|
KMID : 0858820050220040137
|
|
Journal of Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion
2005 Volume.22 No. 4 p.137 ~ p.154
|
|
|
The Protective Effects of Development Assets on Health Risk Behaviors among Korean Adolescents
|
|
Lee Myoung-Soon
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Objectives: This study aims to examine the positive effects of developmental assets on the prevention of health risk behaviors among Korean adolescents. The framework of developmental assets was introduced as building blocks for healthy child and adolescent development by Benson and his colleagues. These assets represent positive external environmental factors and internal personal qualities which strongly influence the quality of life of adolescents.
Methods: In 2001, we administered self-reported questionnaires to 3,739 girls and boys in grade 9 at eight schools in two cities, Chinju and Suwon in South Korea. The data was compiled into a ’’Korean Youth Health Related Behaviors and Developmental Assets Survey’’ and then analyzed Youth health risk behaviors, which we measured in terms of their frequency, included tobacco, alcohol, and substance use, sexual intercourse, anti-social behaviors, violence, feelings of social isolation at school, depression or attempted suicide, absenteeism from school, gambling.
Results: Overall, with respect to developmental assets, the Korean adolescents surveyed only 12.6 of the 40 assets, and 88 percent of adolescents had 20 or fewer of the assets. Based on their number of developmental assets(DA), adolescents were categorized into four groups: Group I(DA 0-10): Group II(DA 11-20): Group III(DA 21-30): Group IV(DA 31-40). We examined the differences in the frequency of each health risk behavior across the four groups, Group I-IV, and found that the frequency of most health risk behaviors decreased as the number of developmental assets increased.
Conclusion: We therefore concluded that in order to make effective approaches for the prevention of health risk behaviors among adolescents, we should consider and develop more comprehensive and adolescents-based policy and programs to promote various aspects of adolescents’’ health and quality of life.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Developmental Assets, Protective Effects, Health Risk Behaviors Prevention, Korean Adolescents
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|