Health risk behaviors in urban and rural Guatemalan adolescents

Objective To explore the status of adolescents' health risk behaviors, relationship between cognitive ability and health risk behaviors, and provide an empirical reference for reducing the occurrence and early prevention of health risk behaviors among adolescents. Methods Samples were extracted by hierarchical, multi-stage, probability and scale proportional (PPS) methods. There were 112 schools randomly selected from 28 county-level regions (county, district, city), and 19 487 students were investigated by baseline survey, a follow-up study was conducted among 8 636 students during 2014-2015. Descriptive statistical methods of using 2 test and t test, and logistic multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between cognitive abilities and healthy risk behaviors. Results The reported rate of a healthy risk behavior was 20.77%, and the incidence of more than one type of health risk behavior was 16.03%. The student’s cognitive ability standardized score was (0.33±0. 82). The average score of cognitive ability of adolescents with healthy risk behavior was 0.14, which was lower than the average score of cognitive ability of adolescents without healthy risk behaviors (0.43). Boys, having rural household registeration, non-residential schools, and parents with low education levels adolescents were more likely to be involved in health behavior risks. There was a significant correlation between adolescent cognitive ability and healthy risk behavior ( OR = 0.67, P <0.01). Conclusion The current status of adolescent health risk behaviors is worrying. The cognitive ability has a significant impact on health risk behaviors. It is recommended to use the cognitive ability of adolescents as a starting point to prevent and reduce the occurrence of adolescent health risk behaviors. 【摘要】目的 探究青少年健康危险行为现状及其与认知能力的关系，为减少青少年健康危险行为的发生及早期预 防提供实证参考。 方法 采用分层次、多阶段、概率与规模成比例（PPS)的方法，从全国28个县级单位（县、区、市）随机抽 取112所学校，2013—2014学年基线调査19 487名学生，2014—2015学年追踪调査8 636名初中学生。运用妒检验、《检 验的描述性统计方法，以及Logistic多因素回归分析认知能力与健康危险行为的关系。 结果 学生存在1种健康危险行为 的报告率为20.77%，1种以上的健康危险行为报告率为16.03%。学生认知能力标准化得分为（0.33±0.82)分。有健康危 险行为的青少年认知能力标准化得分均分为0.14分，没有健康危险行为青少年的得分为0.43分。男性、农村户口、非住 校、父母受教育程度低的青少年更容易发生健康危险行为。Logistic回归分析显示，青少年认知能力与其健康危险行为的 相关有统计学意义（ OR = 0.67， P <0.01)。 结论 青少年健康危险行为现状堪忧，认知能力对健康危险行为的影响显著。建 议以青少年的认知能力为出发点，预防和减少青少年健康危险行为的发生。

This paper uses data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey toinvestigate the prevalence of health risk behaviors, in particular substance use, risky sexual behavior, and violence among adolescents in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Using logit regressions and meta-analysis, we find that having parents engaged in raising their children is associated with significantly reduced problem behaviors in adolescents. That said, in the Caribbean the prevalence of health risk behaviors in adolescents is higher and engaged parents is lower than in Latin America, and the correlation between engaged parenting and reduced risk behaviors is generally weaker. Nonetheless, for both subgroups of countries, engaged parents do appear to make a difference.

This paper uses data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey to investigate the prevalence of health risk behaviors, in particular substance use, risky sexual behavior, and violence among adolescents in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Using logit regressions and meta-analysis, we find that having parents engaged in raising their children is associated with significantly reduced problem behaviors in adolescents. That said, in the Caribbean the prevalence of health risk behaviors in adolescents is higher and engaged parents is lower than in Latin America, and the correlation between engaged parenting and reduced risk behaviors is generally weaker. Nonetheless, for both subgroups of countries, engaged parents do appear to make a difference.

Sex, violence, and drugs among Latin American and Caribbean adolescents: Do engaged parents make a difference?

Addressing Common Risk and Protective Factors Can Prevent a Wide Range of Adolescent Risk Behaviors

Chaos, Hubbub, and Order Scale and Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescents in Los Angeles

Adolescence is a critical period where major physical and psychologic changes occur. It is also a period where several lifelong health related behaviors are adopted and established. Behaviors such as unhealthy eating, tobacco use, alcohol use, and physical inactivity are related to major causes of morbidity and mortality among young and adults. Physical activity (PA) is an important behavior during adolescence not only because it is associated with general health, but also because it may be associated with other health-related risk behaviors. PURPOSE: To examine the association of physical activity with health risk behaviors in adolescents from Curitiba- Brazil. METHODS: A cross-section study was carried out with a representative sample of 928 (mean age 14.06 ± 1.91 years old, 467 girls) adolescents enrolled in 14 randomly selected public schools from Curitiba, Brazil. The Brazilian version of the Youth Activity Profile survey evaluated PA levels and the YRBS survey evaluated fruit, vegetable, alcohol, and tobacco consumption in the past 30 days. The Adolescent Sedentary Questionnaire evaluated total screen time. Binary Logistic regression measured the association between PA levels and risk behaviors after controlling for gender, age, BMI status, income status, and parent educational level. RESULTS: PA was inversely associated with low fruit consumption (OR = .50, 95% IC = .38 - .66, p <.001), low vegetable consumption (OR =.55, 95% IC = .42 - .73, p < .001), and high screen Time (≥3 hours/day) (OR = .79, 95% IC = .65 - .96, p < .001). Additionally, PA was positively associated with the consumption of at least one dose of alcohol in the past 30 days (OR = 1.47, 95% IC = 1.15 – 1.88, p < .001), and with the excessive consumption of alcohol (OR = 1.73, 95% IC = 1.29 – 2.33, p <.001). PA was not associated with Tobacco consumption (OR = 1.01, 95% IC = .67 – 1.52, p = .96). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that adolescents with higher PA levels consumed more fruits and vegetables and spent less time in front of electronic screens. However, adolescents with higher levels of PA were also more likely to report alcohol consumption in the past 30 days. The social characteristics of alcohol consumption may explain its positive relationship to PA. Supported by CNPq, Brazil.

