This document reviews research concerning the factors affecting premarital sexual attitudes and behaviors of adolescents and young adults. Trends in the literature prior to 1980 are discussed briefly together with summaries of literature reviews from the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Studies from 1980 to the present are reviewed in some…

This report describes a range of adolescent behaviors related to their safety and the safety of others. The behaviors reported here range from ordinary safety precautions such as only swimming in supervised areas and wearing helmets when riding a motorcycle to less talked about behaviors such as using condoms during sexual intercourse and carrying…

This document gives descriptive results on alcohol use patterns among young adults from the 1984 National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market of Youth, a survey of a large, nationally representative sample supplemented by samples of blacks, Hispanics, and economically disadvantaged non-black, non-Hispanic youth and covering the entire range of…

Examined annual official national statistics for specific methods of suicide by sex and racial group from 1923 to 1978. Shifts were found in suicide methods employed, most notably for women and Asian Americans. Generally, firearm use increased among nearly all ethnic/racial-sex groups while the use of poisons declined. (JAC)

Adolescents' religious behavior, measured according to frequency of church attendance, Bible reading, and saying grace at mealtime, generally declined between 1964 and 1974 in the Texas community studied. In 1979, the trend continued among females but reversed among males. The gap between the sexes seems to have narrowed since 1974. (Author/MJL)

This report on adolescent tobacco use in Nebraska focuses on grades 8 and 10. The results presented are based on over time; (2) the changing nature of tobacco use from smoking to use as a chew or snuff; (3) the viewing of smoking and chewing as one health issue of tobacco exposure; (4) definition of a smoker for purposes of this study; (5) data…

Tested the importance of temporal trends within absenteeism data for males and females. The data support previous findings of higher absenteeism rates for women when compared to men. The data also indicate the importance of temporal trends. Conclusions are drawn concerning the use of absence rates as dependent variables. (Author)

Examination of suicide data in the United States shows that peaks occur only in a few subpopulations. Day-of-the-week effects are found almost exclusively in middle-aged suicides. Day-of-the-month effects are found for elderly males, and month-of-the-year effects occur for teenagers and the elderly. (SLD)

Although there are new forms of cheating among college students, particularly technology-related, overall cheating has increased only modestly. Significant increases in test cheating are occurring among women and in unpermitted collaboration among students on written work. Also, students report engaging in a wider variety of test-cheating…

This report describes the dieting practices of 796 Nebraskans in grades 8 and 10. The results presented in this report are based on questions from the 1989 National Adolescent Health Survey administered to a total of 1,689 adolescents. These topics are covered: (1) incidence of dieting in adolescent males and females; (2) methods used by dieters…

This report presents information from a survey of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Nebraska adolescents (N=1,240) in grades 9-12 related to the Human-Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Schools were selected at random from each of the six classifications of Nebraska schools, and two or three…

National surveys of teenagers have provided information for making decisions about smoking prevention programs. Repeated surveys are necessary because smoking patterns change over time. The prevalence of adolescent smoking and the variables related to it were investigated as well as the potential utility of those variables in predicting habitual…

This report is comprised of papers written for the 1976 conference of the National Association for Physical Education of College Women. The central theme of the conference was changing trends in physical education for women, how they influence the teaching of physical education in college, and their impact on attitudes toward women in sports. (JD)

Suicide rates vary greatly by sex and race, but the methods employed by these groups have not been studied closely and across time. Annual official national statistics for specific methods of suicide by sex and specific racial group were examined from 1923 to 1978. During this time period, shifts occurred in the proportions of suicides by method,…

The current prevalence of drug use among American high school seniors, and trends in drug use since 1975, were investigated as part of the program entitled "Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles and Values of Youth," funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The basic research design involved data collection from high…