Adolescent health in Alameda County

A cross-sectional study of 194 adolescents in Alameda County, California, was performed to investigate health care behavior, personal adjustment, substance abuse, and medical and dental morbidity. A multivariate analysis of this sample using age, sex, ethnic group, and family type as independent variables was carried out. Females were less likely than males to have a regular place for medical care, and youths belonging to single parent families were less likely than those from intact families. Older adolescents, blacks and Hispanics used hospitals and clinics more frequently, while whites used private physicians more frequently than did other ethnic groups. Also blacks and Hispanics were less likely to have received recent dental care than whites. Levels of substance abuse were comparable to national levels, and increased significantly with age. Though overall medical morbidity was low, the study confirms previous findings of significant levels of dental decay particularly in black youth. A significant relation exists between less dental care and dental decay, though no such relation exists between medical care and medical morbidity. The study has potential implications for better preventive approaches to adolescent health care.