Citation

Thatcher WG, Reininger BM, Drane JW. J. Sch. Health 2002; 72(2): 71-77.

Affiliation

Dept. of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA. greg_thatcher@hotmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, American School Health Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11905132

Abstract

This study determined if differences existed between four race/gender groups in regard to attempted suicide among a randomly selected, cross-sectional population of 4,565 public high school students in South Carolina. A modified Youth Risk Behavior Survey was designed to gather information on quality of life, life satisfaction, and six risk-behavior categories. Data first were analyzed using logistic regression analysis and subsequently analyzed using path analysis. Results suggest several independent variables (feelings of intimidation, alcohol and cocaine use, self-perceptions of mental health, self-perceptions of body weight, dieting practices, bulimic episodes, and physical and sexual abuse) were associated significantly (p < .01) with adolescent attempted suicide either directly or indirectly through mediating variables. Significant associations among risk behaviors, mediating variables, and self-reported attempted suicide varied across the four race/gender groups, indicating a need to further study differences noticed in each race/gender scheme.

Language: en