The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65932

Tari Topolski, PhD, Donald L Patrick, PhD, MSPH, and Todd C. Edwards, PhD. Center for Disability Policy and Research/Seattle Quality of Life Group, University of Washington, 146 N Canal Street #313, Seattle, WA 98103, (206)685-7259, topolski@u.washington.edu

Disability status has recently been considered a demographic variable, and studies regarding health-risk behaviors among youth with disabilities are beginning to be conducted. In 1997, the Seattle Quality of Life Group developed a 4 item self-report disability screener (YQOL-DS) for use with youth ages 11-18. The screener was validated with a sample of youth with and without chronic conditions. This measure and the Youth Quality of Life-Surveillance (YQOL-S) module were fielded in the 1998 “Teen Assessment Project” in Oregon. In this survey, 19% of the adolescents self-reported a disability. These adolescents also reported lower quality of life and significantly more frequent health risk behaviors than did their non-disabled peers. In 2002 Washington State fielded the Health Youth Survey, which included the YQOL-DS, the YQOL-S (modified) and questions regarding health risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking, drug use and obesity. Minority youth, including youth with disabilities are at increased risk for engaging in these risk behaviors. Quality of life is a valuable, measurable concept that may help to evaluate teens at risk for long-term health problems associated with these high-risk behaviors because it provides a framework for integrating multiple internal (e.g. self-esteem and social isolation) and external (e.g., peer and neighborhood influences) factors. It is important to find factors associated with these health-risk behaviors so that effective interventions can be designed to help reduce the proportion of youth who engage in these behaviors.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Articulate the need to assess health risk behaviors among youth with disabilities
• 2. Describe how they might incorporate the YQOL-DS in Youth Health Surveys to ascertain disability status.

Keywords: Health Risks, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.