Biomedical subjects
L Kann
Publications and source records attributed to L Kann.
School health policies prohibiting tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, and violence.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS): context, methods, general findings, and future efforts.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Youth risk behavior surveillance--United States, 1993.
Priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of mortality, morbidity, and social problems among youth and adults often are established during youth, extend into adulthood, and are interrelated. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health risk behaviors among youth and youth adults: behaviors that contribute to unintentional and intentional injuries, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors, and physical activity. The YRBSS includes a national, school-based survey conducted by CDC and state and local school-based surveys conducted by state and local education agencies. This report summarizes results from the national survey, 24 state surveys, and nine local surveys conducted among high school students during February through May 1993. In the United States, 72% of all deaths among school-age youth and young adults are from four causes: motor vehicle crashes, other intentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 1993 YRBSS suggest many high school students practice behaviors that may increase their likelihood of death from these four causes: 19.1% rarely or never use a safety belt, 35.3% had ridden during the 30 days preceding the survey with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, 22.1% had carried a weapon during the 30 days preceding the survey, 80.9% ever drank alcohol, 32.8% ever used marijuana, and 8.6% had attempted suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey. Substantial morbidity and social problems among adolescents also result from unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Trends in risk behaviors for HIV infection among U.S. high school students, 1989-1991.
The objective of this study was to examine trends in rates of self-reported HIV-related instruction and behaviors among high school students in the United States. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by three independent, multistage national probability samples of public and private school students in grades 9 through 12 who were surveyed in the spring of 1989, 1990, and 1991, respectively. Controlling for demographic characteristics, we used logistic regression to test for trends from 1989 to 1991. From 1989 to 1991, the proportion of students who had received HIV instruction in school significantly increased from 53.7% in 1989 to 83.3% in 1991. At the same time, the proportion of students engaging in selected sexual behaviors generally decreased. We found significant declines in the proportion of students who had engaged in sexual intercourse (58.5% in 1989 to 54.1% in 1991), had two or more sex partners during their lifetime (40.1% in 1989 to 35.2% in 1991), and had four or more lifetime sex partners (23.6% in 1989 to 18.7% in 1991). School-based HIV instruction, which is reaching greater numbers of U.S. students, may be contributing to the decline in reported risk behavior. However, because the current level of HIV-related behavior is still too high, risk-reduction efforts for adolescents should be maintained and strengthened.
Physical activity patterns in American high school students. Results from the 1990 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
OBJECTIVE: To assess by self-reported participation in vigorous physical activity, the quantity and quality of school physical education, team sports, and television watching among 11,631 American high school students. RESULTS: Of all students in grades 9 through 12, 37% reported engaging in 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity three or more times per week. Participation in vigorous physical activity was higher among boys than girls (P < .01) and higher among white students than among those of other races and ethnic groups (P < .01). Overall, 43.7% of boys and 52% of girls reported that they were not enrolled in physical education classes. Of the students who reported attending physical education class during the past 2 weeks, 33.2% reported exercising 20 minutes or more in physical education class three to five times per week. In contrast, rates of participation in varsity and junior varsity sports remained constant across grade levels, but participation in recreational physical activity programs showed a lesser magnitude and also decreased with advancing grade. More than 70% of students reported spending at least 1 hour watching television each school day, and more than 35% reported watching television 3 hours or more each school day. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in vigorous physical activity and physical education class time devoted to physical activity are substantially below the goals set in Healthy People 2000. As students move toward graduation, we observed disturbing declines in participation in community recreation programs and overall vigorous activity. Students appear to spend considerably more time watching television than participating in physical activity. Public health efforts should focus on increasing the physical activity levels of our youth to enhance their current well-being and to reduce the risks of future chronic disease.
Changes in HIV-related information sources, instruction, knowledge, and behaviors among US high school students, 1989 and 1990.
OBJECTIVES: Few data have been available among adolescents to determine behavioral changes that may prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This analysis examines changes in the prevalence of self-reported HIV-related information sources, instruction, knowledge, and behaviors among high school students in the United States. METHODS: Two independent, multistage national probability samples of students in grades 9 through 12 were surveyed in 1989 (n = 8098) and 1990 (n = 11,631) with self-administered, anonymous questionnaires that included similar items. RESULTS: Compared with students surveyed in 1989, a significantly greater proportion of students surveyed in 1990 had received HIV instruction in school. Significant decreases were found in the proportion of White and female students who reported having had sexual intercourse, in the proportion of White students reporting two or more lifetime sex partners, and in the proportion of 15- and 16-year-olds, White students, and female students who reported having had four or more lifetime sex partners. For both years, students who had a greater level of HIV knowledge were less likely to have had multiple lifetime sex partners or to have injected illicit drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that school-based HIV education and knowledge may be contributing factors in reducing certain risk behaviors that can lead to HIV transmission among secondary school youth.
Substance use and HIV-related sexual behaviors among US high school students: are they related?
OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to examine whether use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, and other illicit drugs is related to the likelihood of sexual behaviors that increase risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among youth. METHODS: The 1990 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used to collect self-reported information about a broad range of health risk behaviors from a representative sample of 11,631 high school students in the United States. RESULTS: Students who reported no substance use were least likely to report having had sexual intercourse, having had four or more sex partners, and not having used a condom at last sexual intercourse. Adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, odds ratios for each of these sexual risk behaviors were greatest among students who had used marijuana, cocaine, or other illicit drugs. Students who had used only alcohol or cigarettes had smaller but still significant increases in the likelihood of having had sexual intercourse and of having had four or more sex partners. CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevention programs for youth should recognize that substance use may be an important indicator of risk for HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome through its association with unsafe sexual behaviors.
Overview of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Results from the national school-based 1991 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and progress toward achieving related health objectives for the nation.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
HIV-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among high school students in the United States: results from a national survey.
The Secondary School Student Health Risk Survey measured the prevalence of sexual intercourse and illegal drug injection among a national probability sample of U.S. high school students and assessed their HIV-related knowledge and beliefs. Ninety-nine (81%) of the 122 selected schools and 8,098 (83%) of the eligible students participated. Nearly all high school students knew the major modes of HIV transmission. Three percent reported injecting illegal drugs, and 1% reported sharing needles used to inject drugs. In addition, 59% of students reported having sexual intercourse and, of students who reported having sexual intercourse, 40% reported having four or more sexual partners. HIV-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among high school students suggest the need for school-based HIV education programs that help young people acquire the knowledge and skills to adopt and maintain behaviors that reduce risk of HIV infection and other related health problems.
HIV instruction, HIV knowledge, and drug injection among high school students in the United States.
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of HIV-related behaviors and determinants of these behaviors among adolescents in the United States have not been well studied. METHODS: To determine the prevalence of HIV-related drug behaviors and to assess the effects of HIV-related school-based instruction and HIV knowledge on these behaviors, data were analyzed from a 39-item, self-administered questionnaire completed by a probability sample of all students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. RESULTS: Usable responses were obtained from 8098 students. Of these, 2.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.3-3.2) and 1.7% (95% CI = 1.3-2.1) reported injecting illicit drugs ever and during the past year, respectively. Corresponding prevalences of needle sharing were 0.8% (95% CI = 0.5-1.1) and 0.5% (95% CI = 0.3-0.7). Regression analysis revealed that students with higher knowledge scores were less likely and males more likely to have ever injected drugs. HIV knowledge was similarly associated with other outcome measures of drug-injection behavior. Although HIV instruction did not directly influence drug-injection behavior independently of demographic characteristics, it was positively associated with HIV knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: While these results do not establish a causal relationship, they suggest that HIV knowledge and school-based instruction may play a role in maintaining low levels of drug-injection behavior among high school students.
Establishing a system of complementary school-based surveys to annually assess HIV-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents.
The Division of Adolescent and School Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control has responsibility for assisting national, state, and local education agencies to provide effective HIV education for youth. In fall 1987, 14 state and 9 local education agencies that serve areas with the highest cumulative incidence of AIDS cases convened to develop a common set of data items that could provide comparable information about HIV-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents in their respective jurisdictions over time. Surveys were administered during spring 1988 to representative samples of adolescents in each participating state and city. These education agencies will use the results from this complementary system of school-based surveys as a guide in planning HIV education, setting program priorities, allocating resources, and monitoring changes in HIV-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents.
School health education to prevent the spread of AIDS: overview of a national programme.
The ultimate goal of CDC's School Health Education to Prevent the Spread of AIDS programme is to reduce the incidence of HIV infection among school-aged youth. Working objectives that integrate programme research and development activities are listed in the opposite Table. In 1982 it was estimated that of the 4.6 billion people in the world, about one billion were school-aged, and about 870 million of these youth were enrolled in schools. WHO, UNESCO, and the International Union for Health Education have recognized that schools could provide a critical means for ensuring that young people throughout the world understand the global AIDS pandemic they face, and what they can do to protect themselves, the families for which they will become responsible, and the communities in which they will reside. But if schools are to provide effective AIDS education, they will require the commitment and active collaboration of education and health leaders in local, national, and international agencies.
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System: measuring health-risk behaviors.
OBJECTIVE: To measure priority health-riskbehaviors among youth. METHODS: The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors priority health-risk behaviors among youth. RESULTS: In 1999, many high school students practiced behaviors that contribute to leading health problems--16.4% rarely or never wore safety belts and, during the past 30 days, 17.3% carried a weapon, 34.8% smoked cigarettes, and 26.7% used marijuana. Also, 49.9% had had sexual intercourse. One quarter (26.0%) were at risk for becoming overweight or were overweight. CONCLUSION: YRBSS data are used to improve policies and programs to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among youth.