Involvement In Risk Behaviors Research Articles

Traditional masculinity, peer pressure, and sensation seeking as correlates of risky behaviours

ABSTRACT The relationship between traditional masculinity, peer pressure, sensation seeking and undergraduate students’ involvement in risky behaviours was examined using correlational research design. Results indicated higher levels of each predictor variable correlated significantly and positively with undergraduate students’ involvement in risk behaviours. Conformity to traditional masculinity contributed significantly to the variance in involvement in risky behaviours in the positive direction, and male undergraduate students involved more in risky behaviours than females. However, contributions of peer pressure and sensation seeking were non-significant. Traditional masculinities should be challenged and replaced by alternative positive masculinities in a country’s effort to fight against STIs, unplanned pregnancies, and abuse of alcohol and other substances.

Asociación bidireccional entre el ajuste normativo y la agresión en acoso escolar en la adolescencia: un estudio longitudinal prospectivo

Normative adjustment stimulates the development of attitudes and behaviours that promote school climate. Previous research has shown that it is a relevant factor in preventing involvement in risk behaviours that affect the quality of peer relationships in classrooms and schools. Previous the development of behaviour adjusted to the norms which promotes interaction processes fostering a positive atmosphere in the classroom and in the school. The aim of this study is to analyse the prospective influence of normative adjustment on bullying perpetration over four time periods spaced six months apart (18 months). A total of 3017 adolescents between 11 and 16 years (49.5% girls; MAgeT1 = 13.15, SD = 1.09) are involved in the present study. The Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Model results indicate an influential bidirectional association between normative adjustment and bullying perpetration over time. When the adolescents’ normative adjustment increases, their involvement in bullying perpetration decreases six months later. On the other hand, when the adolescents’ bullying perpetration increases over time, a decrease in normative adjustment is evident later. The unconditional univariate growth results report that normative adjustment increases, while bullying perpetration decreases. These findings are discussed in terms of the need to consider contextual factors and how they interact in our understanding and prevention of bullying in schools.

Bidirectional association between normative adjustment and bullying perpetration in adolescence: A prospective longitudinal study

Normative adjustment stimulates the development of attitudes and behaviours that promote school climate. Previous research has shown that it is a relevant factor in preventing involvement in risk behaviours that affect the quality of peer relationships in classrooms and schools. Previous the development of behaviour adjusted to the norms which promotes interaction processes fostering a positive atmosphere in the classroom and in the school. The aim of this study is to analyse the prospective influence of normative adjustment on bullying perpetration over four time periods spaced six months apart (18 months). A total of 3017 adolescents between 11 and 16 years (49.5% girls; MageT1=13.15, SD=1.09) are involved in the present study. The Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Model results indicate an influential bidirectional association between normative adjustment and bullying perpetration over time. When the adolescents’ normative adjustment increases, their involvement in bullying perpetration decreases six months later. On the other hand, when the adolescents’ bullying perpetration increases over time, a decrease in normative adjustment is evident later. The unconditional univariate growth results report that normative adjustment increases, while bullying perpetration decreases. These findings are discussed in terms of the need to consider contextual factors and how they interact in our understanding and prevention of bullying in schools.

Leisure Time & Risk Sexual Behaviour - Croatian adolescents’ perspective

The project ‘Quality of leisure time as a protective factor for the development of behavioural problems' aims to investigate the influence of structured leisure time on mitigating adolescents' involvement in risk behaviours. Leisure can be a powerful context for positive youth development, but it can also be a context for youth engagement in risk behaviours. Therefore, the research question is: How does participation in structured leisure time activities influence risk sexual behaviour from the perspective of Croatian high school students? The sample consists of a total population of high school students from one county in Croatia (2,977 students, from 9 high schools). The age of the participants ranged from 14 to 20 years (51% female). The following questionnaires were used: (1) Adolescent Leisure Time Questionnaire; (2) Youth Experience Survey; (3) Risk Sexual Behaviour of Adolescents Questionnaire. Preliminary data show that 57% of adolescents currently participate in structured leisure activities. Before the pandemic COVID 19, 23% of adolescents participated in structured leisure activities twice a week, while during the pandemic COVID 19, only 15% did. Moreover, 35% of adolescents did not participate in structured leisure activities during the pandemic because they were anxious. Regarding risk sexual behaviours, 29% of adolescents had sexual intercourse, and of those 16% reported having experienced it before the age of 14. Unprotected sexual intercourse in the past 6 months under the influence of alcohol was reported by 15%, and under the influence of cannabis by 6% of adolescents. In presenting this work, the influence of structured leisure time activities on adolescents' risk sexual behaviour will be emphasized. The broader perspective and understanding of adolescents' leisure time and how it influences adolescent's behaviour and/or developmental outcomes is important for planning evidence-based strategies and interventions in the field of prevention science.Key messages The findings of this study can be an important resource for evidence-based intervention planning aimed at promoting positive youth development/prevention of youth risk behaviours.It is important to focus on creating opportunities in the community for quality leisure time use and educating key stakeholders about the importance of investing in quality leisure for youth.

