Survey says Hispanic teens try drugs, suicide at higher rates, but maybe you never heard about this before because until this morning when the report was released by Associated Press no one cared to discuss the findings. The finding comes from a CDC survey of about 14,000 U.S. high school students that has been conducted every other year since 1991. Results reported Thursday were from last year's survey say higher rates of risk-taking by Hispanics in several areas. One example: About 10 to 11 percent of Hispanic students said they attempted suicide, compared with around 7 percent of whites and 8 percent of blacks.
However, whites reported the highest rates of smoking and heavy drinking, while blacks reported the highest rates of obesity, violence and sexual activity.
One striking behavior in which blacks fared the worst was television watching.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of daily TV viewing a day for kids. Physical activity is needed to develop mental and social skills and help prevent obesity, and TV violence has been associated with more aggressive behavior in children who watch a lot of it.
The study is the latest in a series of surveys of U.S. high school students every two years. The new report noted black and white students are reporting less sexual activity that in years past, but there was no decline among Hispanics. Experts have not been able to find a clear explanation for that.
In addition, Hispanic students were more likely that either blacks or whites to attempt suicide, ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, or use cocaine, heroin or ecstasy.
Hispanics also most often drank alcohol on school property, were offered or sold illegal drugs, and occasionally skipped school because they feared for their safety.
The school environments many Hispanics face may differ considerably from what many blacks or whites encounter, noted Wechsler, director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health.
"There's tremendous segregation in our schools," Wechsler said, in an interview with The Associated Press.
However, whites reported the highest rates of smoking and heavy drinking, while blacks reported the highest rates of obesity, violence and sexual activity.
One striking behavior in which blacks fared the worst was television watching.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of daily TV viewing a day for kids. Physical activity is needed to develop mental and social skills and help prevent obesity, and TV violence has been associated with more aggressive behavior in children who watch a lot of it.
The study is the latest in a series of surveys of U.S. high school students every two years. The new report noted black and white students are reporting less sexual activity that in years past, but there was no decline among Hispanics. Experts have not been able to find a clear explanation for that.
In addition, Hispanic students were more likely that either blacks or whites to attempt suicide, ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, or use cocaine, heroin or ecstasy.
Hispanics also most often drank alcohol on school property, were offered or sold illegal drugs, and occasionally skipped school because they feared for their safety.
The school environments many Hispanics face may differ considerably from what many blacks or whites encounter, noted Wechsler, director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health.
"There's tremendous segregation in our schools," Wechsler said, in an interview with The Associated Press.
1 comment:
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