Analysis of the Health Profile of Students Enrolled in High School at the Ouro Preto State School: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is the stage between childhood and adulthood, characterized by physical, and mainly, psychological changes, which make this period full of new experiences and uncertainties, increasing the vulnerability of this group. In this sense, the school becomes a privileged space to understand the individual demands of teenagers and promote early interventions focused on health education in an attempt to reduce exposure to potential risk situations. Objective: To describe the health profile of the teenagers enrolled in high school at the Escola Estadual Ouro Preto in 2022. Methods: This is a descriptive crosssectional study that included the participation of 53 students enrolled in high school at the Escola Estadual Ouro Preto. The students answered the adapted Youth Risk Behaviour Survey (YRBS) questionnaire with questions related to mental health, sexual behavior, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. The questionnaires were filled out anonymously and the answers were typed into Google Forms for later descriptive analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Ouro Preto. Results: The distribution of male and female participants was balanced; 30.8% of the teenagers have suffered some type of threat and 19.2% have been physically assaulted; 60.8% reported having depressive or anxious symptoms, and 34.6% have thought about committing suicide; 38.5% have had sexual intercourse, 75% have received guidance on sexually transmitted diseases, and 20% did not use a condom during the last sexual encounter; 70.6% of the young people have tried alcohol and 42.3% have tried cigarettes at least once in their life. Approximately 90% consider their health normal, good, or excellent, but 50% are dissatisfied with their body weight. Conclusion: It can be seen that violence, depressive and anxious symptoms, unprotected sex, and early drug use are relevant issues among the studied teenagers, making interventions in health focused on these themes essential.

Keywords

• adolescence
• health education
• early interventions
• health profile