Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral and Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 11566

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jiun-Hau Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10055, Taiwan
Interests: social and behavioral sciences; health/risk behavior; sexual health; adolescent and youth health; gender and health behavior; LGBTQ health; health communication; behavior change theory and intervention

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescence, broadly defined and including youth, is a transitional period of time and a challenging stage of human development, during which a young person experiences physical, intellectual, emotional, and social maturation. Depending on the source, adolescence and youth may incorporate a span of 9 to 26 years of age. For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines “adolescents” as individuals aged 10–19 years, “youths” 15–24 years, and “young people” 10–24 years. Clearly, there is an overlap between adolescents and youths without a distinct age cut-off. Yet, despite the current lack of consensus about the chronological age definition of adolescence and youth, there is no denying that adolescents and youths constitute a considerable proportion of the general population. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, “adolescents” (ages 10 to 17) and “young adults” (ages 18 to 25) make up approximately 22% of the United States’ population.

More importantly, the behavioral patterns established during adolescence and youth determine not only these young people’s current health status, but also their risk of developing chronic diseases during adulthood. As evidenced in the extant literature, many behaviors that can affect health and well-being later in life start or peak during these younger years. Therefore, more research is needed to further our understanding of these young people’s behavioral health issues, be it persisting risk behaviors or emerging new problems, so as to help promote positive health behaviors and decrease preventable risk behaviors. With that in mind, this Special Issue welcomes submissions addressing any types of health/risk behaviors in this young population. Examples include, but are not limited to: alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use; driving under the influence; smoking prevention/cessation; tobacco control; e-cigarette/IQOS use; bullying; intimate partner violence; date rape; sexual risk behavior; HIV/AIDS/STI prevention; physical activity/inactivity; healthy/unhealthy diet; disordered eating behavior; body image; gambling; Internet/smartphone addiction.

In addition, this Special Issue welcomes studies employing various research methods, including cross-sectional surveys, longitudinal designs, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and qualitative interviews. The behavioral health issues could pertain to health communication, health education, health promotion, health policy, disease prevention, behavior change theory, behavioral intervention, health and well-being, and quality of life. Notably, this Special Issue also welcomes studies conducted among students and young LGBTQ groups, among other young populations.

Dr. Jiun-Hau Huang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

behavioral medicine
social and behavioral sciences
behavioral epidemiology
health behavior
risk behavior
adolescent
youth
young adult
student
LGBTQ
health communication
health education
health promotion
health policy
disease prevention
behavior change theory
behavioral intervention
health and well-being
quality of life

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

11 pages, 436 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Patterns and Predictors of HIV Comorbidity among Adolescents and Young Adults in South Africa

by Brian van Wyk and Rifqah Abeeda Roomaney

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21040457 - 9 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1346

Abstract

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) are identified as a high-risk group for HIV acquisition. However, health services are generally not sensitive to the needs of this priority population. In addition, multimorbidity (having more than one disease in an individual) is not well studied among AYA, as it is typically associated with older individuals. This paper reports on commonly co-occurring disease conditions and disease patterns in AYA, aged 15–24 years, who took part in the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used to examine the weighted prevalence of disease among those with/without HIV, and the risk factors associated with HIV. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify common co-occurring diseases. Of the 1787 individuals included in our analysis, the weighted prevalence of HIV was 8.7%. Hypertension (30.5%), anaemia (35.8%) and diabetes (2.0%) were more prevalent among those with HIV. HIV and anaemia, hypertension and anaemia, and HIV and hypertension comprise the largest disease burden of co-occurring diseases. Co-morbidity was high among those with HIV, emphasizing the need for integrated care of HIV and non-communicable diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 373 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Violence, Migration and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use among Transnational Students in Northern Mexico

by Hilda García-Pérez, Stephen S. Kulis, Flavio F. Marsiglia and Paul A. Estabrooks

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010043 - 27 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1355

Abstract

This article reports on the findings of a study of the relationship between transnational experiences in the United States (US) and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among 7th grade students (n = 1418). The study was guided by a cross-national framework for research on immigrant health and assessed the accumulation of risk factors for transnational adolescents. Data came from a survey conducted in 2017 in Nogales, Mexico. In this study, the last 30-day prevalence of use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among students was 21.7%, 8.3%, and 2.4%, respectively. Most students were born in Nogales (69.6%), while 10.5% were born in the US, 7.5% attended school in the US, and 3.6% engaged in health-related risk behaviors while living in or visiting the US. Students with transnational experiences, such as attending school in the US, reported the highest 30-day prevalence of tobacco (13.3%) and marijuana (9.5%) use. After adjusting for family, school, access to substances and neighborhood violence variables, students who engaged in health-related risk behavior in the US had significantly increased odds of alcohol and marijuana use while later attending school in Mexico. The article discusses the findings from a prevention science perspective and provides implications for policy, practice, and future research on the Mexico-US border region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

15 pages, 1315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Correlates of HIV-Risky Behaviours among African Canadian Adolescents Living in British Columbia, Canada: A Secondary Data Analysis

by Emmanuela Nneamaka Ojukwu, Helen Uche Okoye and Elizabeth Saewyc

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(11), 6031; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20116031 - 1 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1624

