A Four Year Longitudinal Follow-Up Study of Adolescent Health Characteristics and Behavioral Risk Indicators (Attitudes)
Adeyanju, Olusola Matthew
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/71068
Description
Title
A Four Year Longitudinal Follow-Up Study of Adolescent Health Characteristics and Behavioral Risk Indicators (Attitudes)
Author(s)
Adeyanju, Olusola Matthew
Issue Date
1986
Department of Study
Health and Safety Studies
Discipline
Health and Safety Studies
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Health Sciences, Education
Abstract
The main purpose of the current study (84/85) was to identify the precursors and determinants of the development and maintenance of behaviors in adolescents conducive to cardiovascular health. The study also focused on monitoring and tracking the previously classified (1981/82) "at-risk" students.
A sample of 935 high school students in Central Illinois, with baseline ages 14-16 was followed-up for four years (1981-85). Selected biomedical measures of blood pressure--(systolic and diastolic), triceps skinfold thickness, Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent ideal Body Weight (PIBW), anthropometric, socio-demographic, and self-reported behavior and attitudinal variables were assessed. Subjects were initially and currently identified as "potentially at-risk" if their biomedical measures equaled or exceeded the 75th percentile ranking for their age, sex and racial group. Analysis of data included the McNemar's statistical test of symmetry, chi-square, ANOVA, t-test, Pearson Moment Correlation, principal factor analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis.
Results indicated that a high proportion of the "at-risk" potential group had negative health behavioral characteristics--(smoking, exercise, diet and alcohol intake); although there was no statistically significant associations between the potentially health compromising behavior and "at-risk" characteristics of the adolescents. About 18% of the matched cases tracked in two or more risk indicators over the four years. Among the sex-race groups, white males and non-white females showed a higher tracking tendency in the "at-risk" category. About 15% of the sample were obese (i.e. both overweight and overfat) according to the criteria adopted for this study. Major predictors of blood pressure in this adolescent sample as determined by stepwise multiple regression analysis included BMI, pulse, PIBW, triceps skinfold, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress level, race, mother's and father's education and type of work done by both mother and father of the respondents.
The study identified "potential high risk group" of adolescents for future chronic diseases. Therefore, efforts should be directed to the adolescent years to prevent or retard the developmental stages of chronic disease most especially cardiovascular diseases. Programs that could modify lifestyle behavioral changes need to be developed for this age group.
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