Jacob T Borodovsky1, Robert F Krueger2, Arpana Agrawal3, Basant Elbanna3, Margaretha de Looze4, Richard A Grucza5. 1. Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire. Electronic address: jacob.borodovsky@dartmouth.edu. 2. Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 3. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri. 4. Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. 5. Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study examined whether national trends in unstructured in-person socializing with peers (i.e., socializing without goals or supervision) among adolescents could help explain recent declines in adolescent risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, fighting, theft). METHODS: The sample contained of 44,842 U.S. 12th-grade students (aged 17-18 years) from the Monitoring the Future survey (years 1999-2017). Analyses examined (1) prevalence trends, (2) latent factor structure of risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing, and (3) whether trends in the unstructured in-person socializing factor accounted for the relationship between time (i.e., survey year) and the risk behavior factor. RESULTS: Adolescent risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing declined by approximately 30% in the U.S., and both formed coherent latent factors. After adjusting for sociodemographics, declines in unstructured in-person socializing accounted for approximately 86% of declines in risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing behaviors declined among U.S. 12th graders from 1999 to 2017. It is unknown whether such effects are directly causal and/or influenced by unmeasured variables. However, the results provide evidence that national declines in unstructured in-person socializing are a likely component of the explanation for national declines in adolescent risk behaviors.
PURPOSE: This study examined whether national trends in unstructured in-person socializing with peers (i.e., socializing without goals or supervision) among adolescents could help explain recent declines in adolescent risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, fighting, theft). METHODS: The sample contained of 44,842 U.S. 12th-grade students (aged 17-18 years) from the Monitoring the Future survey (years 1999-2017). Analyses examined (1) prevalence trends, (2) latent factor structure of risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing, and (3) whether trends in the unstructured in-person socializing factor accounted for the relationship between time (i.e., survey year) and the risk behavior factor. RESULTS: Adolescent risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing declined by approximately 30% in the U.S., and both formed coherent latent factors. After adjusting for sociodemographics, declines in unstructured in-person socializing accounted for approximately 86% of declines in risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of risk behaviors and unstructured in-person socializing behaviors declined among U.S. 12th graders from 1999 to 2017. It is unknown whether such effects are directly causal and/or influenced by unmeasured variables. However, the results provide evidence that national declines in unstructured in-person socializing are a likely component of the explanation for national declines in adolescent risk behaviors.
Authors: Margaretha de Looze; Quinten Raaijmakers; Tom Ter Bogt; Pernille Bendtsen; Tilda Farhat; Mafalda Ferreira; Emmanuelle Godeau; Emmanuel Kuntsche; Michal Molcho; Timo-Kolja Pförtner; Bruce Simons-Morton; Alessio Vieno; Wilma Vollebergh; William Pickett Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2015-04 Impact factor: 3.367
Authors: Margaretha de Looze; Tom F M Ter Bogt; Quinten A W Raaijmakers; William Pickett; Emmanuel Kuntsche; Wilma A M Vollebergh Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2014-06-25 Impact factor: 3.367