Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among American Indian and Alaska Native High School Students

• Published in: The Journal of school health Vol. 84; no. 1; pp. 25 - 32
• Main Authors: de Ravello, Lori, Everett Jones, Sherry, Tulloch, Scott, Taylor, Melanie, Doshi, Sonal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.01.2014; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley; American School Health Association; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - ethnology; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; African American Students; Age Differences; Alaska - epidemiology; Alaska Natives; American Indian people; American Indian Students; American Indian/Alaska Native; American Indians; Analysis; At Risk Persons; At risk students; Biological and medical sciences; Black people; Drug addiction; Drug use; Early Parenthood; Ethnic Groups; Ethnicity; Female; Grade 9; Health Behavior; Health Behavior - ethnology; High School Students; High schools; Hispanic American Students; Humans; Incidence; Indians; Indians, North American - statistics & numerical data; Influence; Inuit - statistics & numerical data; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; National Surveys; Native American; Native North Americans; North America; Population Surveillance; Pregnancy; Pregnant adolescent girls; Prevalence; Prevention and actions; Psychological aspects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Racial Differences; Regression (Statistics); Regression analysis; Retrospective Studies; Risk-Taking; Sex; Sex Education - organization & administration; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - ethnology; Sexual behaviour; Sexuality; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; STD; Students - statistics & numerical data; Substance Abuse; substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - ethnology; White Students; Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System; Youth Risk Behavior Survey; Alaska; Asia; United States; North America; America; India; INE, USA, Alaska; United States > US; Human; Amerindian; Grammar school; Drug addiction; Secondary education; Mongoloid; Sexual behavior; Risk; Substance abuse; Risk taking; Student; North America; Ethnic group; School environment; substance use; Indians; Surveillance; Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System; Adolescent; Risk factor; Indian; American Indian/Alaska Native; Native American; sexual behavior
• ISSN: 0022-4391; 1746-1561
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.12114

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND We describe the prevalence of behaviors that put American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) high school students at risk for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the relationships among race/ethnicity and these behaviors. METHODS We analyzed merged 2007 and 2009 data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biennial, self‐administered, school‐based survey of US students in grades 9‐12 (N = 27,912). Prevalence estimates and logistic regression, controlling for sex and grade, were used to examine the associations between race/ethnicity, and substance use, and sexual risk behaviors. RESULTS Of the 26 variables studied, the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were higher among AI/AN than White students for 18 variables (ranging from 1.4 to 2.3), higher among AI/AN than Black students for 13 variables (ranging from 1.4 to 4.2), and higher among AI/AN than Hispanic students for 5 variables (ranging from 1.4 to 1.5). Odds were lower among AI/AN than Black students for many of the sexual risk‐related behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest it is necessary to develop targeted, adolescent‐specific interventions aimed at reducing behaviors that put AI/AN high school students at risk for teen pregnancy, STI/HIV, and other health conditions.