Open AccessCo-occurrence of risk behaviors among Spanish adolescents
Author(s) -
Carmen Meneses,
António Rua,
Nuria Romo,
Emilio Gil,
Jorge Olivares,
Iñaki Márkez
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
revista internacional de sociología
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.225
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1988-429X
pISSN - 0034-9712
DOI - 10.3989/ris.2011.03.18
Subject(s) - ethnic group , cluster (spacecraft) , intervention (counseling) , demography , psychology , sample (material) , environmental health , perception , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , sociology , chemistry , chromatography , neuroscience , anthropology , computer science , programming language
This work examines the co-occurrence of risk behaviors among Spanish adolescents. The analyzed behaviors were sexual activity, the use of alcohol and other drugs, violent conduct and behaviors related to driving mopeds or scooters. The sample consisted of 4,091 adolescents between the ages of 13 to 18, all of them enrolled in one of the four compulsory years of secondary education, the approximate equivalents of the 7th to 10th grades in the US educational system. Cluster analysis indicates that there are four risk profiles, one of which is the profile with the greatest risk and the highest co-occurrence of risk behaviors. This group represents 13% of the sample and is noteworthy for using illegal drugs, driving under the influence of drugs and other activities carried out under the influence of alcohol. Differences have been found among the various profiles according to sociodemographic characteristics such as sex, grade, perception of the family???s economic situation and ethnicity. The findings are discussed and some suggestions are given for prevention intervention.Este trabajo examina la concurrencia de comportamientos de riesgo en adolescentes espa??oles. Los comportamientos analizados fueron la actividad sexual, el consumo de alcohol y otras drogas, conductas violentas y comportamientos en la conducci??n de ciclomotores o motocicletas. La muestra incluye 4.091 adolescentes de 13 a 18 a??os, perteneciente a educaci??n secundaria obligatoria. Los resultados obtenidos muestran cuatro perfiles de riesgo, siendo uno de ellos el perfil de m??s alto riesgo y concurrencia de comportamientos arriesgados. Este grupo supone el 13% en el que destacan las conductas de consumo de drogas l??citas, conducir bajo los efectos de droga y otras conductas realizadas bajo los efectos del alcohol. Se encuentran diferencias entre estos perfiles y las caracter??sticas sociodemogr??ficas como el sexo, el curso, la percepci??n sobre la econom??a familiar y la etnicidad. Se discuten los resultados obtenidos y se ofrece algunas sugerencias para la prevenci??n