Factors Influencing Health Risk Behaviors in Early Adolescents

Yoo, Jae Soon

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was to identify variables influencing health risk behaviors in adolescents on the basis of the PRECEDE model.
METHODS
Data were collected from 434 middle school students in Chungbuk Province for two weeks in July 2008. The instrument for this study was a self-reported questionnaire. The SPSS/WIN 12.0 program was used for data analysis, which included t-test, one way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis.
RESULTS
Adolescents' level of health risk behaviors (47.32 +/- 7.98) was below medium. Physical inactivity (6.73 +/- 2.23) and Internet addictive behavior (6.36 +/- 2.11) were major health risk behaviors. The perceived level of school health education (30.74 +/- 9.84) was low. Family function and general self efficacy explained 14.3% of variance in health risk behaviors. Family function was a major predictor of health risk behaviors (R2 = .108, p = .000). However, the perceived level of school health education was not a significant predictor of health risk behaviors.
CONCLUSION
For the prevention of health risk behaviors in adolescents, it is necessary that the family and the school collaborate with each other in educational strategies in order to strengthen influential factors such as family function and general self-efficacy.