Risk Behaviours in Adolescence: Prediction Cognitive and Psychosocial

Abstract

This investigation's main goal was to determine if some psychosocial (self-concept, control locus, assertiveness and satisfaction towards social support) and cognitive variables (health beliefs and attitudes towards health) were associated to health related behaviours. The sample was constituted by 829 teenagers, 382 male and 447 female, whose average age is 14.66 years old, who attended the 9^th grade of the public and daily schools in the district of Viseu, Portugal.

Results:

1. 1. Study on the association between health and risk behaviours and psychosocial variables: The better the self-concept, the better the behaviours; The higher the satisfaction with social support, the better the behaviours; The higher the assertiveness, the better the behaviours; The association between control locus and healthy and risk behaviours is not significant.

2. 2. Study on the association between health and risk behaviours and cognitive variables: The more favourable the attitudes towards health, the better the behaviours; The more adequate the health beliefs, the better the behaviours.

3. 3. Study on the psychosocial variables interaction effects with cognitive variables in health and risk behaviour prediction: The interaction variable was revealed as the best health and risk behaviour predictor is the variable resulting from Factor 1 - behavioural aspect (Self-Concept) and Factor 4 - preventive attitude (Attitudes Towards Health) interaction, with a determination coefficient (R²) of .409. The patterned coefficient analysis Beta (beta=.427) indicates that the higher this interaction effect (F₁ - behavioural aspect * F₄ - preventive attitude) the better the behaviours.