Florida High School Students Research Articles

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Race/Ethnicity, and Suicidality Among Florida High School Students

Previous studies have well-documented that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with negative health outcomes, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors. As historically marginalized groups have long experienced poorer socio-emotional outcomes due to systemic and institutional racism, racial stress, and related factors, surprisingly little is known about how ACEs matter across racial/ethnic adolescent groups. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing data from the 2022 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS). Utilizing logistic regression models, we investigate how ACEs influence adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Results reveal a significant link between ACEs and these outcomes, indicating that higher ACE scores correlate with increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts. Racial/ethnic variations in ACE effects on suicidality are observed among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latinx youth. We also find that despite generally experiencing fewer ACEs, Asian American youth were nearly 30% more likely to have suicidal thoughts than non-Hispanic White youth.

Adverse childhood experiences, gender, and suicidality among Florida high school students: Examining intervening mechanisms

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent a key risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents. However, the intervening mechanisms linking ACEs and suicidality, and whether such processes vary by gender, remain underexplored. ObjectiveThe present study examines whether the relationships between ACEs and the likelihood of experiencing suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide are indirect through depressive symptoms and low self-control. This study also investigates whether these direct and indirect paths might be moderated by gender. Participants and settingThe analyses make use of data on a statewide representative sample of students enrolled in public high schools in Florida (N = 23,078) from the 2022 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS). MethodsGeneralized structural equation modeling (GSEM) was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of ACEs on the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide. The indirect effects were assessed using bootstrapping, and between-gender differences in the coefficients were tested. ResultsACEs has direct associations with depressive symptoms, low self-control, and both suicidality outcomes. The effects of ACEs on suicidal thoughts are indirect through both depressive symptoms and low self-control, and the effects of ACEs on suicide attempts are indirect through depressive symptoms. Limited gender differences in these pathways emerge. ConclusionsFor male and female youth, ACEs are associated with heightened depression symptoms and reduced self-control, and both of these factors partially explain the previously established relationship between ACEs and suicidality.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Truancy in High School: An Analysis of Florida Adolescents

ABSTRACT Previous research links exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with a host of negative outcomes, including negative school outcomes. For instance, some studies link exposure to ACEs with weak school attachment, school misbehavior, suspension, negative academic performance, and absenteeism. The current study extends the previous literature by examining the association between exposure to ACEs and truancy using self-reports from a representative sample of Florida high-school students. The findings reveal that exposure to ACEs is associated with truancy in a dose–response fashion. In addition, the findings provide some evidence that the association between ACEs and truancy is partially attenuated by school- and parenting-related variables.

Adverse childhood experiences and adolescent handgun carrying

PurposeConsiderable research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with well-known correlates of handgun carrying, such as delinquent peer association, substance use, and police contact and/or arrest. Yet, little to no research to date has explicitly examined the potential role of ACEs in adolescent handgun carrying. The current study examines this important gap in existing literature. MethodsData drawn from the 2022 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS, n = 23,078), a statewide representative sample of Florida high School students, were analyzed to examine the associations between individual ACEs and cumulative ACEs and carrying a handgun in the past 12 months. ResultsExposure to ACEs, such as family incarceration, family violence, and parental separation/divorce increased the likelihood of carrying a handgun three or more times in the past 12 months. Moreover, a dose-response relationship was identified between ACEs and handgun carrying, wherein, the more ACEs an adolescent was exposed to, the more likely they were to have carried a handgun in the past 12 months. ConclusionsThis study highlights the contribution of ACEs to adolescent handgun carrying behaviors.

Association Between Insufficient Sleep, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidality Among Florida High School Students.

Emerging research suggests insufficient sleep can heighten the risk of poor mental health among adolescents. We examined the relationship between sleep, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Florida high school students. Data were from the 2021 Florida High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a statewide representative sample of students in grades 9 to 12. We estimated prevalence of 1 indicator of depressive symptoms - feeling sad or hopeless for 2 or more weeks - and 2 indicators of suicidality - having considered attempting suicide and making a suicide plan - by insufficient sleep status (<8 h of sleep on an average school night). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to calculate odds ratios measuring the association between insufficient sleep, poor mental health, and suicidality. Compared with students reporting sufficient sleep, those with insufficient sleep were more likely to feel sad or hopeless (42.7% vs 28.1%), have considered suicide (19.1% vs 12.5%), or have made a suicide plan (14.8% vs 9.6%). In adjusted multivariate models, compared with students with sufficient sleep, students with insufficient sleep had higher odds of feeling sad or hopeless (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.83; 95% CI 1.54-2.17), and having made a plan about how they would attempt suicide (AOR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.00-1.74), but did not have significantly higher odds of having seriously considered suicide. Increased attention to sleep as a modifiable risk factor for mental health among adolescents is particularly important because of the many less modifiable factors that contribute to mental health difficulties in this population. Adolescent mental health programs should consider sleep an important factor in suicide prevention.

