The Influence of School-Based Health Centers on Adolescents' Youth Risk Behaviors

Youth risk behaviors that are developed during adolescence are likely to continue into adulthood, increasing chances of morbidity, mortality, and chronic health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified six critical risk behaviors (unintentional injuries and violence, sexual behaviors leading to pregnancies and infections, alcohol and other drug use, tobacco use, poor dietary habits, and insufficient physical activities) and developed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to monitor them. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate which health risk behaviors were affected by a new school-based health center (SBHC), using two urban school systems in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey was administered at two schools in 2007 and 2011. Logistic regression was used to predict whether the dependent variables had changed based on the new SBHC.

Overall, the new SBHC did not have a significant effect on the student's risk behaviors.

Schools remain a critical part of adolescents' development, and access to SBHCs offers a safety net to students whose families may not have health insurance.