Investigating the relationship between high-risk behaviors and mental health in adolescents in Rabor city, Iran.

Abstract

High-risk behaviors (HRBs) represent significant health threats for adolescents and significantly affect adolescents' mental health. Adolescents often engage in risky behaviors. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between high-risk behaviors (HRBs) and mental health in adolescents in Rabor. The present study was a cross-sectional analytical study that was performed on 334 girl and boy students aged 12-18years in Rabor city in 2021. In this study, adolescents answered high risk behaviors and mental health questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS-26 software and the spearman correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis (univariate and multivariate analysis) were used to analyze the data. In this study, the mean age was 15.25±1.78. The findings indicate that smoking and hookah use were higher in boys than girls. Among the demographic variables, age and level of education had a positive and significant relationship with HRBs and mental health (p<0.05). The mean score of total mental health for all subjects was 12.83±10.82. The variables of age, sex, marital status of parents, the number of children in the family, educational level, smoking, hookah, and alcohol have been determined as influential and facilitating factors in HRBs of adolescents. Father's literacy was considered as a facilitator and age variables, alcohol consumption and parents' marital status were considered as deterrents to mental health. The present study showed that the male gender is one of the risk factors for alcohol, smoking and other substances, the tendency to high-risk sexual behaviors, depression, and suicide in adolescents. Among the determinants of the tendency to HRBs in adolescents, psychological variables are of particular importance at the individual, social, and family levels. Good mental health can improve quality of life, while poor mental health can make it worse.