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Risk-taking behaviour of Cape Peninsula high-school students. Part X. Multivariate relationships among behaviours
A J Flisher1, C F Ziervogel, D O Chalton
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, W. Cape.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between adolescent risk behaviours, taking into account their influence upon one another.
Design:
Cross-sectional survey utilising a self-completed questionnaire; stepwise logistic regression analyses were carried out, stratified for gender.
Setting:
High schools in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa
Subjects:
7,340 students from 16 schools in the three major education departments.
Outcome Measures:
The outcome variables for each regression model were: cigarette smoking, cannabis smoking, alcohol bingeing, sexual intercourse, knife-carrying at school, walking home at night from beyond the neighbourhood, attempting suicide, and failure to use a seat belt. For each model, 26 risk behaviours served as independent variables.
Results:
For each model, between 3 and 9 variables qualified for inclusion for each gender. There was a substantial association between many forms of substance abuse. In the previous 12 months, suicidal thoughts or statements of suicidal intent were predictors of a suicide attempt. Several variables involving injury were predictors of exposure to danger in getting home at night, and this was a predictor of substance abuse. Cannabis smoking, alcohol bingeing and exposure to danger in getting home at night were predictors of and were predicted by having had sexual intercourse.
Conclusion:
There are significant relationships between many adolescent risk behaviours, even when the influence of other risk behaviours is taken into account. The probability of adverse sequelae of risk behaviours, such as exposure to danger in getting home at night and sexual intercourse, is increased by the presence of selected other risk behaviours.