Abstract

CAMPO-ARIAS, Adalberto; COGOLLO, Zuleima  and  DIAZ, Carmen Elena. Risks behaviors for health in young students: prevalence and associated factors. Salud, Barranquilla [online]. 2008, vol.24, n.2, pp.226-234. ISSN 0120-5552.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with a health risk behaviors pattern (HRBP) among adolescent students of a public school at Cartagena, Colombia. Materials and Methods: Students at ages between 13 and 19 year-olds completed, during the second semester in the year 2005, an anonymous questionnaire, about last-month cigarette smoking, ever illegal drug use, daily hours for watching television, number of days for aerobical physical activity, sexual intercourse before 13 years, the CAGE questionnaire for alcohol use, the SCOFF questionnaire for eating disorders, the Zung' self-report rating scale for depression, and the Francis scale of attitude towards Christianity. Reporting three or more health risk behaviors was classified as a HRBP. A logistic regression model was computed for controlling confounding factors. Results: The mean age of group was 14,8 years (SD=1,6), 51,3 % were boys, and the mean scholarship was 8,5 years (SD=1,6). A percentage of 21,2 % (95 % CI 17,6-24,8) presented a HRBP. Reporting clinically significant depressive symptoms (OR=2,74; 95 % CI 1,46- 5,16), being male (OR=2,35; 95 % CI 1,47-3,78) and low attitude towards Christianity were associated (OR=1,93; 95 % CI 1,24-3,02) with PHRB. Conclusions: The HRBP is present in one out of five adolescent students of this school, and it is related to clinically significant depressive symptoms, male sex, and low attitude towards Christianity.

Keywords : Health-related behaviors; prevalence; adolescent; students; crosssectional study.

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