Health-risk behaviors among a sample of US pre-adolescents: types, frequency, and predictive factors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children as young as 10 years old report curiosity and participation in health-risk behaviors, yet most studies focus upon adolescent samples.

Objective

To document the types and frequencies of health risk behavior among pre-adolescents and to examine the child, family, and environment factors that predict them.

Method

A sample of 297 pre-adolescents (mean age=10.5, SD=0.6) from two Midwestern US cities and their parents (child-parent dyads) provided data about demographic characteristics, health risk behavior participation, child self-esteem, child pubertal development, child and adult perception of their neighborhood, and parent monitoring. Their participation was at intake to a 5-year clustered randomized controlled trial.

Results

Pre-adolescents

SUBMITTER: Riesch SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3594190 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature