Abstract

SIMOES, Celeste; MATOS, Margarida Gaspar de  and  BATISTA-FOGUET, Joan. Substance use in adolescence: a model. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2006, vol.7, n.2, pp.147-164. ISSN 1645-0086.

Adolescence is generally considered as a period of health, given the lesser vulnerability of young people to illness. However, adolescence is also a critical period in health chronology. Many of the choices with impact in health that last for long time are made in this period of life. Between these choices are the risk behaviours, as it is, for example, the case of the substance use, which is associated to some symptoms of maladjustment. In order to analyse the factors involved in the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit dugs between adolescents, we develop an explanatory model. The data used in the model analysis are part of a cross-national research study conducted in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children, by the "Social Adventure" team from the Faculty of Human Kinetics (n=12881). The results showed that risk behaviors are determined by several factors, and the social factors seem to be mediated by personal factors.

Keywords : Adolescence; Substance use; Prevention; Protection; Risk.

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