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Munene, Edith

College of Education and Social Services

2008

Ed. D.

According to research on health risk behavior, there is a rising occurrence of risk behaviors during adolescence. Although there is a significant amount of research on health risk behaviors among adolescents, there is a scarcity of studies that focus on understanding the interrelationship of social ecological factors, multiple risk behavior attributes, and depressive symptoms among adolescents. Specifically, there is no Vermont adolescent population-based evidence that depressive symptoms and other biological, psychological and social determinants are linked in any direct or indirect manner. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine risk behaviors of Vermont's adolescents and the implications for their social and mental health. Data for this study were obtained from the 2007 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) which consists of 106 items addressing such factors as mental health, health and risk behaviors, personal safety concerns, family and peer relationships, and other protective factors. The survey was administered state-wide to (N= 28,918) students in grades 8 through 12 representing from 144 schools within Vermont's 60 supervisory unions. A principle components analysis was carried out to identify aggregations of items on the survey. Six main component factors emerged. A series of regression analysis with risk-scores as outcomes, and depressive symptoms, background and protective factors as predictors were undertaken to examine the relationship among risk factors, depressive symptoms and the social environment. Several significant interactions emerged among biological, psychological and social environmental influences and such demographic variables as ethnicity, age and gender. Implications from ihis study for professional practice and policy include the development of intervention strategies like structured time use (e.g. volunteering opportunities), family communication and community outreach related activities geared to reach adolescents to help boost their coping capabilities and also improve their overall functioning, health and well-being. Such support initiatives should be established because they can help prevent the development of possible adverse health risk related outcomes in adolescents who experience prolonged feelings of hopelessness / sadness.