Health, risk-taking behavior and sexuality in Swedish adolescents

Health, risk-taking behavior and sexuality in Swedish adolescents

Titel: Health, risk-taking behavior and sexuality in Swedish adolescents
Författare Lars I Holmberg
Klinik-inst-enhet: Institutionen för kvinnor och barns hälsa
Sjukhus/Universitet: Uppsala universitet
e-post:  
Disputationsdatum: 2007-03-30
Huvudhandledare: Professor Claes Sundelin, Uppsala
Opponent: Doc Erik Bergström, Umeå

Sammanfattning/ Abstract

The overall aims of this thesis were to develop methods of identifying adolescents with unhealthy and/or risk-taking behavior with special reference to sexuality and to evaluate and suggest support measures for young people in need of these. The aim was also to assess and suggest strategies aimed at preventing unhealthy and/or risk-taking behavior. Data were obtained by questionnaires (studies I, III, IV and V), and by interviews (study II).

Young men involved in unintended pregnancies would benefit from active participation in the decision making regarding continuation or termination of the pregnancy, and from support at Outpatient Clinics for Adolescents in Sweden, including information together with the partner (I).

Consideration should also be paid to those questions and problems, e.g. feelings, apprehensions, moral questions, and psychosocial factors, that require individual support from personnel who have the knowledge and resources to help them in this difficult situation (II).

Among the most important findings regarding young men who had been involved in an unplanned pregnancy were that in this group a high percentage had previously considered suicide and that anabolic steroids were frequently used, compared with young men without experience of pregnancy (III).

The finding that un-protected intercourse occurred in a fairly high frequency among 13- to 18-year-olds, despite massive education and easy access to contraceptives, gives reason for further considerations regarding appropriate ways of providing information to young people (IV).

Girls and boys in vocational programs in Swedish high schools exhibit a large number of risk-taking behaviors, as compared to those in theoretical programs, including differences in clustering and accumulation of these behaviors. This means that preventive interventional strategies need to be elaborated with regard to these differences, aimed at improving health maintenance among adolescents (V).

Child-and-youth centers with a developmental and research capacity need to be established with the broad purpose of drawing up health prevention programs for children and young people.


access_time 2014-05-18 12:04:37