MMWR Suppl. 2024 Oct 10;73(4):31-38. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.su7304a4.
Racism is a fundamental determinant of health inequities among racial and ethnic groups and is understudied among adolescents. In 2023, the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire included an item assessing experiences of racism in the school setting among students in grades 9-12 in the United States. This report estimates the prevalence of students who reported ever having experienced racism in school and compares prevalence by racial and ethnic groups. For each racial and ethnic group, prevalence differences and prevalence ratios were estimated comparing the prevalence of indicators of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use among students who reported that they have ever versus never experienced racism in school. In 2023, approximately one in three high school students (31.5%) said that they had ever experienced racism in school. Reported experiences of racism were most prevalent among Asian (56.9%), multiracial (48.8%), and Black or African American (Black) (45.9%) students and least prevalent among White students (17.3%). Black and Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) students who reported experiencing racism had a higher prevalence of all health risk behaviors and experiences investigated, including indicators of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use compared with students of their racial and ethnic group who reported never experiencing racism. Many of these associations were also found among multiracial and White students. Student reports of racism were associated with indicators of mental health and suicide risk among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Asian students. Among students of color, including AI/AN, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students, the prevalence of seriously considering and attempting suicide was more than two times higher among students who ever compared with never experienced racism. These findings demonstrate that racism in the school setting is experienced by high school students attending public and private schools and continues to disproportionately affect students of color. Students who reported experiencing racism had a higher prevalence of indicators of poor mental health, suicide risk, and substance use. Schools can incorporate policies and practices to prevent unfair treatment on the basis of race and ethnicity and offer resources to help students cope with these experiences.
种族主义是导致不同种族和族裔群体之间健康不平等的根本决定因素，而在青少年群体中，种族主义研究相对较少。2023 年，美国全国青少年风险行为调查问卷纳入了一项评估 9-12 年级学生在学校环境中经历种族主义的项目。本报告估计了报告曾在学校经历过种族主义的学生的流行率，并按种族和族裔群体进行了比较。对于每个种族和族裔群体，通过比较报告曾在学校经历过种族主义的学生与从未经历过种族主义的学生中不良心理健康、自杀风险和物质使用指标的流行率，估计了流行率差异和流行率比值。2023 年，大约三分之一的高中生（31.5%）表示他们曾在学校经历过种族主义。报告的种族主义经历在亚裔（56.9%）、多种族（48.8%）和非裔或非洲裔美国（黑人）（45.9%）学生中最为普遍，而在白人学生中最为少见（17.3%）。报告经历过种族主义的黑人和西班牙裔或拉丁裔（西班牙裔）学生比报告从未经历过种族主义的同种族和族裔群体的学生更普遍地存在所有健康风险行为和经历，包括不良心理健康、自杀风险和物质使用的指标。在多种族和白人学生中也发现了许多这些关联。美国印第安人或阿拉斯加原住民（AI/AN）和亚裔学生的种族主义报告与心理健康和自杀风险指标有关。在有色人种学生中，包括 AI/AN、亚裔、黑人、西班牙裔和多种族学生，经历过种族主义的学生中，认真考虑和企图自杀的比例比从未经历过种族主义的学生高两倍多。这些发现表明，在公立和私立学校就读的高中生都经历过学校环境中的种族主义，而且这种情况继续不成比例地影响有色人种学生。报告经历过种族主义的学生更普遍存在不良心理健康、自杀风险和物质使用的指标。学校可以采取政策和实践，防止基于种族和族裔的不公平待遇，并提供资源帮助学生应对这些经历。
