Risk-taking behaviors and exposures among vocational school students in China: a cross-sectional survey

Background: Injury has become the leading cause of death among adolescents. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of risk-taking behaviors and exposures and injuries among vocational school students and to provide guidance for further injury intervention. Methods: A cluster sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey of all grade one and grade two students in a vocational school in Jiangsu Province in April 2018. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to investigate information on basic demographic information, risk-taking behaviors and exposures, and injuries. Results: A total of 1079 students were investigated, 490(45.41%) were boys; the mean age was 16.80±0.80 years; 560(51.90%) were grade one students. There were 57 injuries in the past 12 months. The overall injury incidence was 5.28%. The total proportions of risk behaviors ranged from 1.4% for playing on the street to 68.6% for not wearing reflective devices while walking at night. Behaviors of not using traffic safety protection devices were highly prevalent, including not using seat-belts in the back seat of cars (19.7%), not wearing helmet while taking/ riding an electric car (15.8%/13.0%), not wearing reflective devices while walking/riding at night (68.6% for pedestrians and 62.8% for two-wheelers riders). Girls generally had more negative mood exposures compared to boys. Boys generally had more traffic risk behaviors and bullying and violence experiences compared with girls. The average number of risk-taking behaviors and exposures was 8.73±8.06. The number of risk-taking behaviors and exposures was positively associated with injury, with o‎r of 1.07(1.04-1.10). Conclusions: Risk-taking behaviors and exposures were prevalent among vocational school students and increased the risk of injury. Traffic safety, bullying and violence, and sports safety were the aspects need more attention. The intervention of such risk behaviors should aim at the characteristics of the population and their special behavior problems.