Applying Problem Behavior Theory in a Developing Arabic Country

Omnia E El-Shenawy,Abdel-Moneim Shehata

doi:10.1177/2158244014521819

Abstract

The current study tested the applicability of Jessor’s Problem Behavior Theory in explaining problem behavior among adolescents in Egypt. Data were collected from 887 adolescents (52% males) with a mean age of 13.4 years. Participants rated three measures of problem behaviors (delinquent behavior, cigarette smoking, and problem substance use), three types of psychosocial protection (models protection, controls protection, and support protection), and three types of psychosocial risk (models risk, opportunity risk, and vulnerability risk). Female adolescents reported lower levels of problem behavior involvement than male adolescents. Psychosocial protective and risk factors accounted for significant variation in adolescents’ problem behavior involvement. For males, models risk was the most important risk factor in problem behavior involvement variation, whereas for females, opportunity risk was the most important risk factor. Present findings are useful in understanding problem behavior involvement among Egyptian youth and informing the design of interventions to reduce problem behavior.

Highlights

Adolescent problem behaviors such as substance use, antisocial behavior, and early sexual behavior, are both a social and health concern (Duncan, Duncan, & Strycker, 2000)
Scientists have made systematic efforts to identify and help adolescents involved in problem behavior; most of these efforts have been concentrated in high-income settings in the global north (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2007) such as the United States, China, Turkey, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Taiwan (Arslan, Verhulst, Van der, & Rol, 1997; Greenberg, Chen, Beam, Whang, & Dong, 2000; Jessor et al, 2003; Vazsonyi et al, 2010)
Before examining whether the multivariate explanatory model of Problem Behavior Theory (PBT) applies to Egyptian adolescents, we estimated the partial correlations between risk and protective factors and the problem behavior involvement index to establish the relationships of the predictor measures with the problem behavior outcome variable, the Multiple Problem Behavior Index (MPBI)

Summary

Participants

Data were collected from a sample of 887 Egyptian adolescents (52% males) attending intermediate schools in Alexandria and Shebeen El-Koom. 530 participants were from Alexandria city and 357 were from Shebeen El-Koom. Adolescents in Grade 7 were around 60%, 29% were in Grade 8 and 11% were in Grade 9. The mean age of the adolescents was 13.4 years. A majority of adolescents (85%) were enrolled in public schools. Four schools were randomly selected from a list of the 437 Alexandria intermediate schools and three schools were randomly selected from a list of the 410 Shebeen El-Koom intermediate schools. All students from a non-randomly selected grade level were included in the sample after obtaining the approval of the students to participate in the study

Procedures

Results

2.88 How many of your friends do volunteer work in the community?

Risk factors

Discussion