Assignment task: Population Health, Epidemiology, & Statistical Problems
Discussion:
Adolescent risk behavior involves engaging in activities that could lead to physical or mental harm. This includes unintentional injuries, exposure to violence, sexual risk behaviors (engaging in unsafe sexual practices that could lead to health issues like unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections), and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal substances.
Three risk-related behaviors that are common among adolescents in many communities include:
1. Substance use: This includes alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. Adolescents who engage in substance use may experience academic difficulties, social problems, and legal issues. These "experiences can lead to antecedent factors such as poor educational attainment, strained relationships, and criminal records, which might manifest in their adult lives as challenges in securing employment, maintaining relationships, and complying with laws" (NIH.gov, 2023).
2. Risky sexual behavior: "Many young people engage in health risk behaviors and experiences that can result in unintended health outcomes" (CDC.gov, 2023). This includes early sexual debut, multiple sexual partners, and unprotected sex. Adolescents who engage in risky sexual behavior are more likely to experience teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and relationship violence. These experiences can lead to antecedent factors such as single parenthood, poor reproductive health, and exposure to domestic violence, which might manifest in their adult lives as challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities, health issues, and increased vulnerability to intimate partner violence.
3. Aggressive behavior: This includes physical fights, bullying, and weapon carrying. Adolescents who engage in aggressive behavior may experience school suspension, juvenile detention, and social isolation. "These experiences can lead to antecedent factors such as poor educational outcomes, criminal records, and social disconnection, which might manifest in their adult lives as challenges in securing employment, complying with laws, and forming positive relationships" (B. D'Inverno, 2023).
In conclusion, adolescents in many communities often engage in risk-related behaviors such as substance use, risky sexual behavior, and aggressive behavior. These behaviors can create antecedent factors that might manifest in their adult lives and across the life course as challenges in securing employment, maintaining relationships, complying with laws, balancing work and family responsibilities, and forming positive relationships. "Distal and proximal factors in adolescent risk behavior that are not exclusively socioeconomic, familial, environmental, or social should be explored more thoroughly" (B. Bozzini, et al, 2021).
References:
National Institute on drug abuse (NIDA). (2022, March 3). National Institutes of Health (NIH).
D'Inverno AS, Bartholow BN. Engaging Communities in Youth Violence Prevention: Introduction and Contents. Am J Public Health. 2021 May;111(S1):S10-S16. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306344. PMID: 34038153; PMCID: PMC8157808.
Sexual risk behaviors. (2023, March 16). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bozzini AB, Bauer A, Maruyama J, Simões R, Matijasevich A. Factors associated with risk behaviors in adolescence: a systematic review. Braz J Psychiatry. 2021 Mar-Apr;43(2):210-221. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2019-0835. PMID: 32756805; PMCID: PMC8023154.