Recent data show rising suicidality among high school girls. We posit this increase may be related to an overlooked factor: more girls identifying as LGBQ. Using four cohorts of national Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (N = 22,562 females, N = 22,130 males), we found that LGBQ identification among females rose from 15% in 2015 to 34% in 2021. LGBQ…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected adolescent mental health due to school closures, isolation, family loss/hardships, and reduced health care access. Methods: We compared adolescent mental health in Rhode Island before versus during the pandemic, separately among middle and high schoolers. This serial cross-sectional study used…

Adolescence is a period of growth, independence, and exploration, with increased curiosity and risk-taking behaviors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021b). Evidence has shown an increase in mental health concerns during adolescence, including suicidal behaviors (CDC, 2023b; Plemmons et al., 2018; Yard et al., 2021), as well as…

Youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and who identify with other sexual orientations (LGB +) are at higher risk for illicit drug use and have higher rates of mental illness. The current study examined the prevalence of illicit drug use among LGB+ persons and assessed the moderating effect of mental illness. Cross-sectional data from the 2015,…

Background: Little is known about the effectiveness of school district concussion policies on reducing the concussion prevalence among students. Methods: Data from the 2016 School Health Policies and Practices Study and 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 10 school districts were linked. The outcome variable was having a sports- or physical…

Background: Few studies have attempted to define clusters of chronic disease predictors with additional focus on racial/ethnic differences. The purpose of this study was to highlight differences in predictors of chronic diseases among American high school students by identifying subgroups using latent class analysis (LCA). Methods: The chronic…

Few sexual health studies have examined subgroup differences in youth risk behaviors that sufficiently account for sexual orientation and gender identity. This study used 2017 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (N = 10,191), a stratified cluster-sampled survey, to examine descriptive differences in the prevalence of risky sexual…

Adolescents with food allergies (FA) face unique challenges, including an increased risk of bullying, yet comprehensive national studies on this intersection are lacking. Our study examines the prevalence and association between FA and bullying among US high-school adolescents, utilizing Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2015-2019) data. Analyzing…

Little is known about the implications of cannabis legalization on adolescent health behaviors. This study sought to examine the relationship between recreational cannabis legalization and adolescent sexual risk behaviors. Data on 371,487 respondents who have ever had sexual intercourse from 41 states in the 2005 to 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey…

Background: Food insecurity (FI) rates in the United States are particularly high among households with children. This research set aims to analyze if high school students experiencing FI had higher risk for mental health and suicidal behaviors. Methods: Using combined data from 11 states that conducted the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a total…

Research has indicated that early sexual intercourse in high school is associated with poor health outcomes such as unintentional pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). What is lacking in the research is an understanding of the relationship between even earlier sexual initiation (i.e., before the age of 13) and alcohol, tobacco, and…

Transgender individuals are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. Given increased risk of HIV among youth, there is a need to understand HIV risk and protective factors among transgender individuals who are 18 years and younger. Patterns of HIV testing, HIV education, and condom use have known associations with HIV outcomes…

Rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB, i.e., suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts), substance use, and bullying victimization are higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ+) youth compared to their heterosexual peers. However, research examining the interactive and potentially compounding associations of…

Background: Children with asthma are often marginalized at school, including bullying victimization. The purpose of this study is to estimate the association between asthma and school or electronic bullying victimization among US high school students, and test whether the association varies significantly by sex. Methods: Pooled data from five…

Background: Studies show that food insecurity is associated with adverse health behaviors for children and adults. However, published data among adolescents are limited. The objective of this study was to examine the association between food insecurity and substance use behaviors among US high school students. Methods: Data from the 2017 Youth…