OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between school-level poverty status and students' persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, suicidality, and experiences with violence victimization among U.S. high school students. METHODS: Public schools captured in the 2015 and 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys were categorized as high-, mid-, or low-poverty based on the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals (N=29,448). RESULTS: Students in high-poverty schools were significantly more likely than students in low-poverty schools to experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, experience suicidal thoughts and attempts, not go to school because of safety concerns, be threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, be bullied on school property, be physically forced to have sexual intercourse, and be victims of sexual and physical dating violence. CONCLUSIONS: School and community approaches to address suicide and violence victimization may be especially important for students living in poverty.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between school-level poverty status and students' persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, suicidality, and experiences with violence victimization among U.S. high school students. METHODS: Public schools captured in the 2015 and 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys were categorized as high-, mid-, or low-poverty based on the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals (N=29,448). RESULTS: Students in high-poverty schools were significantly more likely than students in low-poverty schools to experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, experience suicidal thoughts and attempts, not go to school because of safety concerns, be threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, be bullied on school property, be physically forced to have sexual intercourse, and be victims of sexual and physical dating violence. CONCLUSIONS: School and community approaches to address suicide and violence victimization may be especially important for students living in poverty.
Authors: J Michael Underwood; Nancy Brener; Jemekia Thornton; William A Harris; Leah N Bryan; Shari L Shanklin; Nicholas Deputy; Alice M Roberts; Barbara Queen; David Chyen; Lisa Whittle; Connie Lim; Yoshimi Yamakawa; Michelle Leon-Nguyen; Greta Kilmer; Jennifer Smith-Grant; Zewditu Demissie; Sherry Everett Jones; Heather Clayton; Patricia Dittus Journal: MMWR Suppl Date: 2020-08-21