Abstract

Studies have linked HIV-risky behaviours among young people to several socio-contextual factors. However, the social factors that might increase African Canadian adolescents’ exposure to HIV-risky behaviours, including unprotected sex and forced or multiple-sexual partnerships, have received little or no attention in the literature. Using data from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Surveys (2003–2018) and guided by intersectionality and socio-ecological frameworks, we examined the social determinants of HIV-risky behaviours (HRB) among African Canadian adolescents in British Columbia. We observed a general decline in HRB from 2008 to 2018. However, more than half (54.5%) of the 1042 who were sexually experienced in 2018 reported having 2 or more sexual partners, and nearly half reported condom-less sex. Our results demonstrate an important need to evaluate the impacts of several social factors on health outcomes for a unique, marginalized population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 354 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Validation of the Positive Body Image among Adolescents Scale (PBIAS) into Spanish and Catalan

by Glòria Tort-Nasarre, Eva Artigues-Barberà, Mercè Pollina-Pocallet, Anna Espart, Judith Roca and Josep Vidal-Alaball

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054017 - 23 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1545

Abstract

The Positive Body Image among Adolescents Scale (PBIAS) explores the factors that bolster and interfere with developing and maintaining a positive body image during adolescence. The aim of this study was to translate, adapt, and validate the PBIAS into Spanish and Catalan. A cross-sectional study was conducted for the instrument’s translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric validation. A process of translation, back-translation, expert consultation, and piloting was followed. The reliability and statistical validity were evaluated. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.95 in both the Spanish and Catalan versions. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were statistically significant (r > 0.087) for all items analyzed. The resulting values of the Spanish and Catalan versions indicate a good level of concordance (p < 0.001) with the original questionnaire, the comparative fit index being 0.914 and 0.913, the Tucker–Lewis index being 0.893 and 0.892, the root mean square error of approximation being 1.31 and 1.28, and the standardized root mean square residual being 0.051 and 0.060, respectively. The instrument presents a good level of internal consistency, a high level of reliability, and statistical validity compared to the original instrument. The PBIAS in Spanish and Catalan can be a useful assessment instrument for educators and health professionals in the context of adolescent mental health literacy. This work contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 3) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

8 pages, 371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Scale to Measure Healthy Behaviors in Spanish-Speaking University Students

by Carla Semir-González, Rodrigo Ferrer-Urbina, Carolina Suazo-Navarro, Catalina Flores-Denegri, Darinka Bolados, Joaquín Rosales and Geraldy Sepúlveda-Páez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2627; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032627 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1397

Abstract

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a public health problem that affect the quality of life and well-being of people, especially the youth, who have been identified as a high-risk population. Physical inactivity is a key risk factor for NCDs, and an unhealthy diet is a significant driver of NCDs. On the other hand, physical exercise and healthy habits are effective methods of prevention. Although there are scales that measure different behaviors related to NCDs, most of them have been developed in another language (e.g., English) or only focus on one aspect of NCDs. The present study aimed to develop a scale to assess healthy behaviors (i.e., healthy eating and physical exercise) in Spanish-speaking university students, using an instrumental design, with a sample of 369 Chilean university students between 18 and 25 years of age. The results presented show evidence of validity through an exploratory structural equation model (ESEM), reliability estimation through McDonald’s omega and Cronbach’s alpha, evidence of invariance by sex, and evidence of validity in relation to other variables with an SEM model. It is concluded that the Healthy Behavior Scale, consisting of nine items to measure healthy eating and physical exercise, is a brief instrument with evidence of reliability and validity (CFI = 0.998; TLI = 0.995; and RMSEA = 0.063) for application in a Spanish-speaking university population, offering potential applications in research instruments, screening studies, and the development of new studies for other contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

19 pages, 1749 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Structural Model for Aggression in Middle School Students in Korea: Based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior

by Sook Jang and Hye Young Ahn

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1576; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021576 - 15 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1485

Abstract

(1) Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct a hypothetical model for the variables that can explain aggression in middle school students in order to promote mental health and the growth and development of middle school students in Korea. Through this model, we tried to confirm the structural relationship between the variables and their influence. (2) Methods: The subjects of this study were middle school students in the Korean city of D, and the data collection period was from July to September 2016. The data were collected from the final 310 completed copies of the questionnaire, excluding 23 copies with insufficient data. SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0 were used for data analysis. (3) Results: The fit indices of the final model (GFI = 0.88, AGFI = 0.84, IFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.95, SRMR = 0.06, and RMSEA = 0.07) met the acceptable levels. The variables that affected middle school students’ aggression were parenting behavior and aggression regulation intention, and together, their explanatory power for aggression was 50.5%. Perceived behavioral control was the most influential variable for aggression regulation intention. (4) Conclusions: The results of this study will be used as a basis for studying aggression and developing aggression control training programs with the aim of reducing aggression in middle school students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychometric Assessment of an Online Self-Test Measuring Risky Eating Behavior, Depression, Social Anxiety, and Self-Injury in Mexican Adolescents

by Gilda Gómez-Peresmitré, Romana Silvia Platas-Acevedo, Rodrigo León-Hernández, Gisela Pineda-García and Rebeca Guzmán-Saldaña

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010399 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1944

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of OTESSED, an online test for the self-detection and prevention of risk factors for eating disorders and related problems, such as depression, social anxiety, and self-injury, in samples of male and female adolescents. Participants formed a non-probability sample of N = 577 high school students. The mean ages of boys and girls were the same (Mage = 15.61; SD = 0.73). Among the main results, scales of depression, self-injury, social anxiety, and risky eating behavior (REB) with construct validity (CFA) were obtained. The first two showed the same structure (two factors per sex), with an appropriate reliability omega value (0.92), and a similar percentage of explained variance (≥50). The REB scale presented two factors for boys and three for girls, with an appropriate omega value (0.88) and explained variance percentage (0.56). The instrument validation process was completed, meeting the discriminant validity criterion for each scale of the OTESSED. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths)

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI