Table 2.
Prevalence of Health Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents (9th to 12th graders) by Gender
| Risk Behaviors | Femalea n (%) | Maleb n (%) | P valuec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riding with a drinking driver during past 30 days | 128 (30.0) | 139 (30.3) | .921 |
| Driving while drinking during past 30 days | 48 (11.2) | 73 (16.0) | .038* |
| Texting while driving during past 30 days | 144 (33.7) | 155 (33.8) | .989 |
| Smoking cigarettes during lifetime | 187 (43.8) | 203 (45.0) | .717 |
| Smoking cigarettes during past 30 days | 65 (15.2) | 87 (19.2) | .115 |
| Smoking cigarettes on school property during past 30 days | 14 (3.3) | 43 (9.5) | <.001* |
| Smoking cigars/cigarillos during past 30 days | 92 (21.7) | 105 (23.4) | .551 |
| Drinking alcohol during lifetime | 322 (75.8) | 286 (64.1) | <.001* |
| Drinking during alcohol past 30 days | 198 (46.6) | 192 (43.2) | .322 |
| Drinking alcohol on school property during past 30 days | 31 (7.3) | 46 (10.4) | .107 |
| Drinking ≥5 drinks of alcohol in a row during past 30 days | 134 (31.5) | 126 (28.6) | .342 |
| Using marijuana during lifetime | 234 (55.7) | 234 (52.9) | .414 |
| Using marijuana during past 30 days | 127 (30.1) | 156 (35.5) | .089 |
| Using marijuana on school property during past 30 days | 26 (6.2) | 74 (16.8) | <.001* |
| Using hashish during past 30 days | 20 (4.8) | 52 (11.8) | <.001* |
| Using any form of cocaine during lifetime | 26 (6.2) | 49 (11.3) | .009* |
| Sniffing/inhaling glue, paints or spray during lifetime | 33 (7.9) | 45 (10.2) | .226 |
| Using methamphetamines during lifetime | 18 (4.3) | 28 (6.4) | .176 |
| Using ecstasy/MDMA during lifetime | 67 (15.9) | 67 (15.3) | .780 |
| Using DXM during lifetime | 20 (4.7) | 33 (7.5) | .090 |
| Injecting any illegal drug during lifetime | 5 (1.2) | 16 (3.8) | .017* |
| Using prescription drugs during lifetime | 87 (20.7) | 102 (23.2) | .363 |
| Using prescription drugs during past 30 days | 61 (14.6) | 77 (17.7) | .218 |
| Having had sexual intercourse during lifetime | 263 (63.2) | 265 (60.9) | .489 |
| Having had oral sex during lifetime | 165 (39.9) | 217 (50.5) | .002* |
| Having ≥4 sexual partners during lifetime | 64 (15.4) | 127 (29.7) | <.001* |
| Using alcohol/drugs during last sexual intercourse | 71 (17.1) | 93 (21.7) | .090 |
| Using condom during last sexual intercourse | 172 (41.4) | 193 (44.8) | .328 |
a,b
2-16 females and 2-33 males did not answer at least one question mentioned above.
c
Chi-square test was used to examine the differences by gender.
*
P <.05 considered statistically significant.
Abbreviations: MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine; DXM, dextromethorphan.