Parents, Peers, and Health Risk Behavior In Adolescence

描述（由申请人提供）：参与健康风险行为在青春期尤为突出，这并不奇怪，因为这一时期（对于父母和青少年）面临着特殊的发展挑战。这项研究的主要目的是评估，随着时间的推移，青少年面临的关键发展挑战的谈判失败是如何驱使一些青少年与从事健康风险行为的同龄人交往的，反过来又推动他们自己参与此类行为。据推测，参与健康风险行为会使青少年面临身体健康问题的风险。几个中介和调节模型将被检查。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Involvement in health risk behaviors is particularly salient during adolescence, which is not surprising given the specific developmental challenges faced during this time (for parents and adolescents). The primary aim of this research will be to assess, over time, how failure to negotiate key developmental challenges faced by adolescents drive some adolescents to become involved with peers who engage in health risk behaviors, in turn driving their own involvement in such behavior. It is hypothesized that involvement in health risk behavior will put the adolescent at risk for physical health problems. Several mediating and moderating models will be examined. The study will be conducted using a large sample (N=200) of court-referred adolescents (ages 11-16), both youth and parent report will be used. Obtaining this sample will significantly add to the existing research, for they are often understudied, particularly with respect to health issues, and will add to the understanding of a high risk population. The proposed developmental approach to understanding adolescent health risk behaviors has the potential to inform scientific understanding regarding the nature of adolescent, family, and peer roles in determining level and outcome of adolescent health risk behaviors.