More than a third of them drink alcohol and almost half have had sex. We're getting a first look at the risks Nevada high school students take in their daily lives.
The snapshot, presented to lawmakers today, comes from 2011 and is part of the every-other year Nevada youth risk behavior survey.
More than 2,300 students in grades nine through 12 answered questions spanning a number of areas.
Nearly 48 percent have had intercourse. Almost 17 percent thought seriously about committing suicide and close to seven percent say they belonged to a street gang. In looking at past years, it appears young Nevadans are drinking and smoking less.
Marijuana use appears to be relatively stable over the past decade. Nearly one in four students smokes pot.
The state department of education cautions against comparing the 2011 numbers to past years because, unlike past years not all school districts took part in the survey.
An official with the department said some teachers did not want to take away from instruction, to take part in the survey. Clark county did and we'll get those numbers shortly.
The
Youth Risk Behavior Survey was developed to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States.
These behaviors, often established during childhood and early adolescence, include:
- Tobacco use
- Unhealthy dietary behaviors
- Inadequate physical activity
- Alcohol and drug use
- Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection
- Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence
The YRBS is comprised of school based surveys of representative samples of 7th through 12th grade students. These surveys are conducted every two years, usually during the spring semester.
School level data are conducted in classrooms by middle and high school students, via self-administered paper and pencil questionnaires. Completion of the survey is voluntary and confidential.