Unique developmental trajectories of risk behaviors in adolescence and associated outcomes in young adulthood

This study aimed at assessing developmental trajectories of risk behaviors from adolescence into young adulthood and their associations with outcomes in young adulthood (i.e. education, employment). Data of the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) including 2,149 participants (mean age = 13.6, SD = 0.5, 51% girls) were used to examine the development of alcohol, cannabis, smoking, and externalizing behavior. The results showed that the associations between these risk behaviors varied with age, and revealed varying developmental patterns throughout adolescence. Most notably alcohol use did not covary strongly with the other risk behaviors. The often assumed peak in risk behavior in adolescence was only found in a small group, and only for alcohol (7.4%) and cannabis use (3.4%), but not for smoking or externalizing behavior. Most adolescents revealed only low involvement in risk behavior, with the largest differences between low and high trajectories emerging in late adolescence (> 19 years). Clustering of risk behavior throughout adolescence is rather the exception than the rule and depends on age and type of risk behavior. Differences in risk behavior between individuals become the largest in late adolescence, possibly influencing successful transition into adulthood visible in educational attainment and employment.

Social support, mental health needs, and HIV risk behaviors: a gender-specific, correlation study

BackgroundThe HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to threaten the health and wellbeing of millions in the United States and worldwide. Syndemic theory suggests that HIV/AIDS can cooccur with other afflictions. As close to 20% of US adults live with a mental health condition, it is critical to understand the correlation between HIV risk behaviors and mental health needs, as well as protective factors such as social support in intervening the association between mental distress and HIV risk behaviors. Furthermore, as past research has shown mixed results concerning the function of social support on HIV risks by gender, it is important to conduct a gender-specific analysis.MethodsTo assess the relationship between mental health needs, social support, and HIV risk behaviors, and to assess if social support can be a buffer, weakening the effect of mental health needs on HIV risk, in 2018, we analyzed representative, cross-sectional data from 2016 BRFSS collected from 33,705 individuals from four states in the United States, stratified by gender. Weighted logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, race, marital status, education, and annual income, assessed the correlation between mental health needs, social support, and HIV risk behaviors. Furthermore, interaction analyses were performed to see if social support modifies the slope of mental health needs as a function of HIV risk behaviors.ResultsFor both genders, the odds of participating in HIV risk behaviors increase with mental health needs and decrease with the level of social support. Furthermore, social support mitigates the association between mental health needs and HIV risk behavior involvement for males, as males receiving high level of social support have least odds of HIV risk behaviors relative to males receiving low level of social support. Notably, for females, social support does not serve as a buffer against HIV risk behaviors when their mental health needs increase.ConclusionThe study contributes to the knowledge base of HIV prevention and highlights the important role of mental health and social support against HIV risk behaviors when developing gender-specific prevention strategies.

Effects of school environments on student risk-behaviours: evidence from a longitudinal study of secondary schools in England

BackgroundThe theory of human functioning and school organisation proposes that schools with rigid ‘boundaries’ (weaker relationships), for example, between staff and students, or learning and broader development, engender weaker student...

