Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “STUDENT DROPOUTS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources

Level of education and injecting drug use among African Americans.

Drawing upon a nationally representative survey sample of African American (AA) drug injectors and non-injectors, this study tests for a suspected causal association between dropping out of school and the occurrence of injecting drug use (IDU), which remains a major cause of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in this population. The data are from public use files of the National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) conducted between 1991 and 1995. From within the NHSDA's nationally representative sample of adult household residents, a total of 389 AA adults with a history of IDU were matched on neighborhood of residence with 2253 AA adults with no history of IDU. The conditional form of multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of having injected a drug for school dropouts relative to a reference category of AA who received the high school diploma but did not go to college. AAs who dropped out of high school were an estimated two times more likely to have injected drugs. With statistical adjustment for age, sex, and Hispanic background, the estimated association was 1.9 (95% confidence interval (C.I.) = 1.3-2.6, P<0.001). Contrary to our advance hypothesis, earning the graduate equivalency certificate (GED) did not seem to affect the magnitude of excess risk for having started IDU (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.3, 95% C.I. = 1.4-3.8, P<0.001). Hence, school dropout prevention might reduce the risk of IDU per se, in addition to the many other general benefits of educational attainment. The issue of GED-associated reduced risk of IDU remains open for future study.

Adolescent↗

Suicidality, school dropout, and reading problems among adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and school dropout among youth with poor reading in comparison to youth with typical reading (n = 188) recruited from public schools at the age of 15. In a prospective naturalistic study, youth and parents participated in repeated research assessments to obtain information about suicide ideation and attempts, psychiatric and sociodemographic variables, and school dropout. Youth with poor reading ability were more likely to experience suicidal ideation or attempts and more likely to drop out of school than youth with typical reading, even after controlling for sociodemographic and psychiatric variables. Suicidality and school dropout were strongly associated with each other. Prevention efforts should focus on better understanding the relationship between these outcomes, as well as on the developmental paths leading up to these behaviors among youth with reading difficulties.

Adolescent↗

Locus of control of disadvantaged high school dropouts: preliminary data.

Normative data were collected on 197 disadvantaged high school dropouts on the dimension of internal-external control. Findings indicate that this group appears to be external but not markedly so, and a short-term intervention program designed to improve academic and vocational skills did not appear to affect locus of control of 33 subjects.

Adolescent↗

Silent dropouts in health surveys: are nonrespondent absent teenagers different from those who participate in school-based health surveys?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the health problems, needs and behavior of pupils absent from school with participants in the Swiss Multicenter Adolescent Survey on Health. METHODS: The present pupils' group (N = 3324; adolescents between 15 and 20 years old, randomly selected from high schools and professional centers of French-speaking Switzerland) answered a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. The absent pupils group (N = 96) was questioned on the phone by means of a shorter but similar version of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The proportion of respondents reporting skin problems, weight concerns, sleep difficulties, headaches, stomach aches, as well as vision or dental problems was higher in the present pupils sample (p < 0.01). The percentages of teenagers reporting the need for help were higher in the present pupils sample than in the absent group: nutrition (21.8 vs. 9.4, p < 0.01) stress (44.2 vs. 31.3, p < 0.05), depression (28.4 vs. 18.9, p < 0.05), sleep problems (21.3 vs. 12.1, p < 0.05), sports (9.2 vs. 4.2, p < 0.05), and love life (31.5 vs. 14.5, p < 0.01). The rates of hospitalizations and injuries were lower among absent pupils (28.2 vs. 40.1, p < 0.01). A higher proportion of absent students were sexually active (p < 0.05). They had a tendency to use tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis more frequently than did present pupils (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Within the Swiss context, nonparticipation owing to school absenteeism is probably related less to physical or chronic health problems that to lifestyles which predispose these students to truancy.

Absenteeism↗

School trajectory and teenage pregnancy in three Brazilian state capitals.