Adolescents and risks: Why not change our paradigm?

Design The social, cultural, and economic context can be an important variable in the perception and adoption of risk behaviors in adolescents. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of simultaneous health risk behaviors and associated socioeconomic factors in adolescents living in the metropolitan region of Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil. Methods The sample consisted of 2,207 high school students aged 13–18 years. The risk behaviors measured were “low levels of physical activity,” “excessive daily TV time,” “high consumption of alcoholic beverages on a single occasion,” “involvement in fights,” “smoking cigarettes,” “carrying firearms,” and “marijuana consumption.” Information was obtained through self-administered questionnaire. Results Considering the results, it was observed that female adolescents and those aged up to 16 years were less likely to have two or more health risk behaviors compared to males and those aged 17 years or more, respectively. It was also found that both high- and middle-income level adolescents had higher prevalence of having two or more health risk behaviors. Conclusions It was concluded that male adolescents older than 16 years with better socioeconomic level were more exposed to the simultaneous presence of several health risk behaviors.

Patterns of health risk behaviors for chronic disease: A comparison between adolescent and adult american indians living on or near reservations in Montana

&#x0D; Objective: The objective of this academic work is to demonstrate evidences available in literature about the association among the pubertal maturation and health risk behavior in adolescents.&#x0D; Methods: It was used the database from MEDLINE/Pubmed, Scopus, Lilacs and Web of Science. The terms used in the research, with its variations, were “puberty”, “maturation”, “maturity”, “risk behaviors”, “risk factors”, “adolescent” and “student”.&#x0D; Results: Out of 838 manuscripts found in the databases, after the sorting and applied the eligibility criteria, remained in this systematic review 13 articles. Early maturation was associated significantly with the use of alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs, early sexual initiation, sedentary behaviors and involvement in fights, where girls showed higher prevalence.&#x0D; Conclusions: Henceforth, the results from the current study indicates that the early maturation is associated with health risk behaviors in adolescents, especially with the use of alcohol and cigarettes. &#x0D;

Adolescent mental health disparities in rural Guizhou vs. urban Beijing: A comparative analysis from China

PurposePromoting positive mental health, particularly through enhancing competencies (such as prosocial behaviors and learning skills), may help prevent the development of health risk behaviors in adolescence and thus support future well-being. Few studies have examined how mental health competencies in childhood are associated with adolescent health risk behaviors, which could inform preventative approaches. MethodsUsing UK Millennium Cohort Study data (n = 10,142), we examined how mental health competence (MHC) measured at the end of elementary school (11 years) is associated with self-reported use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, antisocial behavior, and sexual contact with another young person at age 14 years. A latent measure of MHC was used, capturing aspects of prosocial behavior and learning skills, categorized as high MHC, high–moderate MHC, moderate MHC, and low MHC. Logistic and multinomial regression estimated odds ratios and relative risk ratios for binary and categorical outcomes, respectively, before and after adjusting for confounders. Weights accounted for sample design and attrition and multiple imputation for item missingness. ResultsThose with low, moderate, or high-moderate MHC at age 11 years were more likely to have taken part in health risk behaviors at age 14 years compared with those with high MHC. The largest associations were seen for low MHC with binge drinking (relative risk ratio: 1.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.1–2.4]), having tried cigarettes (odds ratio: 2.2 [95% confidence interval: 1.6-3.1]) and tried illegal drugs (odds ratio: 2.0 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.1) after adjusting for confounders (which attenuated results but largely maintained significant findings). ConclusionsMHC in late childhood is associated with health risk behaviors in midadolescence. Interventions that increase children's MHC may support healthy development during adolescence, with the potential to improve health and well-being through to adulthood.

Recent attachment research suggests that children with avoidant attachment often underreport their psychological distress compared to their physiologic indicators of distress (neuroendocrine reactivity, startle response, event-related potentials). This pattern of behavior (referred to as psychobiological divergence) may confer risk for suboptimal coping behaviors, including substance use, sexual risk-taking, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), because individuals who are not aware of or cannot express their emotional needs may engage in maladaptive strategies to regulate their emotions. In the current pilot study (N = 45 youth), we investigate whether psychobiological divergence of neuroendocrine and self-reported reactivity in middle childhood prospectively predicts health risk behaviors (HRBs) in adolescence. The results revealed that divergence was significantly associated with adolescents’ substance use and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), but not with their sexual behavior. Among adolescents currently reporting low levels of attachment security, divergence was associated with greater self-reported NSSI. Our results provide initial evidence that psychobiological divergence confers risk for substance use and NSSI in combination with current relational distress. We discuss the implications of our findings for adolescent development and clinical risk.

The role of city income inequality, sex ratio and youth mortality rates in the effect of violent victimization on health-risk behaviors in Brazilian adolescents