Differential Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Florida High School Students: The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

PurposeThe prevalence of exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) across distinct intersections of race/ethnicity and gender among adolescents remains relatively unknown. The current study seeks to address this important gap in the literature using a statewide representative sample of Florida high school students. MethodsData drawn from the 2020 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) (N = 20,438) were analyzed to examine differences in ACE exposure among 26 racial/ethnic and gender subgroups of high-school aged youth. Lifetime exposure to ACEs was constructed using 10 different ACE categories to measure ACEs prevalence as reported exposure to 1+ ACEs and 4+ ACEs. ResultsExposure to ACEs was highly gendered and varied according to racial/ethnic subgroup. While notable differences across gender and racial/ethnic groups emerged when measuring prevalence as exposure to 1+ ACEs, several of these disparities were further amplified when prevalence was measured as exposure to 4+ ACEs. Native American female adolescents represented the group at greatest risk of high exposure to ACEs, with more than 50% of such youth reporting exposure to 4+ ACEs. DiscussionThe prevalence of ACE exposure varies significantly across race/ethnic and gender subgroups of youth. These intersections should be considered for prevention efforts and clinical treatments of trauma exposure as ACEs may be linked to certain outcomes or behaviors based on high exposure in certain subpopulations of youth.

Predictors of HIV Screening among Florida Students: An Application of Multilevel Logistic Regression

Objectives: To explore the predictors of Human Immune Virus (HIV) screening among Florida high school students using a multilevel logical regression.Methods: We used data of 5,394 high school students in grade level 8 to 12 from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) 2019. In addition to univariate analysis, multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine the association of selected predictors and HIV screening. Results: Students aged 17 years and above were more likely to test for HIV than students 16 years or less (OR=1.928, 95% CI 1.413 – 2.630). Compared to students who did not have A’s or B’s, students who had A’s and B’s were 47% less likely to screen for HIV (OR =0.530, 95% CI 0.381 - 0.736). Discussing HIV with adults and parents (OR= 1.417, 95% CI 1.029 -1.952) and healthcare experts (OR=3.923, 95% CI 2.838 -5.423) was associated with increased odds of screening. Conclusions: Multilevel approaches to examine HIV screening predictors have tremendous potential to provide more insight into class level factors that influence public health programs. This is important especially in situations where there may not be enough state or departmental funding to implement a comprehensive screening program.

Current Tobacco Use Trends and Harm Perceptions Among High School Students byAsthma Status and Sex, 2012-2018.

Tobacco use is known to worsen asthma management. No studies have investigated how trends in youth tobacco use and related harm perceptions vary by asthma status and sex. This study examined these trends among Florida high school students during 2012-2018. Data from the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey were analyzed. Public high school students (grades 9-12) with known asthma status were included along with their current tobacco product use, tobacco product harm perceptions, and demographics. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to assess trends in tobacco product use and harm perceptions and test differences by asthma status and sex. From 2012 to 2018, high school students with asthma had the slowest decline in cigarette and cigar use prevalence (asthma status-time interaction p=.01) compared to those with no asthma. Cigarette and cigar smoking were perceived as less harmful over time, except among females with asthma who smoked cigarettes (p < .05). Those with asthma showed a slower decline and were more likely to smoke cigarettes. Results indicate that further public health efforts are needed to address tobacco use among high school students with asthma.

Weight Perception and Weight Control Behavior among Florida High School Students

Actions adopted by adolescents to control their weight are motivated by their body weight perception. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between body weight perception and weight control behavior among Florida public high school students. We analyzed data from the 2015 Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 3798). We used chi-square test to detect group differences among survey respondents and multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between weight perception and weight control behavior. Most survey respondents adopted healthy actions such as exercise and diet, 75.3% and 55.0%, respectively, and few used unhealthy ones as weight control means, such as fasting, use of diet products, and purging, 15.6%, 7.3%, and 6.5% respectively. Compared to respondents who considered themselves as having the right weight, there were higher odds of engaging in healthy activities only in respondents who considered themselves as being overweight while there were higher odds of engaging in unhealthy actions in respondents perceiving themselves as underweight and in those viewing themselves as overweight. High school health education courses should include modules educating students on the importance of having accurate knowledge about body weight and adopting a healthy weight control behavior.

