Adolescents' participation in preventable health risk behaviors, such as substance use, violence, and unprotected sexual intercourse, create an elevated need for health care services. We analyze nationally representative data from Wave-1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine if adolescents' participation in six domains of risk-taking (violence, sex, suicide, tobacco use, alcohol use, and drug use) is associated with the receipt of a routine health exam, any of four specialized health services, and self-reported unmet need for health care. More than six in ten adolescents received a routine health examination in the past year, regardless of the type, severity, or number of their risk behaviors. In contrast, receipt of each type of specialized services and level of unmet need for health care increases significantly by the number and severity of risk behaviors, but varies little by type of risk behavior. In multivariate logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic correlates, including family income and health insurance status, each additional risk behavior is associated with a 54% increase in the likelihood of receiving specialized service and a 28% increase in the likelihood of reporting unmet need. Although adolescents involved in health risk behaviors have similar utilization of routine care, and receive more specialized services than lower risk youth, they still report higher levels of unmet need for health care services. These findings highlight the need for greater access and utilization of targeted services by risk-taking students.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to: 1) describe the use of health care services among adolescents engaged in health risk behaviors 2) identify adolescents with susbtantial levels of unmet need for health care 3) develop proposals for improving access and use of health care services by adolescents involved in health risk behaviors
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Risky Behaviors
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.