Development of a Health Risk Appraisal for children and adolescents

INTRODUCTION: The Healthier People Network has developed a Health Risk Appraisal for children and adolescents that includes measurement scales assessing students at risk for both health and behavioral outcomes. 14 standardized scales cover areas of morbidity, trauma, and death for which students ages 12 to 18 are at highest risk. METHODS: The appraisal questionnaire drew items from four surveys: 1. The CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2. The Search Institute Questionnaire, 3. The HPN Health Risk Appraisal, and 4. The Hummer Violence Questionnaire. Principle Components Factor Analyses were employed to derive scales maximizing reliability. SAMPLES: Collaboration with the Fultondale, Alabama High School allowed development and analysis of a first draft questionnaire. 423 students were tested. A second iteration was undertaken with the Milwaukee City Schools, the HPN Kids at Risk Survey (KARS) being administered to 1851 students. Subsequently 471 students were tested in three schools in Atlanta, Georgia. RESULTS: This report will present the findings of these efforts to develop measurement scales and baseline data on risk behaviors related to health and behavioral risks in children and adolescents. When the data were analyzed collectively, viewing an individual student across all 14 risk factors, it was found that 82% of all 1851 Milwaukee students taking the KARS were at High to Very High Risk on one or more risk factors.