Risk behaviors in adolescents related health school of rural area

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20153903269278

Abstract

Health risk behaviors are often started in childhood and adolescence and represent a major risk to development non-
communicable chronic diseases. The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of health risk behaviors in adolescent
students in rural high schools in southern of Rio Grande do Sul. The sample consisted of all teenagers who had brought
the parents or guardians permission to participate in the study and where attending school in the public schools of rural
zone of Pelotas, covered by the 5th Regional Education Coordinator (CRE).The teenagers answered a questionnaire with
demographic questions (gender, age, ethnicity), socioeconomic (schooling, economic level) and risk behaviors (smoking,
alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, exposure to violence, sex without condom use and low fruit / vegetables intake).
Study participants were 510 students between 13 and 19 years old enrolled in 10 rural schools. Risk behaviors with the
highest prevalence in both sexes, were alcohol abuse (69.9%), physical inactivity (46.7%) and low consumption of fruit or
vegetables (54.9%). Obese adolescents have mentioned engaging in fights, about four times more than those considered in
the ideal weight. The conclusion was that the prevalence of health risk behaviors among rural adolescents was high. Although
there are few data from studies in rural areas, those presented in this article are to structure health intervention programs.