Citation

Kara B, Hatun, Aydoǧan M, Babaoǧlu K, Gökalp AS. Cocuk Sagligi ve Hastaliklari Dergisi 2003; 46(1): 30-37.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among high school students in Kocaeli during May 2001 to evaluate health-risk behaviors. Data were collected using a questionnaire which consisted of 77 multiple choice questions and was applied to 391 (185 female, 206 male) high school students. Questions were designed in the context of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance". The questionnaires were answered face-to-face in the room of the school's guidance counselor. Questions were evaluated in various sub-groups according to age and gender variables: behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries, behaviors that contribute to intentional injuries, sadness and suicide ideation and attempts, tobacco use, alcohol use, perception of weight, dietary behaviour, physical activity, computer use and sexual behaviors. Our results demonstrated that 93.8% had never used a bicycle helmet (57.4% male, 42.6% female); 10.7% had carried a weapon in the last 30 days (88.8% male, 11.2% female); 17.7% had contemplated suicide in the last year (59.4% female, 40.6% male); 15.4% used tobacco regularly in the last 30 days (67.5% male, 32.5% female); 45.4% had consumed no fruit or fruit juice in the last seven days or had consumed less than once daily on average; 26.5% had no physical activity in the last seven days (68.8% female, 31.2% male); 72.7% watched television more than one hour every day; and 22.1% had had sexual intercourse (97.6% male, 2.4% female). Our results do not reflect the country as a whole; however, it seems that negative effects of health-risk behaviors are important problems for adolescent health. Community education programs started primarily in schools may prevent such problems.

Language: tr

Keywords

Adolescence; Health-risk behaviors