Prevalence and Types of Health Risk Behaviors among Omani Adolescents
Abstract
Adolescents go through excessive physical and psychosocial changes that prepare them for adulthood, and during this developmental stage, they engage in risky behaviors. This study measures the prevalence of health risk behaviors among Omani adolescents and whether the difference in these behaviors is based on adolescent demographics. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 1,165 adolescents using the Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS) questionnaire. The results showed that the first five most prevalent health risk behaviors out of 23 were: failing to use a helmet, when necessary (59.9%), feeling depressed (57.7%), loss of control (48.1%), unsafe driving-unfastened seat belt (44.4%), and dietary (43.8%). Only 18 students from the total sample had no risk behaviors, 159 students had five, and two had 19. In conclusion, despite the average and low prevalence of risk behaviors among Omani adolescents, the need for community intervention is crucial to maintain and further reduce the current low risk. Regular screening and tailored counseling services for the risk have been recommended. This study is novel to researchers in Oman and the Middle East as there is a dearth of research investigating health risk behaviors among adolescents. The results of this study will add some information that can be used for developing appropriate counseling and preventive measures.
Keywords: health risk behaviors, adolescents, students, cross-sectional design.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
CURTIS A C. Defining adolescence. Journal of Adolescent and Family Health, 2015, 7(2): 2 (1-40).
RANABHAT K, et al. Risky Behaviours among Adolescent Students of Pokhara Valley: A School-Based Cross-sectional Survey. Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 2020, 18(3): 453-458.
CURRIE K, and BRAY I. Health inequalities, risky behaviours and protective factors in adolescents: An analysis of secondary survey data from the UK. Public Health, 2019, 170: 133-139.
PATTON G C, et al. Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. The Lancet, 2016, 387(10036): 2423-2478.
KLOSKY J L, et al. Risky health behavior among adolescents in the childhood cancer survivor study cohort. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 2012, 37(6): 634-646.
SYCHAREUN V, THOMSEN S, and FAXELID E. Concurrent multiple health risk behaviors among adolescents in Luangnamtha province, Lao PDR. BMC Public Health, 2011, 11(1): 1-10.
ONIEAL M-E. More than “teen angst”: What to watch for. Clinician Reviews, 2017, 14: 28.
BROOKS F, et al. HBSC England National Report: Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC): World Health Organization collaborative cross national study. 2015.
JAFFER Y, et al. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of secondary-school pupils in Oman: II. reproductive health. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2006, 12 (1-2): 50-60.
National Center for Statistical Information. Demographic and Economic Al-Atlas. 2021 Available from: https://www.ncsi.gov.om/Elibrary/LibraryContentDoc/bar_2021_541e5f6f-6316-4e98-851f-13193a57b7df.pdf.
SALERNO J, and MARSHALL V. 5. Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services: Validity and Reliability of the RAAPS Adolescent Risk Questionnaire. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2011, 48(2): S16.
DARLING-FISHER C S, et al. The Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS): providers’ assessment of its usefulness in their clinical practice settings. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 2014, 28(3): 217-226.
PIOTRÓW E, GUMOWSKA I, and KOPROWICZ A. Family structure vs. risky behaviour and self-efficiency feeling of youth in the period of late adolescence. Problemy Opiekuńczo-Wychowawcze, 2019, 585: 66-80.
YI C H, et al. Development and clinical use of rapid assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS) Questionnaire in school-based health centers. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 2009, 23(1): 2-9.
SCOTT-PARKER B. and OVIEDO-TRESPALACIOS O. Young driver risky behaviour and predictors of crash risk in Australia, New Zealand and Colombia: Same but different? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2017, 99: 30-38.
AL-RISI A. Characteristics of road traffic injuries and potential risk factors in Oman. 2014, University of Otago.
MAHARAJ R G, NUNES P, and RENWICK S. Health risk behaviours among adolescents in the English-speaking Caribbean: a review. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2009, 3(1): 1-12.
LEÃO A S, et al. Simultaneous health risk behaviors in adolescents associated with higher economic class in the Northeast of Brazil. The Scientific World Journal, 2017, article ID: 3587567.
NAMY S, et al. Gender, violence and resilience among Ugandan adolescents. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2017, 70: 303-314.
LONGOBARDI C, et al. Violence in school: An investigation of physical, psychological, and sexual victimization reported by Italian adolescents. Journal of School Violence, 2019, 18(1): 49-61.
RAMEZANKHANI A, et al. Family Factors Affecting Adolescents Violence: A Qualitative Content Analysis. International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction, 2021 (In Press).
SEDIBE M H, et al. Dietary habits and eating practices and their association with overweight and obesity in rural and urban black South African adolescents. Nutrients, 2018, 10(2): 145.
RAUOF M, et al. Prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents in the northwest of Iran. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 2015, 17(10): e19331.
BRANDT L M T, et al. Risk behavior for bulimia among adolescents. Revista Paulista de Pediatria, 2019, 37(2): 217-224.
MICALI N, et al. Adolescent eating disorder behaviours and cognitions: gender-specific effects of child, maternal and family risk factors. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2015, 207(4): 320-327.
SHARARA E, et al. Physical inactivity, gender and culture in Arab countries: a systematic assessment of the literature. BMC Public Health, 2018, 18(1): 1-19.
LACHYTOVA M, et al. Associations between self-rated health, mental health problems and physical inactivity among urban adolescents. The European Journal of Public Health, 2017, 27(6): 984-989.
CHENG L A, MENDONÇA G, and FARIAS JÚNIOR J C D. Physical activity in adolescents: analysis of the social influence of parents and friends. Jornal de Pediatria, 2014, 90(1): 35-41.
DELFINO L D, et al. Screen time by different devices in adolescents: association with physical inactivity domains and eating habits. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 2017, 58(3): 318-325.
BEAUCHAMP M R, PUTERMAN E, and LUBANS D R. Physical inactivity and mental health in late adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry, 2018, 75(6): 543-544.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
