Vanphanom Sychareun|Sarah Thomsen|Elisabeth Faxelid
Concurrent multiple health risk behaviors among adolescents in Luangnamtha province, Lao PDR
University of Health Sciences Vientiane|Karolinska Institutet
multiple health risk behaviors hrbs among adolescents pose threat health including hivaids health risk behaviors alcohol use smoking substance use sexual risk behaviors among youth shown cooccur others objectives study estimate prevalence single concurrent health risk behaviors explore health risk behavior associated sociodemographic factors peers behaviors cross sectional design used examine health risk behaviors adolescents age 14 19 years living luangnamtha province lao pdr study conducted june august 2008 ordinal logistic regression model simultaneously explored demographic factors influence behavior peers three categories multiple hrbs risk one risk two health risk behaviors performed total 1360 respondents 669 491 boys mean age 167 16 699 509 girls aged 161 15 recruited study majority reported two fewer risk behaviors however multiple risk behaviors increased age sexes 468 n 637 reported risk 393 percent n 535 reported one risk 81 percent n 110 reported two risks 58 percent reported two health risk behaviors protective factors among boys school attendance 53 ci 3386 hmong yao ethnicity 48 ci2690 age 15 220 95 ci 133360 akha ethnicity 220 95 ci 104461 peers smoking 311 95 ci 2146 peers drinking alcohol 188 95 ci 11321 significantly associated presence multiple risk behaviors among boys education 017 95 ci 006045 hmong yao ethnicity 038 95 ci 018080 factors protected girls multiple risk behaviors peers drinking alcohol 255 95 ci 159409 peers sexually active 282 95 ci 16548 significantly associated presence multiple risk behaviors among girls sex age ethnic differences concurrent health risk behaviors influencing factors adolescents education peer influence interventions focus encourage adolescents complete compulsory primary education well help establish friendships follow peers good behavior risk reduction messages need take account diverse multiple hrbs within specific sociocultural gender specific context target vulnerable adolescents ethnic minorities less educated adolescents