JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The percentage of Duval County’s high school and middle school students who reported being sexually active has declined by double digits over the last 10 years. Young people also report less tobacco, alcohol and drug use in a survey released Thursday by the Duval County Health Department.
But not all the trends are good. Students report their eating habits are not as healthy and more young people report feeling less safe at school and more have considered suicide.
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The annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey measures health-related behaviors among young people across six categories: injuries and violence, sexual behaviors, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, dietary behaviors and physical activity.
Sexual health was among the behaviors that showed most positive gains. The number of high school students reporting being sexually active was 37.7% in 2009 compared to 23.5% in 2019.
Tobacco and alcohol use also showed positive trends, with cigarette use among middle school students dropping from 8.1% to 4.6% over those 10 years. Alcohol use among high school students declined from 38.8% to 25%.
“Today’s youth are making better decisions about their sexual health than just a decade ago,” said Dr. Pauline Rolle, medical director of the Florida Department of Health in Duval County. “We have made strides in the behaviors that put students most at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.”
But Rolle said there is still a lot of work to be done in recognizing and creating healthier environments for children. This includes a decrease in the number of students reporting healthy eating habits; an increase in the number of students not going to school because they felt unsafe; and a significant number of both middle and high school students who report they have seriously considered suicide or attempted suicide.
Heather Albritton, Duval County Public Schools’ director of health and physical education, said that part of the data is sobering and it underscores the importance of health and wellness initiatives, such as monthly discussions with students and a recent expansion of mental health services so every student has access to a mental health therapist.
“We continually look for ways to innovatively use the survey data in partnering with local agencies to mitigate the high-risk behaviors of our youth,” Albritton said. “We know that we must press forward to find new, broader ways to connect our students with programming, services, and educational experiences that can help shape their habits into life-long beneficial, positive behaviors.”
About the survey
In 2019, the YRBS was completed by 4,128 students from 21 public high schools and of those, 4,032 surveys were usable after data editing. The YRBS was completed by 4,724 students from 28 public middle schools and, of those, 4,585 surveys were usable after data editing. Highlights of the survey include:
- 17.5% of high school students reported being bullied on school property during the 12 months before the survey, and 40.1% of middle school students reported ever being bullied on school property.
- Suicide risk behaviors have significantly increased among middle and high school students since 2009. In 2019, about one in five students reported making a plan to commit suicide.
- Since 2009, Duval County has seen a decline in sexual activity among adolescents. Still, many students engage in sexual risk behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and STIs, including HIV infection. In 2019, approximately 1 in 4 high school students (23.5%) were currently sexually active.
- Use of electronic vapor products is an emerging health concern, with 13.7% of middle school and 16.5% of high school students reporting current electronic vapor product use.
- 6.7% of middle school students most of time or always went hungry and 16.3% did not eat breakfast during the seven days before the survey.
To access the full report online, visit duval.floridahealth.gov or dcps.duvalschools.org/YRBS.