Confidentiality Discussions and Private Time With a Health-Care Provider for Youth, United States, 2016

PurposeThe objective of the study was to define factors associated with adolescent and young adult (AYA) experiences with private time and having discussed confidentiality and the impact of these experiences on improving delivery of clinical preventive services. MethodsIn 2016, a nationally representative sample of 1,918 US AYAs (13- to 26-year-olds) was surveyed. Survey questionnaire domains were based on prior research and Fishers' information-motivation-behavior skills conceptual model. Data were weighted to represent US households with AYA and analyzed to identify factors independently associated with ever experiencing private time and discussions of confidentiality with a regular health-care provider (HCP). We examined the association of these experiences on AYA attitudes about health care. ResultsFifty-five percent of female and 49% of male AYA reported ever having had private time with an HCP and 55% of female and 44% of male AYA had spoken to an HCP about confidentiality. Independent predictors of having experienced private time and confidentiality included older age, race, higher household income, gender of the provider, amount of years with the provider, and involvement in risk behaviors. AYA who had experienced private time and confidentiality discussions had more positive attitudes about their providers, were more willing and comfortable discussing sensitive topics, and thought that these discussions should happen at younger ages. ConclusionsAlthough confidentiality and private time are important to AYA, many are not experiencing these components of care. Providing private time and discussions of confidentiality can improve the delivery of health care for young people by enhancing positive youth attitudes about preventive care.

Individual-, family-, and school-level interventions targeting multiple risk behaviours in young people.

Individual-, family-, and school-level interventions targeting multiple risk behaviours in young people.

Data mining techniques for drug use research

Drug use motives are relevant to understand substance use amongst students. Data mining techniques present some advantages that can help to improve our understanding of drug use issue. The aim of this paper is to explore, through data mining techniques, the reasons why students use drugs.A random cluster sampling of schools was conducted in the island of Mallorca. Participants were 9300 students (52.9% girls) aged between 14 and 18 years old (M = 15.59, SD = 1.17). They answered an anonymous questionnaire about the frequency and type of drug used, as well as the motives.Five classifiers techniques are compared; all of them have much better performance (% of correct classifications) than the simplest classifier (more repeated category: drug use/never drug use) in all the compared drugs (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine). Nevertheless, alcohol and tobacco have the lower percentage of correct classifications concerning the drug use motives, whereas these use motives have better classification performance when predicts cannabis and cocaine use. When we analyse the specific motives that better predicts the category classification (drug use/never drug use), the following reasons are highlighted in all of them: “pleasant activity” (most frequent among drug users), and “friends consume” and “addiction” (both of them most frequent among never drug users). These results relate to the social dimension of drug use and agree with the statement that environmental context influences adolescent's involvement in risk behaviours. Implications of these results are discussed.

Adolescents' multiple and individual risk behaviors: Examining the link with excessive sugar consumption across 26 industrialized countries

RationaleDespite the public health importance and policy relevance, no cross-national studies using large representative samples of adolescents have examined the relationship between high sugar consumption and involvement in risk behaviors. ObjectiveThe current study examines the relationship between high sugar consumption, in the form of sweets and chocolates and non-diet soft drinks, and involvement in peer violence and substance use. It also examines whether any such relationship is moderated by low socio-economic status (SES) and psychological well-being. MethodThe study included representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year olds in 26 countries (N = 137,284) using data from the Health Behaviors in School Aged Children (HBSC) 2013-14 study. The analysis involved multivariate logistic regression to predict involvement in both individual risk behaviors (physical fighting, bullying, cigarette use, alcohol use, and drunkenness) and multiple risk. ResultsThis study showed strong and consistent relationships between high sugar consumption and multiple and individual risk behaviors across 26 countries. With the exception of few countries, this relationship did not vary by family SES and adolescents' psychological health measured through psychosomatic health and life satisfaction, which had strong independent associations with multiple and individual risk behaviors. In the majority of countries, the association between high sugar consumption and multiple risk behavior was driven to a greater extent by the sugary drinks rather than sweets. ConclusionsFindings suggest that unhealthy nutrition such as the intake of large quantities of sugary drinks and sweets and chocolates could be seen as a "red flag" signaling potential involvement in multiple risk behaviors.

Alienation and Health in Adolescents: An Original Evaluation Tool

The present work aims to construct and validate a tool enabling to evaluate alienation in Portuguese adolescents. Participants were a group of adolescents that participated in the Portuguese survey of the European study Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC). For this study, only adolescents from the 8th and 10th grades were included in the sample, comprising 3869 students. The results show a good adequacy of the confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) model. This model revealed 3 subscales proposals—Demotivation, Isolation and Instability, and a full scale—Total Alienation. When analyzed in relation to other variables (gender, grade, wellbeing indicator and risk indicator), the alienation subscales showed an association between alienation and risk. These results are consistent with other studies about alienation which emphasizes that having good social relationships is associated with higher levels of wellbeing and quality of life and less involvement in risk behaviours by young people.

Atypical dimensions of caregiver-adolescent interaction in an economically disadvantaged sample.

The Goal-Corrected Partnership Adolescent Coding System (GPACS) has shown promise in assessing a secure as well as three atypical patterns of parent-adolescent interaction during a conflict discussion. The current study of 186 economically disadvantaged families examines the degree to which four GPACS patterns: secure/collaborative, hostile/punitive, role confused, and disoriented, prospectively predict adolescents' social competence and maladaptive behavior (internalizing, externalizing, and risk behaviors) at age 15 years after controlling for these social behaviors at age 13 years and contemporaneous GPACS scores. Adolescents from secure/collaborative dyads at age 13 were more likely to have a secure state of mind in the Adult Attachment Interview at age 15 and showed higher levels of teachers' ratings of empathy and lower levels of teachers' ratings of externalizing behaviors at age 15 years. Adolescents in disoriented dyads showed higher levels of teacher-rated internalizing problems, while male adolescents in role confused dyads reported higher levels of involvement in risk behaviors, including unprotected sexual activity and substance use problems.

Fortalezas internas y externas de adolescentes que no consumen alcohol

Introducción: el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes mexicanos es un problema de salud pública, que requiere enfocar los esfuerzos de investigación en la prevención. Este estudio se basa en el modelo de fortalezas de Benson (2007), quien plantea que los jóvenes poseen recursos individuales y contextuales que promueven un desarrollo positivo y limitan el involucramiento en conductas de riesgo. Objetivo: analizar las diferencias en fortalezas internas y externas entre estudiantes de secundaria que presentan diferentes niveles de consumo de alcohol. Metodo: participaron 990 estudiantes de secundarias públicas de la Ciudad de México, 52.1% mujeres y 47.9% hombres, de una media de edad de 13.6 años. Se evaluaron siete fortalezas internas y siete externas. Resultados: 53.9% de los participantes nunca ha usado alcohol, 28.3% sí lo ha consumido pero nunca o sólo una vez ha abusado, y 17.8% reportó haber abusado del consumo en el último mes. Hombres y mujeres que no han usado alcohol reportaron puntajes significativamente más altos en fortalezas internas. En el caso de las fortalezas externas, los jóvenes sin consumo fueron los que obtuvieron puntajes más altos, excepto en amigos saludables (tanto hombres como mujeres), y en apoyo y supervisión del padre (hombres). Conclusiones: los resultados contribuyen a la explicación del consumo de alcohol en jóvenes y proporcionan elementos para el diseño de intervenciones, pues señalan las fortalezas que deben promoverse para evitar que los jóvenes consuman alcohol a edades tempranas.

Mexican-origin youth's risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood: The role of familism values.

Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and familism values in 492 youth from 12 to 22 years of age. Participants were older and younger siblings from 246 Mexican-origin families who reported on their risk behaviors in interviews spaced over 8 years. Multilevel cohort-sequential growth models revealed that youth reported an increase in risk behavior from 12 to 18 years of age, and then a decline to age 22. Male youth reported greater overall levels and a steeper increase in risk behavior from ages 12 to 18, compared to female youth. For familism values, on occasions when youth reported higher levels, they also reported lower levels of risk behavior (i.e., within-person effect). For sibling dyads characterized by higher average levels of familism values, youth reported lower average levels of risk behavior (i.e., between-family effect). Findings provide unique insights into risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood among Mexican-origin youth. (PsycINFO Database Record

The association of peer pressure and peer affiliation with the health risk behaviors of secondary school students in Hong Kong

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the relationship between peer pressure and the health risk behaviors of secondary school students. Study designCross-sectional study using a self-completed questionnaire. MethodsSecondary school students in Year 3 were the target population of this study. Information was solicited from students on their perceptions of peer pressure using a questionnaire employing the Peer Pressure Inventory and their involvement in risk behaviors using a modified global school-based student health survey. ResultsA total of 840 secondary students from Hong Kong completed the questionnaires. The prevalence of secondary students who had ever smoked was 6.4%, consumed alcohol 39.2%, ever used drugs 0.5%, were sexually active 3.9%, and involved in bullying 20.5%. A higher proportion of secondary students involved in risk behaviors were affiliated with peers who were involved in the same activities: smoking (48.9%), drinking alcohol (86.5%), using drugs (18.2%), engaged in sexual activity (34.5%), and bullying (82.6%). The perception of peer conformity and peer involvement was found to be significantly correlated with the students' health risk behaviors, particularly with regard to smoking, drinking alcohol, and bullying. A logistic regression analysis showed that having friends who are involved in the same risk behaviors is the single most important factor associated with the participation of secondary students in those specific risk behaviors. ConclusionsThe results of this study provided a better understanding of the association between peer pressure and the adoption of health behaviors. The development of effective peer-led prevention programs to reduce the uptake of health risk behaviors should therefore be promoted to prevent adolescents from developing serious health problems.

COMMUNITY SENSE OF COHERENCE AMONG ADOLESCENTS AS RELATED TO THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN RISK BEHAVIORS

The current study employs a new concept–community sense of coherence (CSOC)–that measures youth's perceptions of their own community and its potential as a source for protective factors and assets. The theoretical foundation for this measure is the salutogenic approach and its concept of “sense of coherence.” A total of 1023 students from the 8th to 11th grades, living in 3 Israeli communities, filled out self-reported questionnaires that included measures of CSOC and involvement in risk behaviors. Results indicated significant negative correlations between CSOC and the levels of risk behaviors. The overall variance of risk behaviors explained by CSOC was found to be different in each of the three communities. The findings suggest that CSOC is a significant protective factor that could be related to reduced involvement in risk behaviors. The results are discussed within the framework of community protective factors and the salutogenic approach.

Promoting "Healthy Futures" to Reduce Risk Behaviors in Urban Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

There is increasing evidence of the interconnection between educational and health outcomes. Unfortunately wide disparities exist by both socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity in educational and vocational success. This study sought to promote urban youths' career readiness as a way to reduce involvement in risk behaviors. Two hundred primarily African-American youth (ages 14-21) were recruited from a pediatric primary care clinic. Youth randomized to the intervention received three motivational interviewing sessions focused around expectations and planning for the future. Baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments included measures of career readiness and risk behavior involvement (i.e., physical fighting, alcohol and marijuana use). At 6-months, youth randomized to the intervention condition showed increased confidence in their ability to perform the behaviors needed to reach their college/career goals. Additionally, youth randomized to the intervention arm showed decreased fighting behavior (adjusted rate ratio: .27) and marijuana use (adjusted rate ratio: .61). Assisting urban youth in thinking and planning about their future holds promise as a way to reduce their involvement in risk behaviors. This study also demonstrated that motivational interviewing could be used to promote positive behaviors (i.e., career readiness).

"I Used to Be Wild": Adolescent Perspectives on the Influence of Family, Peers, School, and Neighborhood on Positive Behavioral Transition.

Public health practice involving adolescents is largely focused on preventing or delaying the initiation of risk behavior. However, given the experimental and exploratory nature of this developmental period, this is often impractical. This paper focuses on behavioral transitions and the ways in which youth involved in risk behaviors shift to more promotive behaviors. Based on a positive youth development perspective, in-depth interviews with urban youth were conducted and analyzed to gain an understanding of the influences on behavior change. Specific family support, ability to detach from harmful peer relationships, and school connectedness and vocational support emerged as important to those youths who made a positive behavioral transition. These findings suggest the importance of understanding ways to support the cessation of involvement in risk behaviors and reinforce the significance of contextual influences on youth development.

INFLUÊNCIA DA FAMÍLIA E AMIGOS NO BEM-ESTAR E COMPORTAMENTOS DE RISCO– MODELO EXPLICATIVO

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the relationship of adolescents with parents and friends and the involvement in risk behaviors and heal...