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Health Risk Behaviors (health + risk_behavior)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences90%

Selected Abstracts

Health Risk Behavior of Rural Low-Income Expectant Fathers

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2006
Kevin D. Everett
ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess expectant fathers' health risk behaviors and attitudes about pregnancy-related health issues. Pregnancy may be viewed as a teachable moment: a time when women are receptive to health advice and take action to improve their health and the health of their babies. Pregnancy may also be a teachable moment for expectant fathers, although men's behaviors are rarely considered as part of prenatal care or in associated research. Design: Cross-sectional prevalence study. Sample: Rural low-income expectant fathers (N=138) whose pregnant partners had enrolled in a Medicaid managed care health plan. Measurement: A telephone survey measuring five health risk behaviors, sociodemographic variables, and pregnancy- and behavior change-related attitudes. Results: Analyses found the following: 49.3% smoked cigarettes; 30.4% engaged in hazardous drinking in the past month; 27.5% had very low physical activity levels; 94.9% had at-risk fruit/vegetable intake; and 42% had weight-related health risk (25.4% met body mass index [BMI] criteria for obesity). Further, 47.9% of the men engaged in three or more of five assessed health risk behaviors. Conclusions: This sample of expectant fathers engages in high rates of health risk behaviors. Failure to address the health risk behavior of men during prenatal care represents a missed opportunity to improve paternal, maternal, and family health. [source]

Beyond the "Model Minority" Stereotype: Trends in Health Risk Behaviors Among Asian/Pacific Islander High School Students

JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 8 2009
Sung-Jae Lee PhD
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Asian/Pacific Islander (API) students have been stereotyped as the "model minority." The objective of this study was to examine the trends in health risk behaviors among API students who participated in the San Diego City Schools Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) between 1993 and 2005. METHODS: High school students from the San Diego City School District completed the self-administered YRBS between 1993 and 2005. Among sexually active students, logistic regression for survey data was used to examine trends in health risk behaviors. RESULTS: From 1993 to 2005, condom use at last sexual intercourse was consistently lower among API students than their cross-ethnic peers. We observed a significant increasing trend in lifetime smoking, drinking, and marijuana use. Parental communications regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were significantly less frequent and decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings challenge the notion of API youth being the "model minority." API students face unique challenges, including barriers to good communication about sex and lower rates of condom use. School-based prevention programs are needed for API students, including a focus on HIV communication with parents. [source]

Relationship Between Physical Disabilities of Long-Term Health Problems and Health Risk Behaviors or Conditions Among US High School Students

JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 5 2008
May 2008 issue of Journal of School Health
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Health Risk Behavior of Rural Low-Income Expectant Fathers

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2006
Kevin D. Everett
ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess expectant fathers' health risk behaviors and attitudes about pregnancy-related health issues. Pregnancy may be viewed as a teachable moment: a time when women are receptive to health advice and take action to improve their health and the health of their babies. Pregnancy may also be a teachable moment for expectant fathers, although men's behaviors are rarely considered as part of prenatal care or in associated research. Design: Cross-sectional prevalence study. Sample: Rural low-income expectant fathers (N=138) whose pregnant partners had enrolled in a Medicaid managed care health plan. Measurement: A telephone survey measuring five health risk behaviors, sociodemographic variables, and pregnancy- and behavior change-related attitudes. Results: Analyses found the following: 49.3% smoked cigarettes; 30.4% engaged in hazardous drinking in the past month; 27.5% had very low physical activity levels; 94.9% had at-risk fruit/vegetable intake; and 42% had weight-related health risk (25.4% met body mass index [BMI] criteria for obesity). Further, 47.9% of the men engaged in three or more of five assessed health risk behaviors. Conclusions: This sample of expectant fathers engages in high rates of health risk behaviors. Failure to address the health risk behavior of men during prenatal care represents a missed opportunity to improve paternal, maternal, and family health. [source]

Evaluating Content Validity and Test,Retest Reliability of the Children's Health Risk Behavior Scale

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2006
Susan K. Riesch
ABSTRACT Objectives: Describe the instrument development process and report the validity and reliability of the Children's Health Risk Behavior Scale (CHRBS), a scale designed to screen for health risk behaviors among youth aged 10,13 Years. Methods: Domain identification and item generation using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and testing relevance and test,retest reliability among a target audience sample of 77 fifth graders in their classrooms in two separate public school districts. Results: Youth performed their tasks as expert item reviewers effectively. Twenty-one items comprise the CHRBS with a reading level determined to be at the third grade. Conclusions: We have developed a reliable and valid measure to assess late elementary youth's participation in health risk behavior. [source]

Beyond the "Model Minority" Stereotype: Trends in Health Risk Behaviors Among Asian/Pacific Islander High School Students

JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 8 2009
Sung-Jae Lee PhD
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Asian/Pacific Islander (API) students have been stereotyped as the "model minority." The objective of this study was to examine the trends in health risk behaviors among API students who participated in the San Diego City Schools Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) between 1993 and 2005. METHODS: High school students from the San Diego City School District completed the self-administered YRBS between 1993 and 2005. Among sexually active students, logistic regression for survey data was used to examine trends in health risk behaviors. RESULTS: From 1993 to 2005, condom use at last sexual intercourse was consistently lower among API students than their cross-ethnic peers. We observed a significant increasing trend in lifetime smoking, drinking, and marijuana use. Parental communications regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were significantly less frequent and decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings challenge the notion of API youth being the "model minority." API students face unique challenges, including barriers to good communication about sex and lower rates of condom use. School-based prevention programs are needed for API students, including a focus on HIV communication with parents. [source]

An overview of how sports, out-of-school time, and youth well-being can and do intersect

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, Issue 115 2007
Suzanne Le Menestrel
This article examines the benefits and disadvantages of participation in organized youth sports and describes a youth development approach to sports programming. The authors summarize what is known about the physical, socioemotional, and cognitive benefits of sports participation. These include health benefits (for example, a reduction in heart disease and diabetes) as well as socioemotional benefits, among them the coping skills of being able to bounce back from problems. The authors describe some of the disadvantages of participation as well. In particular, studies in this area have focused on health risk behaviors and engagement in problem behaviors. The authors present an innovative approach to youth sports and the advantages of implementing this approach using the emerging community youth development framework. Specific examples of youth sports programs are provided that use a positive youth development framework. [source]

Health Risk Behavior of Rural Low-Income Expectant Fathers

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2006
Kevin D. Everett
ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess expectant fathers' health risk behaviors and attitudes about pregnancy-related health issues. Pregnancy may be viewed as a teachable moment: a time when women are receptive to health advice and take action to improve their health and the health of their babies. Pregnancy may also be a teachable moment for expectant fathers, although men's behaviors are rarely considered as part of prenatal care or in associated research. Design: Cross-sectional prevalence study. Sample: Rural low-income expectant fathers (N=138) whose pregnant partners had enrolled in a Medicaid managed care health plan. Measurement: A telephone survey measuring five health risk behaviors, sociodemographic variables, and pregnancy- and behavior change-related attitudes. Results: Analyses found the following: 49.3% smoked cigarettes; 30.4% engaged in hazardous drinking in the past month; 27.5% had very low physical activity levels; 94.9% had at-risk fruit/vegetable intake; and 42% had weight-related health risk (25.4% met body mass index [BMI] criteria for obesity). Further, 47.9% of the men engaged in three or more of five assessed health risk behaviors. Conclusions: This sample of expectant fathers engages in high rates of health risk behaviors. Failure to address the health risk behavior of men during prenatal care represents a missed opportunity to improve paternal, maternal, and family health. [source]

Evaluating Content Validity and Test,Retest Reliability of the Children's Health Risk Behavior Scale

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2006
Susan K. Riesch
ABSTRACT Objectives: Describe the instrument development process and report the validity and reliability of the Children's Health Risk Behavior Scale (CHRBS), a scale designed to screen for health risk behaviors among youth aged 10,13 Years. Methods: Domain identification and item generation using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and testing relevance and test,retest reliability among a target audience sample of 77 fifth graders in their classrooms in two separate public school districts. Results: Youth performed their tasks as expert item reviewers effectively. Twenty-one items comprise the CHRBS with a reading level determined to be at the third grade. Conclusions: We have developed a reliable and valid measure to assess late elementary youth's participation in health risk behavior. [source]

Prenatal Risk Factors Among Foreign-Born Central American Women: A Comparative Study

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2000
F.N.P., Kathleen F Gaffney Ph.D.
The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of empirically established prenatal risk factors for low birthweight (LBW) outcomes among two groups of low-income mothers: foreign-born Central American women and nonimmigrant, non-Hispanic women. Two hundred ninety-six women who were part of a larger study of maternal role sufficiency were included in the present study: 127 Central American women and 169 nonimmigrant, non-Hispanic women who identified themselves as Black (n= 59) or White (n= 110). Data were collected by public health nurses (PHNs) during home visits and by research nurses in prenatal health department clinics. Comparisons were made between the two groups in areas of demographic characteristics, prenatal health behaviors, and prenatal stressful life-events. Foreign-born Central American mothers were found to be less educated, more likely to be living with their partners, less likely to engage in prenatal health risk behaviors, and less likely to identify stressors in their lives. The initiation of prenatal PHN services by the target group was similar to the comparison group. Their rate of LBW deliveries did not reflect the protective effect often attributed to foreign-born Hispanic mothers. Findings are discussed in light of the paradox of LBW and Hispanic heritage. Recommendations for practice, clinical research, and public policy are also addressed. [source]