Alcohol use, smoking, and feeling unsafe: health risk behaviors of two urban seventh grade classes

Health risk behaviors undertaken in adolescence, such as drinking alcohol and smoking, can have a lasting consequence on both short-term and long-term health. To better describe the health risk behaviors being undertaken by an urban adolescent population, a study was conducted at two parochial, middle schools in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The study purpose was to describe the types of health risk behaviors being undertaken by a seventh grade student population, the frequency of health risk behaviors, and the age of initiation of the health risk behavior.A descriptive, correlational study was undertaken with 105 seventh graders (ages of 11 to 13 years) from two middle schools using the Youth Risk Behaviors Surveillance System (YRBSS) Questionnaire. Information was collected about health risk behaviors such as alcohol use and tobacco use and feeling safe. Findings indicated that these adolescent students reported increased incidence of health risk behaviors including alcohol use, smoking, and carrying weapons to combat their feeling unsafe in their neighborhoods. Interestingly, there were differences between schools in the type of health risk behaviors in which the students participated. Nurses are often in an ideal position to assess the health and behaviors of adolescents and to offer education, health promotion, and support to this at-risk population.