[Adolescents living on their own--social control and health related behavior]

Social control is an important dimension in the interaction between members of social groups. Such control may contribute to adherence to group norms and prevent health related risk behaviour. Adolescents moving out from home to live on their own may become left to themselves and lose their social network and mechanisms of control. We wanted to examine to what extent high school students living in lodgings were different from students living at home concerning health and health related behaviour.

The study was based on data from a cross sectional inquiry among 828 high school students (91% of all students) in Førde carried out in 1997. One in four students lived alone in bedsitters. Bivariate analyses were performed separately for the two age groups 15-17 and over 18 years of age. Students living on their own were compared with students living at home concerning self-reported health and health behaviour. Multivariate analyses were performed to control for confounding.

Students living in bedsitters more often reported health risk behaviour than their home-living peers. The differences was most conspicuous in the youngest age group. Differences were found for cigarette smoking, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and age of sexual debut. Health-risk behaviour was most prevalent among students in vocational courses living alone. Self-reported health and emotional wellbeing were as good among students living alone as it was among their home-living peers.

Reduction of social control among students living alone in lodgings seem correlated with increased health risk behaviour. Students in vocational courses may be at particular risk. Social planning of education should consider the need to belong and the need for new social networks among students leaving home to continue their education.