engleski

Health-risk Behaviors among Adolescents: The role of Family Characteristics and School Adjustment

Experimenting with certain behaviors that present risk and have negative consequences for one’s health and well-being, such as cigarette and alcohol consumption, illicit drug use and risky sexual behavior usually begins during adolescence. For example, the prevalence of weekly alcohol use and drunkenness and the prevalence of smoking increase significantly during the adolescent years (Currie at al., 2012). The engagement of adolescents in health- risk behaviors presents a concern for parents, schools and health care providers. According to problem-behavior theory, risk behaviors often co-occur in adolescents (Jessor, 1991). Various risk and protective factors for engagement in health-risk behaviors during adolescent years have been identified, among which are characteristics of relations with parents and peers (Prinstein & La Greca, 2004 ; Rai et al., 2003), peer and dating violence (Swahn et al., 2008), academic success (He et al., 2004 ; Murphey et al., 2004), leisure time activities (Borawski et al., 2003) and obesity (Farhat et al., 2010). The aim of the present study was to examine whether different health-risk behaviors are manifestations of a single underlying tendency to engage in multiple risk-behaviors and to explore how family characteristics and indicators of adolescent performance and adjustment in the school context contribute to the explanation of their tendency to become involved in health-risk behaviors. Participants in the study were 860 students (518 girls and 342 boys) attending first grades in 12 high schools located in nine Croatian cities. The mean age of participants was 15.68 (SD = 0.5). Students completed questionnaires assessing their: (1) engagement in four types of health- risk behaviors, i.e. alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, marijuana use and early onset of sexual activity ; (2) family structure ; (3) father’s and mother’s completed level of education ; (4) grade point average ; (5) participation in extracurricular activities ; (6) receiving negative pedagogical measures ; and (7) engagement in peer violence. The data were collected as a part of a larger health education project examining adolescents’ health behaviors, social habits, peer relations and school behavior. Prior to data collection, parental consent was obtained for children’s participation in the study and adolescents were provided the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they would complete the questionnaire. Anonymity was ensured in all the phases of data collection and analysis. Trained assistants administered the questionnaires in schools during regular school classes. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicate that alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, marijuana use and early onset of sexual activity form single underlying latent construct. The model with one latent factor entitled “multiple health-risk behaviors” and four indicators (i.e. four types of health risk behaviors) showed a very good fit (Χ²(2) = 6.06, p = .05, RMSEA = .05, CFI = .99, TLI = .99). The standardized coefficients (loadings) for alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, marijuana use and early onset of sexual activity were .71, .82, .75 and .62, respectively (p<.001). Hierarchical regression analysis were conducted with multiple health- risk behaviors as criterion variable and adolescents’ gender, family characteristics (i.e. family structure, mother’s and father’s education level) and indicators of school adjustment and performance (i.e. GPA, participation in extracurricular activities, receiving negative pedagogical measures and engagement in peer violence) as predictors entered in subsequent blocks. The results of the regression analysis indicate that adolescent’s gender, family structure, fathers’ education level, GPA, receiving negative pedagogical measures and taking part in peer violence in school are significant predictors of engagement in multiple health risk behaviors. Tendency of engagement in multiple health-risk behaviors is higher among males, adolescents from single-parent families and those whose fathers have lower level of education. Engagement in multiple health-risk behaviors is negatively related with GPA, and positively related with receiving negative pedagogical measures and taking part in peer violence in school. Among all the examined predictors, participation in peer violence was the strongest predictor of engagement in multiple health-risk behaviors. The implications of the results for the development of intervention and prevention strategies aimed at reducing adolescent engagement in health- risk behaviors are discussed and the impact on the research in this area, as well.

health-risk behaviors; family characteristics; school adjustment

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