The global adolescent population reached two thousand million in 2001. Young people are a resilient resource for creating a healthier future. However, they often lack opportunities for making healthy lifestyle choices. The discontinuity of current knowledge related to youth health-risk behaviors hinders the global commitment to health promotion, risk assessment and intervention. The aims of this analysis were: 1) to examine global trends in health-risk behaviors of young people as reported in research literature since 1990, and 2) to compare data from European studies of youth health-risk behaviors with research done in the United States, and with data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 1991-1999. The conceptual model for this study assumes multidimensionality as a basis for a continuum of health-risk behavior. Several studies have examined co-variation among health-risk behaviors of young people using factor-analytic procedures; however, the number and specific types of behaviors differed across these studies. All studies reported at least two health-risk behavior dimensions with some variables in common. A pattern of health-risk behavior dimensions are emerging including a consistent set of risky addictive, substance use behaviors and exercise behaviors. In addition, sexual behavior is a consistent dimension in middle, older adolescents and young adults. Other behavior patterns, i.e. dietary, safety and substance use behaviors, differed across age-groups. The scientific basis for interventions to promote healthy global teenagers requires precise definition of the relations among youth health-risk behaviors and systematic global studies using a common "core" of behavioral measures.
Learning Objectives: Objectives: 1. To examine global patterns of youth health risk behaviors. 2. To discuss methodological issues when making international comparisons of youth health risk behavior research.
Keywords: Adolescents, Behavioral Research
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.