@article{ref1,
title="Health risk behaviors and attempted suicide in adolescents who report prior maltreatment",
journal="Journal of pediatrics",
year="1990",
author="Riggs, S. and Alario, A. J. and McHorney, C.",
volume="116",
number="5",
pages="815-821",
abstract="We hypothesized that high school students who experienced prior maltreatment would be more likely than their peers to report health risk behaviors and suicide attempts. Before the establishment of a high school-based clinic, an anonymous needs assessment survey was completed by 600 adolescents (grades 9 to 12). Sociodemographic information was obtained and questions were asked about physical and sexual abuse, health-related behaviors and habits, and suicide attempts. Thirteen percent of the adolescents had been maltreated: 5.2% reported prior physical abuse, 5.4% sexual abuse, and 2.7% both physical and sexual abuse. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to clarify how previous abuse was related to adolescent risk-taking behaviors and suicide. Students with a history of physical abuse were three times more likely than non-abused peers to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, almost twice as likely to use illicit drugs, six times more likely to self-induce vomiting, and five times more likely to attempt suicide. A student with a history of prior sexual abuse had a three and one-half times greater chance of being sexually active and was more than three times more likely to attempt suicide. These data on a nonclinical, nondeviant population of adolescents indicate that physical or sexual abuse in childhood may have a significant impact on adolescent health risk behaviors and suicide attempts.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-3476",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}