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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: While mentorship programs, which connect adolescents with adults to whom they can turn to for help and advice, are proliferating in an attempt to prevent high-risk behaviors in teenagers, there are few data to show that mentorship actually makes a difference.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is an association between having an adult mentor and high-risk behaviors in adolescents.
Hypothesis: Adolescents who have an adult mentor would be less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors than those without an adult mentor.
Design: Cross-sectional study. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was developed to assess demographics, involvement in risk behaviors, and the prevalence of a mentor in the life of a young person.
Participants: A convenience sample of 294 adolescents, seen consecutively (93% of those approached), receiving outpatient medical care. Participants were predominantly female (68%), of mixed race/ethnicity, aged between 12 and 23 years (mean ± SD age, 16.9 ± 2.4), and from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Setting: An adolescent health service in a suburban community-based teaching hospital.
Main Outcome Measures: Adolescent smoking, alcohol and drug use, sexual practices, and weapon carrying.
RESULTS: Adolescents with mentors were significantly less likely to participate in 4 of the 5 measured risk behaviors: ever carrying a weapon (odds ratio, 0.41; P =< .01), illicit drug use in the past 30 days (odds ratio, 0.44;P =< .01), smoking more than 5 cigarettes per day (odds ratio, 0.54; P =< .05), and sex with more than 1 partner in the past 6 months (odds ratio, 0.56;P =< .05). No significant difference was found with alcohol use (=> 3 drinks in the past 30 days).
CONCLUSION: A strong positive relationship was found between adolescents having an adult mentor and decreased participation in 4 of the 5 risk behaviors evaluated. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2000. Copyright © 2000 by the American Medical Association)
Mentoring
Juvenile Behavior
Juvenile Substance Use
Juvenile Weapons Carrying
Juvenile Sexual Activity
Juvenile Sexual Behavior
Juvenile Firearms Carrying
Risk Behavior
Sexual Activity Prevention
Alcohol Use Prevention
Drug Use Prevention
Tobacco Use Prevention
Firearms Carrying Prevention
Early Adolescence
Late Adolescence
Substance Use Prevention
Behavior Prevention
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