The impact of Health Risk Perception on Health Risk Behavior in Middle and High School Students

중고등학생의 건강위험지각이 건강위험행위에 미치는 영향

Adolescence is vulnerable to various Health Risk Behaviors (HRB). These behaviors can affect his remaining life as well as adolescence, thus prevention of HRB is a critical issue in health education. This study is aimed to provide basic information for prevention of HRB. Thus, this study was conducted to analyze the impact of peer group's health risk behaviors on health risk perception (HRP) and that of health risk perception on health risk behaviors based on 832 respondents. The 852 subjects were selected in six middle and high schools in Seoul through random sampling. Data were collected from September, 18-October, 21, 1998, and the 832 data were analyzed after excluding the 20 incomplete and inaccurate data. Questionnaire items and measures are based on an instrument to measure Perceived Health Risk Perception, which Hodge B.C. developed in 1992. Cronbach alpha is used to test the reliability. The reliability of HRP and HRB is 0.9473, 0.8768 in this study, Statistical analysis divided into four phases. First, the impact of socio-demographic characteristics on HRP is analyzed by oneway ANOV A. Male students have lower HRP than female students. As grade goes up, HRP is getting lower. Perceived higher concern of parents and HRP are correlated. And the experience of school health education and HRP are correlated. Second, the impact of peer group's HRB on the HRP is analyzed by linear regression. Peer group's HRB and HRP are negatively correlated, Third, the impact of HRP on HRB is analyzed by linear regression. There is a correlation between high HRP and low HRB. Fourth, Powerful impact factors on HRB are analyzed by stepwise multiple regression. Grade, gender, peer group's HRB, and related HRP is entered as independent variables. Because of correlation between entered variables, three interaction variables between grade, gender, peer group's HRB and related HRP also entered, In general, peer group's HRB is the most accountable factor to HRB. And Interaction variable between HRP and peer group's HRB and HRB are negatively correlated. These results indicate that HRP may reduce the impact of peer group's HRB on HRB. Some recommendations are as follows: First, health educational programs suitable for gender and grade are required. Second, a systematic cooperation between school and home is necessary for effective prevention of HRB. Third, the educational effect for decreasing HRB by increasing HRP is statistically assisted. However, peer group has much stronger impact on HRB than subjective HRP, thus special consideration and management are necessary for peer group which does HRB more frequently.