Life style and patterns of health and social behavior in high-risk adolescents

This article examines the life style of young people aged 14 to 19 years to describe the interrelations among social and health-related modes of behavior. The data were derived from a national survey, conducted from 1984 to 1986, of 2,787 respondents using consolidated health services for high-risk youths. A broad range of health habits, risk behaviors, and social activities are examined, including leisure activities, social relations, sexual behavior, substance use behavior, violent social behavior, seat belt use, dental hygiene, sleep behavior, weight, and preventive medical care. Factor analysis and multidimensional scaling are used to determine the empirical patterns among these behaviors. The analyses show two major modes of behavior, health-promoting and health-compromising, while a third pattern can be interpreted as group or social activity. Implications of these life-style distinctions are discussed in relation to health promotion.