This paper describes the relationship between school trajectory and incidence of teenage pregnancy. A cross-sectional residence-based questionnaire was applied, interviewing 4,634 youth ages 18 to 24 years, selected through a stratified three-stage sample. For the present study, young people ages 20 to 24 years (65.6%) were chosen, with teenage pregnancy rates of 29.5% for females and 21.4% for males (in relation to their partners). Sexual debut was reported by 87% of women and 95.3% of men. The majority of young people reported irregular school trajectory, with 39% enrolled in school at the time of the study. Nearly half of those who had interrupted their studies at least once reported a teenage pregnancy. The main reasons for interrupting their studies were pregnancy and children for women and work for men. School dropout due to teenage pregnancy was mentioned by 40.1% of women for whom the outcome of pregnancy was a child. However, 20.5% had already dropped out of school before becoming pregnant.

Adolescent↗

Reduced school dropout rates among adolescent mothers receiving school-based prenatal care.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy is associated with increased school dropout rates. Dropping out amplifies the probability of persistent social and economic disadvantage. Whether school-based health centers might help reduce school absenteeism and dropout rates in this group has not been well studied. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of school-based prenatal services on school attendance and dropout rates. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, using school rosters from an alternative school, we identified adolescents aged 18 years or younger who delivered a baby between July 1, 1995, and August 30, 1997, in Baltimore, Md. We linked school records spanning 3 years with medical records and birth certificates. School variables such as attendance and dropout rates were examined in relation to the teen's year of pregnancy and prenatal care setting (school-based vs non-school-based). Hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine effects of school-based prenatal care on dropout and promotion or graduation rates, with adjustment for baseline group differences. RESULTS: We identified 431 predominantly African American, low-income adolescents who attended the alternative school in their pregnancy school year. In the year prior to pregnancy, most performed poorly in school and had significant absenteeism. During their pregnancy school year, teens receiving school-based prenatal care were absent 12 fewer days, as compared with those receiving non-school-based care (P =.001), and their dropout rate was half that of those receiving non-school-based care (6% vs 15%; P =.02). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses, with adjustment for baseline prepregnancy differences, demonstrated that teens receiving school-based prenatal care were less likely to drop out of school during the pregnancy year (adjusted odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.99; P =.048). CONCLUSIONS: Absenteeism and dropout rates were reduced for pregnant adolescents receiving prenatal care at a school-based health center in an urban alternative school. Findings underscore the importance of funding and evaluating school-based health centers and other interventions that may ameliorate negative outcomes among childbearing adolescents.

Absenteeism↗

Discriminant analysis to predict graduation--nongraduation in a master's degree program in nursing.

Discriminant analysis was used to predict graduation and two categories of nongraduation from readily available admissions data at the University of Kansas nursing master's degree program. The traditional admissions indices, baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE)-verbal and -quantitative scores, were used as predictors. Criterion categories were composed of 102 graduates, 103 individuals who dropped out of the program, and 65 individuals who were not accepted. The first discriminant function was, chi 2 (6) = 87.567, p less than .0001, and extracted 98% of the variance of the discriminant space. Follow-up procedures using one-way ANOVA's and Scheffé multiple comparisons indicated that the baccalaureate GPA and GRE-verbal and -quantitative scores independently differentiated the graduate and dropout groups from the not-accepted group at a statistically significant level (p less than .05). Practical significance of the independent contribution of these variables to group differentiation, as measured by omega 2 was 22% for the baccalaureate GPA, 13% for the GRE-verbal scores, and 10% for the GRE-quantitative scores. Implications for future research are discussed.

Analysis of Variance↗

Association of school dropout with recent and past injecting drug use among African American adults.

We hypothesized that, among African American adults, starting and maintaining injecting drug use (IDU) would be associated with dropping out of high school, and that starting and stopping IDU would be associated with earning the general equivalency diploma (GED) after school dropout. Drawn from the 1991-1993 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), the nationally representative sample of African Americans consisted of 117 recent and 109 past IDUs. Conditional multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the hypothesized associations. African American high school dropouts and GED holders were 2-3 times more likely to have started and maintained IDU, as compared to high school graduates. Earning the GED was associated with starting and then stopping IDU. These findings merit further investigation because they might have significant public health implications for the prevention of IDU among African Americans.

