T’Naus Nieto
The Chronicle-News

As high school students throughout the region recently went back to school, the Colorado Department of Education’s ‘Healthy Kids Colorado Survey’ recently published its 2023 participation results for high school students, grades 9 through 12, for Region 6, which included Las Animas, Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Otero, and Prowers Counties.

Some of the results reveal the hardships and struggles local teens endure in the contemporary era during the academic year.  

Healthy Kids Colorado surveyed 120,239 students, calling it “the most ever.” The results were taken from 344 schools across Colorado, with 13,440 more students than in their previous survey in 2021.

For Region 6, which included the local county, the sample size was 500 surveyed students, with 221 female and 236 male, with 96.1% identifying as cisgender.   

According to the survey results for the region, 17.4% of high school students reported being bullied on school property, with a 9% higher rate for female students. Of those who reported being bullied, 74% said they were bullied in a classroom over the past 12 months at the time they provided input. 13.6% said they were bullied ‘electronically,’ 22.5% said they were bullied because of their sexual orientation, 13% said they were bullied because of a disability, 21.3% because of their race or ethnicity, and 66.4% said they were bullied because of their physical appearance.  

10.8% stated that they missed school one or more days in the past 30 because they felt unsafe at or on their way to and from school.

According to a 2021 CDC report, the mental health of high school students in the United States continues to worsen. For the local region, 37% of students said they had poor mental health within the last 30 days, with 43.6% being female and 25.2% being male. 10% purposefully hurt themselves without wanting to die, and nearly 30% felt so sad or hopeless that almost every day for two weeks or more in a row, they stopped doing their usual activities. 12.2% seriously considered attempting suicide, and 5.8% attempted it. However, almost 50% said they would tell a parent or guardian if they were concerned about their or someone else’s well-being or mental health.   

Students also provided feedback on sexual experiences, with 14% saying they were unsure if they gave fully granted consent to the other person. 14% were female, and 4% were male. Nearly 4% claimed that they had a revealing or sexual photo or video of themselves posted or shared electronically without their permission. 6.5% of students said they had been physically forced to have sex when they did not want to, with 8.8% female and 2% male.  

Of course, alcohol and nicotine products have been an issue for teens for decades. 55% of students said they had alcohol, with the male-to-female ratio nearly the same. Nearly 70% said they thought it was wrong or very wrong for someone their age to drink regularly. 42% of students tried an electronic vapor product, compared to only 20% who smoked a cigarette. 79% said they believed that vaping every day would have a moderate to great risk of harm to them or their health. Nearly 40% of students said they tried marijuana. Of the students who used marijuana, 87% said they used it in the past 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks). Less than 2% of students tried cocaine, sniffed glue, or inhaled paints, with less than half of a percent who tried heroin, ecstasy, or methamphetamines. However, 2.5% tried psychedelics and 1.2% used fentanyl.  

Although most students said they had eaten fruits or vegetables in the last 30 days, only 23.6% ate breakfast in the past 7. Nearly 20% said they were hungry most of the time or went hungry in the last 30 days (about four and a half weeks). Nearly 60% said they were physically active for at least 60 minutes daily on five or more days during the past seven days. Less than 10% said they went outdoors and spent time in nature at least once in the last week.  

Smartphones and tablets are prevalent devices for contemporary high schoolers, with nearly 70% stating that they had spent 3 or more hours on their electronic devices for something other than schoolwork. The percentage is the same for both male and female participants. 48% of students said they were worried about their physical appearance, with a higher rate of females, nearly 60%, than males, around 35%. 42% of female participants said they tried to lose weight by going without eating, taking diet pills, vomiting, or other methods.  

Compared to school statistics, most students felt safer at home, enjoyed time with their parents or family, and even felt involved in decision-making. A much higher percentage of teens felt comfortable speaking to their parents over concerns or personal problems compared to school staff.  

The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey claimed that it is the most comprehensive survey on the health and well-being of ‘young people’ and said the purpose of it was to better understand youth health and factors that help teens and preteens make healthy choices. They say the survey is completely voluntary and that they are given consent before participation.