Journal of Education and Health Promotion

The association of high‑risk behaviors and their relationship with identity styles in adolescents

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Ali Zabihi
. Seyedeh Roghayeh Jafarian Amiri 1
. Seyed Reza Hosseini 2
. Valiollah Padehban 1

1 Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol

2 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adolescence is considered an important stage in the onset of high‑risk behaviors.
Identity styles have significant pathological effects in various aspects of high‑risk behaviors. The
present study was conducted aiming at investigating the association between high‑risk behaviors
and identity styles in adolescents.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross‑sectional research studied 384 girls and boys
studying in the second grade of High School in Babol in 2018. Data collection was done through a
demographic questionnaire, Mohammadkhani’s Risky Behaviour Questionnaire, and Berzonsky’s
Identity Style Inventory. Data analysis was performed using Chi‑square test, Pearson’s correlation
coefficient, and linear regression analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: The mean age of adolescents was 17.21 ± 48.4 years (aged 16–19 years).
Aggression (23.4%), relationship with the opposite gender (14.5%), smoking cigarettes and
hookah (10.9%), consuming alcohol (9.3%), suicidal thoughts and attempts (5.7%), running away from
home (3.9%), and consuming psychotropic substances (1.8%) were among the most common high‑risk
behaviors observed in the adolescents. The scores of high‑risk behaviors were negatively correlated
with the identity scores of informational style (4.56 ± 3.107), normative style (4.45 ± 2.581), and
identity commitment style (4.15 ± 2.245) and positively correlated with the scores of diffuse‑avoidant
style (4.15 ± 3.089). Regression analysis showed that only the informational style had a negative
and significant correlation with high‑risk behaviors.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed significant prevalence of high‑risk behaviors and its
relationship with identity styles in adolescents, which requires regular and planned health education
intervention at schools.

Keywords

Adolescents
high‑risk behaviors
identity styles
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 9, Issue 8
August 2019
Pages 1-7

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