(C) Ohio Capital Journal This story was originally published by Ohio Capital Journal and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . 'Status of Girls' study: Ohio's girls ahead in education, still behind in wages and mental health • Ohio Capital Journal [1] ['Susan Tebben', 'Kelcie Moseley-Morris', 'Jennifer Shutt', 'Marty Schladen', 'More From Author', '- June', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline'] Date: 2024-06-04 A new study of 160 indicators of health for Ohio girls showed strides in education, but pervasive struggles in mental health and food security. The Center for Community Solutions used official sources from all 88 counties in Ohio and other state and federal data to dissect the economic status, societal shifts and health standards of girls living in Ohio. “Ohio girls 18 years and younger have weathered a global pandemic that interrupted several years of their schooling, were raised in the #metoo era and see social media as an integral part in their lives,” the study researchers wrote. “These unique experiences have led to many challenges that have defined who these girls are and the women they are becoming.” In terms of education, 47% of kindergarten girls are “on-track with language and literacy,” the research showed, and 90% of Ohio’s high school girls graduated in four years in 2022. But that education can be hampered by bullying, whether it be online or on school property, CCS concluded. In a youth behavioral risk study from 2021, 39% of middle school girls reported being bullied through electronic means, and 28% of high school girls reported the same bullying. In comparison, male middle schoolers only accounted for 21% of students bullied online, and high school boys represented only 10%. “Girls are more likely to be victims of bullying compared to boys, which can lead to an increase in mental distress and maladjustment anxiety, potentially affecting school attendance and school grades,” the CCS study said. The statistics studied by the Center for Community Solutions found what the group determined to be “crisis levels” for girls when it comes to mental health. This included data about high school girls that found 32% of them “seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months and almost 1 in 4 girls made a plan about how they would attempt suicide.” The Ohio Department of Health reported 216 deaths by suicide in Ohio women under the age of 24 since 2020. Of those, 185 were between age 14 and 24, and 31 were between 5 and 14. The state saw a 34% decrease in teen births in girls between age 15 and 19, and the study found pregnancy rates decreased in all but one Ohio county. But CCS also found that only 40% of Ohio high schools were teaching students all of the “critical sexual health education topics” required of the schools under the Ohio Revised Code. This can include HIV and STI instruction, but there is no standardized sexual education curriculum statewide. That data combines with the 60% of high school girls reported to be sexually active but not using birth control methods, according to the study. In terms of food access and nutrition, 86.2% of the state’s high school girls had not eaten breakfast over a seven-day period, according to the study, and 80% of middle school girls reported missing the same amount of breakfasts. This statistic was highlighted in the reported as part of a recommendation that the state mine for further data into not just how many students aren’t eating, but the reasons as well. “Data can most often show us what is alarming, but we need to continue to seek the answer as to why,” according to the study. About 18% of girls were reported to have lived in households where the annual income is below 100% of the federal poverty line and 40% of them were in households receiving food or cash assistance in 2022, researchers found. Though societal pressures can cause school-aged girls to struggle, the CCS study also said knowledge of those issues can help improve girls’ situations. “Through understanding the experiences of girls in Ohio, we can create programs and policies that uplift, promote and support the well-being and health of Ohio’s girls, who will become women with a strong foundation for success,” according to the study. Creating resources to establish schools “primed to educate on physical, mental and sexual health” would build upon a facility and staff that girls already trust to provide accurate information and more positive health outcomes, CCS argued. “Programs that recognize the unique stressors that today’s girls are facing should be implements, to make health resources and treatment more accessible,” the study stated. [END] --- [1] Url: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/06/04/status-of-girls-study-ohios-girls-ahead-in-education-still-behind-in-wages-and-mental-health/ Published and (C) by Ohio Capital Journal Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/ohiocapitaljournal/