Family structure and risk behaviors in Greek adolescents: a short report.

Changes in family structure may have negative outcomes on the well-being of adolescents. A sample of 500 students completed a self-report questionnaire on their family structure, housing status, and risk behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, substance abuse, and violence during their adolescence. We present the results of a study regarding the burden of adolescent risk behaviors in relation to family structure in Greece. 16.6% reported that their parents were divorced and they lived in a single-parent family. 42% of the respondents reported smoking during their adolescence. The prevalence rate of regular drinking was slightly higher for adolescents who had experienced family breakup compared to those who lived in an intact family, 24.4% and 22.7% respectively. 63.4% of the participants who had experienced family violence were extremely violent in school. There is a need for effective prevention programs in Greece in order to reduce the burden of adolescent health-risk behaviors and the associated cost for their parents and our society.