Factors related to the Health Behavior of Rural Adolescents

Objectives : Health behaviors that contribute to the leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and social problems among youth and adults are mostly established during youth, extend into adulthood, and are interrelated. The purpose of this study is to investigate health behavior, juvenile delinquent behavior, mental status and to understand related factor to health behavior. Methods : The study items of life style were health related habit including smoking, drinking, breakfast, regular diet, regular exercise, sleeping time and weight status. Also, sexual evidence, violence, suicidal perceptions were surveyed. Questionnaire survey was conducted from January to February, 2000 by adolescence living in Kyunggi-Do. Data were collected by self-administered questionares. The collected data were analyzed using PC-SPSS 9.0 version. Results : Most students perceived to be healthy themselves but just two thirds students had concern for health. 64.9% ever drank alcohol, 26.4% ever smoked, and also and 2.9% had attempted suicide during preceding the survey. The rate of sleeping over 8 hours is 31.8%, 65.6% had breakfast. Multiple regression analysis to find related factor with adolescents health behavior were conducted. As a results, concern for health, sex, grade, spending money and attempt to suicide were related to health behavior. Conclusion : These results showed that many efforts to improve the health-concern are necessary and suggest the need for further studies including follow-up study, intervention study on the relationship of life style.