative risk factors within one year after Wenchuan earthquake among middle school students in the disaster area.Methods A total of 1966 students from 3 schools in Wenchuan earthquake region were selected as the target population.For each student,personal basic information and standard psychological scale(PCL-C,PSSS)were investigated by a self-administrated questionnaire in the 3rd,the 6th,the 9th and the 12th month after the earthquake,respectively.PTSD trends over the time and the associated risk factors were analyzed through the establishment of multi-level random coefficient model.Results There were 1677middle school students fully participated in the PTSD follow-up study by turning in the valid questionnaires.The averaged scores of PTSD at the time of the 3rd,the 6th,the 9th and the 12th month after the earthquake were 35.14 ± 11.08,32.90 ± 11.03,30.67 ± 11.28 and 29.75 ± 11.22,respectively.Meanwhile,the general incidences of PTSD were 36.6%(613/1677),30.7%(515/1677),24.8%(416/1677)and 22.2%(373/1677),respectively.The median score of perceived social support system was 60.00 and the general incidences of PSS was 17.20%(289/1677).The PTSD scores for the students had a decreasing trend during the period of our observation(βtime =-1.879,x2 = 47.03,P ＜0.05).The averaged scores for boys for the 4 follow-up studies were 33.71,31.61,29.66,28.83 ;for girls were 36.33,33.98,31.51,30.52; for junior school students were 35.46,33.28,30.18,29.22; for senior school students were 34.89,32.62,31.04,30.15.Moreover,two factors,gender and grade,were related with the decreasing trend(the trend for girls and senior school students was sharper than that for boys and junior school students)(βgender-time =-0.354,x2 = 4.83,P ＜0.05; βgrade-time = 0.622,x2 = 11.30,P ＜0.05).Conclusions The prevalence of PTSD was high.Meanwhile,there was a trend of self-recovery for adolescent's PTSD during the first year of post-earthquake,but boys and junior school students recovered more slowly.