The association of high‑risk behaviors and their relationship with identity styles in adolescents

نویسندگان

1 Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol

2 Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol

3 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

4

doi
چکیده

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is considered an important stage in the onset of high‑risk behaviors.Identity styles have significant pathological effects in various aspects of high‑risk behaviors. Thepresent study was conducted aiming at investigating the association between high‑risk behaviorsand identity styles in adolescents.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross‑sectional research studied 384 girls and boysstudying in the second grade of High School in Babol in 2018. Data collection was done through ademographic questionnaire, Mohammadkhani’s Risky Behaviour Questionnaire, and Berzonsky’sIdentity Style Inventory. Data analysis was performed using Chi‑square test, Pearson’s correlationcoefficient, and linear regression analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: The mean age of adolescents was 17.21 ± 48.4 years (aged 16–19 years).Aggression (23.4%), relationship with the opposite gender (14.5%), smoking cigarettes andhookah (10.9%), consuming alcohol (9.3%), suicidal thoughts and attempts (5.7%), running away fromhome (3.9%), and consuming psychotropic substances (1.8%) were among the most common high‑riskbehaviors observed in the adolescents. The scores of high‑risk behaviors were negatively correlatedwith the identity scores of informational style (4.56 ± 3.107), normative style (4.45 ± 2.581), andidentity commitment style (4.15 ± 2.245) and positively correlated with the scores of diffuse‑avoidantstyle (4.15 ± 3.089). Regression analysis showed that only the informational style had a negativeand significant correlation with high‑risk behaviors.CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed significant prevalence of high‑risk behaviors and itsrelationship with identity styles in adolescents, which requires regular and planned health educationintervention at schools.