Adolescent↗

School dropouts' attitudes and beliefs about smoking.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of beliefs and attitude related to smoking and smoking behavior among school dropouts in a national sample (weighted N = 492,352). The self-reported smoking rate for school dropouts was 58.3%. Those who were most positive about smoking (such as smoking helps people reduce stress and relax, reduce boredom) were more likely to be smokers (p < .05). Smoking programs targeting this population should provide coping skills and an environment with options for relaxing, managing stress, and safe weight control.

Adolescent↗

Substance use in the US college-age population: differences according to educational status and living arrangement.

OBJECTIVES: Substance use in the college-age population is an important public health and educational concern. This study compared rates of use among college students and nonstudents, including high school dropouts, from a single data source representative of the nation. METHODS: Rates of use were estimated from the combined National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse from 1991 to 1993. Logistic regression models were used to test the effects of educational status and living arrangement. RESULTS: Educational status and living arrangement were found to be significant predictors of substance use. Rates of illicit drug and cigarette use were highest among high school dropouts, while current and heavy alcohol use were highest among college students who did not live with their parents. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial variation in substance use patterns within the college-age population suggests that overall rates of use for young adults should not be used to characterize specific subgroups of young adults. These data from a single source will thus help planners more clearly distinguish the service needs of the diverse subgroups within this population.

Adolescent↗

Social consequences of psychiatric disorders, I: Educational attainment.

OBJECTIVE: This is the first in a series of investigations of the social consequences of psychiatric disorders based on the National Comorbidity Survey. Data on the relationship between preexisting psychiatric disorders and subsequent educational attainment are presented. METHOD: The National Comorbidity Survey is a nationally representative survey of 8,098 respondents in the age range 15-54 years. A subsample of 5,877 respondents completed a structured psychiatric interview and a detailed risk factor battery. Diagnoses of DSM-III-R anxiety disorders, mood disorders, substance use disorders, and conduct disorder were generated, and survival analyses were used to project data on school terminations to the total U.S. population. RESULTS: Early-onset psychiatric disorders are present in more than 3.5 million people in the age range of the National Comorbidity Survey who did not complete high school and close to 4.3 million who did not complete college. The most important disorders are conduct disorder among men and anxiety disorders among women. The proportion of school dropouts with psychiatric disorders has increased dramatically in recent cohorts, and persons with psychiatric disorders currently account for 14.2% of high school dropouts and 4.7% of college dropouts. CONCLUSIONS: Early-onset psychiatric disorders probably have a variety of adverse consequences. The results presented here show that truncated educational attainment is one of them. Debate concerning whether society can afford universal insurance coverage for the treatment of mental disorders needs to take these consequences into consideration.

Adolescent↗

The importance of timing: the varying impact of childhood and adolescent maltreatment on multiple problem outcomes.

A substantial body of literature suggests that childhood maltreatment is related to negative outcomes during adolescence, including delinquency, drug use, teenage pregnancy, and school failure. There has been relatively little research examining the impact that variation in the developmental stage during which the maltreatment occurs has on these relationships, however. In this paper, we reassess the impact of maltreatment on a number of adverse outcomes when developmentally specific measures of maltreatment-maltreatment that occurs only in childhood, only in adolescence, or in both childhood and adolescence-are considered. Data are drawn from the Rochester Youth Development Study, a broad-based longitudinal study of adolescent development. The analysis examines how maltreatment affects delinquency, drug use, alcohol-related problems, depressive symptoms, teen pregnancy. school dropout, and internalizing and externalizing problems during adolescence. We also examine whether the type of maltreatment experienced at various developmental stages influences the outcomes. Overall, our results suggest that adolescent and persistent maltreatment have stronger and more consistent negative consequences during adolescence than does maltreatment experienced only in childhood.

Adolescent↗

School importance and dropout among pregnant adolescents.

PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship of psychological well-being, social support, and demographic variables to school importance and school dropout among pregnant teens. METHOD: Fifty-one Caucasians and 68 African-Americans (mean age = 16.7 years, mean weeks pregnant = 23) were recruited from two Baltimore area prenatal teen clinics. The adolescents completed questionnaires measuring depression, self-esteem, mastery, parental and friend support, demographic characteristics (i.e., age, marital status, ethnicity, socioeconomic status), school importance, and status. RESULTS: Most adolescents were enrolled in school or had graduated (69.7%), were receiving at least passing grades (78.7%), and perceived finishing high school as very important (76.7%). Blacks were more likely to say school was important (p < 0.001), were less likely to drop out (p < 0.01), and received higher grades (p < 0.01) than whites. Dropouts had lower family incomes than current school attenders and graduates (p < 0.05). One measure of psychological well-being (mastery, p < 0.01) was positively correlated with school importance. Social support did not correlate with school importance or dropout. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that dropping out of school among pregnant teens may be more strongly related to sociocultural factors than to individual characteristics such as emotional support and psychological well-being. Overall, this study reveals a positive picture of educational continuation and performance during pregnancy, with most adolescents recognizing the importance of education and remaining in school.

Adolescent↗

Maternal psychological distress: adult sons' and daughters' mental health and educational attainment.

BACKGROUND: Offspring of depressed women have high rates of depressive symptoms and other psychopathology. The authors examined the relationship of mothers' symptoms of depression and anxiety reported during their offspring's childhood and adolescence on depressive disorder and educational achievement of their adult children. METHOD: The data come from a longitudinal cohort study of first graders from Woodlawn, a neighborhood in Chicago, followed from age 6 to 32 years (N = 879). Adult children's depression and educational attainment are regressed on earlier self-reports of mothers' psychological distress. Using multiple logistic regression, the authors controlled for the relationships of poverty, mothers' education, mobility, family structure, mothers' illness, and children's first grade classroom behavior and psychological symptoms. RESULTS: Daughters of mothers with persistent maternal psychological distress had two and a half times the risk of lifetime depressive disorder, but no increased risk of high school dropout. For sons, mothers' psychological distress was not related to depression but was related to poorer educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers' depressed feelings during the childrearing years relate to their children's depression and educational attainment as measured in adulthood. The patterns differ for sons and daughters.

Adolescent↗

Attrition in an undergraduate program in allied health education.

The present study compared the characteristics of allied health professionals who completed a bachelor's degree program in allied health education with those who failed to complete the program, in order to develop recommendations for a retention program. The data base included all graduates and dropouts for the period September 1972 to August 1986. Analyses indicated that alumni and those who dropped out were remarkedly similar with regard to demographic characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity, and prior academic achievement. Fifty percent of the dropouts occurred within the first semester, although attrition continued to occur over a five-year period. The reasons for dropping out were varied, and few were recorded for academic reasons. It was concluded that adult allied health professionals pose difficult problems for retention because motivation and commitment variables appear more important than academic ability or social/academic integration factors. These findings were consistent with research on attrition in higher education, and with the literature on adult learning.

Achievement↗

Comprehensive school-based services for pregnant and parenting adolescents in West Dallas, Texas.

A cohort of 339 Black (n = 210), Hispanic (n = 118), and other (n = 11) adolescent mothers in Dallas, Texas, were followed from the start of their pregnancy through the school year of the delivery to assess differences in numbers of prenatal care visits, postpartum care, repeat deliveries, and school continuation rates. Approximately one-half the teens received reproductive services at a comprehensive, school-based clinic and one-half at a categorical (Title XX) family planning and prenatal care clinic. Adolescents attending the school-based clinic were more likely to be in school at conception and averaged more prenatal visits than those served by the categorical provider. However, during the pregnancy and following the delivery, school dropout rates for the two sets of teens converged. School continuation rates were higher among a subset of adolescents attending the Dallas Independent School District school for pregnant teens than among other teens. Hispanic teens were two times more likely than their Black counterparts to drop out of school. No differences were found in repeat birth rates, by ethnicity, clinic site, or school attended.

Adolescent↗