Adverse childhood experiences and adolescent nicotine and marijuana vaping: Findings from a statewide sample of Florida youth

A wealth of research links exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with negative outcomes including nicotine and marijuana use. In addition, an emerging line of research has documented associations between exposure to ACEs and vaping activity in American adults and international samples of adolescents. Very limited research, however, has explored whether a history of ACEs is linked with adolescent nicotine and marijuana vaping activity in an American sample. This study addresses this gap in the literature by employing multinomial logistic regression to examine whether cumulative exposure to ACEs is associated with adolescent nicotine vaping, dual mode use of nicotine, marijuana vaping, and dual mode use of marijuana in a sample of Florida high school students. Our findings reveal that greater cumulative exposure to ACEs (up to 5 ACEs) in adolescents leads to an increase in the likelihood of vaping nicotine and marijuana. In addition, greater cumulative exposure to ACEs (up to 6 ACEs) leads to an increase in the likelihood of using nicotine and marijuana through multiple delivery modes.

Sleep duration, obesity, and asthma, in Florida adolescents: analysis of data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2009-2013).

To examine the association between sleep duration and asthma among Florida high school students and whether body mass index (BMI) modifies this association. This cross-sectional analysis included 16,728 participants in the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2009-2013). Using logistic regression, we examined the association between sleep duration and asthma, and, after controlling for potential confounders, analyzed the interaction between sleep duration and BMI. Sleeping for less than 7h or more than 8h on school night was associated with increased odds of current asthma. Compared with 7-8h of sleep per night, sleeping for <7h had an OR of 1.22 (95% CI 1.07, 1.40), while sleeping for ≥9h had and OR of 1.31 (1.06, 1.63). When stratified by body mass index (BMI), these associations were significant only in overweight adolescents, with those sleeping for <7 or ≥9h having approximately twice the odds of having current asthma (OR=1.75 (1.45, 2.11) and OR=2.00 (1.32, 3.02) respectively), compared with normal weight adolescents who slept for 7-8h per night. The association between sleep duration and asthma in adolescents is modified by BMI. Short and long sleep durations are associated with asthma in overweight adolescents while no significant association is seen in those with normal BMI.

Hookah Use Among Florida High School Students, 2011-2014.

Adolescent use of hookah continues to increase in the U.S., even in states that have reported decreases in traditional cigarette use among youth. Hookah use typically involves smoking a moistened, loose, sweetened tobacco product with charcoal as the heat source. Data from the 2011-2014 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey were analyzed in 2016 to determine trends in the prevalence of lifetime hookah use (at least once in the adolescent's lifetime) and current hookah use (used in the past 30 days) among high school students (grades 9-12). In 2014, a total of 22.5% of Florida public high school students reported ever smoking a hookah, up from 18.2% in 2011. Current hookah use was reported by 11.6% of high school students, an increase from 8.0% in 2011. Female high school students had an increase in use whereas male students' prevalence was relatively stable. Hispanic and non-Hispanic black students reported significant increases over time. The increase in hookah use among adolescents needs continuous monitoring given the recent increase after relatively stable patterns. Efforts are needed to reduce the appeal and use of hookah by young people.

E-Cigarette Use Among Florida Youth With and Without Asthma.

Although prevalence of youth e-cigarette use has increased dramatically, little is known about e-cigarette use among youth with asthma and how it differs by metropolitan status. This study assessed the prevalence of e-cigarette use among youth by asthma and metropolitan status and examined the associations between e-cigarette use, susceptibility to cigarette smoking, and asthma attack. High school student participants from the 2012 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey were included (N=36,085). Information on demographics, asthma status, ever and past 30-day use of e-cigarettes, cigarette smoking susceptibility, and having asthma attacks in the past 12 months were collected. Data were weighted to be representative of Florida high school students. Analyses were conducted in 2015. Overall, prevalence of ever and past 30-day e-cigarette use among students who reported having asthma were 10.4% and 5.3%, respectively, higher than those without asthma (7.2% and 2.5%, respectively, p<0.01). Among students with asthma, e-cigarette use was more common among those in non-metropolitan and rural counties than those in metropolitan counties (p<0.05). Ever and past 30-day e-cigarette use was associated with cigarette smoking susceptibility among participants with asthma and those who never tried cigarettes (n=2,410; ever use, AOR=3.96, 95% CI=1.49, 10.56; past 30-day use, AOR=422.10, 95% CI=50.29, >999.99). Past 30-day e-cigarette use was associated with having an asthma attack in the past 12 months among participants with asthma (n=5,865, p<0.01). E-cigarette use is more common among Florida high school youth with asthma and is associated with susceptibility to cigarette smoking.

Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Incident Coronary Heart Disease in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS)

Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Incident Coronary Heart Disease in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS)

Sleep Duration, Obesity, and Asthma in Florida High School Students: Analysis of the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2009-2013)

A cross-sectional survey was performed to obtain current data on the gastrointestinal myiasis of horses in the provinces of Kostanay, Akmola and Karagandy, northern and central Kazakhstan. The stomach, small intestine and rectum of 148 slaughter horses were examined for Gasterophilus spp. larvae during a 26-month study period. All horses were infected with 2nd and 3rd stage larvae (mean intensity: 803 ± 350), and 22% of them harboured >1000 Gasterophilus spp. larvae each. Four species were identified: G. intestinalis (prevalence: 100%; mean intensity: 361 ± 240 larvae), G. haemorrhoidalis (100%; 353 ± 191), G. nasalis (100%; 73 ± 36) and G. pecorum (91.2%; 18 ± 10). Horses aged < 2 years were higher infected with Gasterophilus larvae than 2–4 years old animals. Both the prevalence and extremely high intensity of Gasterophilus infections of horses in these Kazakh regions suggest respective control measurements to improve the health and performance of the animals and to increase the economic income of horse owners.

A Multiyear Assessment of Hookah Use Prevalence Among Florida High School Students

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of hookah use among Florida high school students over time. Alternative tobacco products, including hookah, pose a public health threat to tobacco prevention efforts, especially among adolescents. Florida Youth Tobacco Survey data, representing all public high school students in the state, were analyzed to assess the prevalence of lifetime and current hookah use and were compared by demographic groups. Multiple years of data (2007-2012) were examined to assess changes over time. During the past 6 years, there was an increase in lifetime hookah use among Florida high school students. While males remained at a higher rate overall, female adolescents increased at a faster rate. Hispanic and non-Hispanic White respondents reported increased trends as well. Current use trends did not change over 4 years, remaining at about 8%. Hookah is a new tobacco product in the United States that appears attractive to youth, with dramatic increases among the state population. While cigarette use among youth is declining in Florida, the increasing uptake of alternative tobacco products may lessen the overall public health gains for tobacco use. There is a need for continued monitoring of hookah use among the adolescent population, for both prevention and cessation efforts as well as policy interventions to address this emerging trend.

The Returns to Four-Year College for Academically Marginal Students

I combine a regression discontinuity design with rich data on academic and labor market outcomes for a large sample of Florida students to identify the returns to four-year college for students on the academic margin of college admission. In addition, I develop a theoretical model of college choice with and without credit constraints that allows for intuitive tests of the importance of credit constraints within this population. I find that students who obtain high school grades just above the threshold value for admissions eligibility at a large public university in Florida are much more likely to attend a four-year college and much less likely to attend a community college than students with grades just below the threshold. The earnings returns to a year of four-year college for affected students are 8.7 percent, nearly identical to returns to college for the population of Florida high school students. Consistent with the credit constraints hypothesis, poorer students who are more likely to be credit constrained work more while in college and realize higher post-college returns.

Explaining race, poverty, and gender disparities in advanced course‐taking

AbstractWe use panel data on Florida high school students to examine race, poverty, and gender disparities in advanced course‐taking. While white students are more likely to take advanced courses than black and Hispanic students, these disparities are eliminated when we condition on observable pre–high school characteristics. In fact, black and Hispanic students are more likely than observably similar white students to take advanced courses. Controlling for students' pre–high school characteristics substantially reduces poverty gaps, modestly reduces Asian–white gaps, and makes little dent in female–male gaps. Black and Hispanic students attend high schools that increase their likelihood of taking advanced courses relative to observably similar white students; this advantage is largely driven by minorities disproportionately attending magnet schools. Finally, recent federal and state efforts aimed at increasing access to advanced courses to poor and minority students appear to have succeeded in raising the share of students who take advanced courses from 2003 to 2006. However, secular trends (or spillovers of the policies to non‐poor, non‐minority students) have spurred faster growth for other students, contributing to widening demographic gaps in these years. © 2009 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.