Psychology Department, Loyola University Chicago.
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center.
Health Psychol. 2014 Oct;33(10):1153-63. doi: 10.1037/hea0000050. Epub 2014 Feb 3.
To understand the rates of normative and risky health behaviors and the influence of prior and current social adjustment on health risk behaviors in emerging adults with spina bifida (SB).
These data are part of a larger longitudinal study of youth with SB; at ages 18-19, 50 emerging adults with SB and 60 typically developing (TD) youth participated. Social adjustment was measured at ages 12/13, 14/15, 16/17, and 18/19. Substance use and sexual activity were self-reported by emerging adults.
The SB group reported similar frequencies (i.e., number of days in the previous month) of cigarette and marijuana use. Fewer individuals with SB reported initiation of both alcohol use (i.e., ever used) and sexual activity (i.e., ever had sex) compared to TD peers. The SB group also reported less frequent alcohol use and fewer sexual partners. Better social adjustment during early adolescence (ages 12/13) predicted more frequent alcohol use and a greater number of sexual partners for all youth. Social adjustment also mediated the effect of group status on health risk behaviors.
Emerging adults with SB lag behind TD peers in terms of normative initiation of alcohol use and sexual activity. However, this population participates in some risky health behaviors at similar rates compared to their TD peers (e.g., smoking). Youths' health risk behaviors may be influenced by their level of social adjustment. A challenge for future interventions for this population will be finding methods of improving social functioning without increasing the rate of health risk behavior.
了解脊柱裂（SB）青少年正常和危险健康行为的发生率，以及既往和当前社会适应对健康风险行为的影响。
这些数据是对 SB 青少年进行的一项更大规模纵向研究的一部分；在 18-19 岁时，50 名 SB 青少年和 60 名典型发育（TD）青少年参与了研究。社会适应在 12/13、14/15、16/17 和 18/19 岁时进行测量。青少年自己报告了药物使用和性行为情况。
SB 组报告的吸烟和大麻使用频率相似（即上个月的天数）。与 TD 同龄人相比，较少的 SB 患者报告开始使用酒精和性行为（即曾经使用过）。SB 组也报告了较少的酒精使用和较少的性伴侣。青少年早期（12/13 岁）更好的社会适应预测了所有青少年更频繁的饮酒和更多的性伴侣。社会适应也调节了群体地位对健康风险行为的影响。
与 TD 同龄人相比，SB 青少年在正常开始使用酒精和性行为方面滞后。然而，与他们的 TD 同龄人相比，该人群参与某些危险健康行为的比率相似（例如吸烟）。青少年的健康风险行为可能受到其社会适应水平的影响。未来对该人群的干预措施的一个挑战将是找到改善社交功能而不增加健康风险行为发生率的方法。
