Objectives. This study reports estimates of physical activity among African American high school students in Mississippi in relation to behaviors which are associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors and disease in adulthood. This study uses the Youth Behavior Risk Survey (YRBS) to obtain estimates of the practices of African American students in Mississippi.
Methods. Data derived from the administration of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) were examined. Students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in public high schools were assessed for behavior practices, and estimates were compared.
Results. Forty-three percent of African American students engage in exercise to strengthen or tone muscles (60.5% are males and 28.8% are females). However, only 22.4% of African American students attend physical education classes daily (32.2% for males and 14.9% for females). This falls short of the Year 2000 objective of 50% of adolescents’ participation in daily physical activities. African American females do not appear to be as physically active as the male students.
Conclusions. Much of the illness and disability in the elderly is related to risk factors that originated in youth. Developing indicators for cardiovascular disease in African American youth can serve to improve the health of the community, and prevention programs should be developed to recognize and eliminate the trends of health risk behaviors that lead to debilitating illnesses in adulthood. Schools should strive to provide adequate surveillance to ensure that a larger number of students participate in physical education activities.
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize trends of physical activity among African American students in Mississippi. 2. Assess the practices of African American high school students in Mississippi in relation to the Year 2000 objectives. 3. Identify the numbers of African American students whose practices place them at risk for health problems
Keywords: Adolescents, Physical Activity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.