More Minnesota students are planning to attend college, are wearing their seat belts more often, and are drinking less alcohol and smoking fewer cigarettes, according to the Minnesota Student Survey data.
An interagency team from the Minnesota Departments of Education, Health, Human Services and Public Safety released results from the 2010 Minnesota Student Survey, which is a voluntary and anonymous survey taken by Minnesota students in grades six, nine and 12.
The 2010 Student Survey was administered during the spring of 2010. All public school districts in Minnesota were invited to participate. Of the 335 public operating districts, 295 agreed to participate (88 percent of public operating school districts).
Across the state, approximately 79 percent of public school sixth-graders, 75 percent of public school ninth-graders, and 59 percent of public school 12th-graders participated in the 2010 Minnesota Student Survey. Overall participation across the three grades was approximately 71 percent of total enrollment.
The voluntary survey asked students questions about tobacco, alcohol and other drug use and attitudes, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity and unintentional injuries, violence, and other topics.
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Statewide results are available at www.education.state.mn.us .
Survey trends included:
- Twelfth-graders reporting they plan to attend college increased to 88.9 percent, compared to 85.8 percent in 2007. Ninth-graders planning to attend college increased to 90.5 percent from 88.9 percent.
- Twelfth-graders reporting they were physically active on five or more days in the past week increased from 41.4 percent in 2007 to 43.4 percent in 2010.
- Students reporting across all grades that they always used seatbelts increased between 2007 and 2010 -- from 66.5 percent to 72.1 percent for sixth-graders; from 58.3 percent to 66.5 percent for ninth-graders and from 62 percent to 71.3 percent for 12th-graders.
- Twelfth-graders reporting they used alcohol in the past year decreased from 62.5 percent in 2007 to 55.3 percent in 2010. Ninth -graders reporting they used alcohol dropped to 31.1 percent, down from 37.2 percent in 2007.
- Twelfth-graders reporting they binge drink (five or more drinks in a row during the past 2 weeks) decreased to 23.4 percent from 29 percent. Ninth-graders reporting they binge drink dropped from 12.5 percent to 9.5 percent.
- Twelfth-graders reporting they used marijuana in the past year decreased to 30.6 percent, compared to 30.8 percent in 2007.
