The influence of socioenvironmental risk factors on risk-taking behaviors among Bahamian adolescents: a structural equation modeling analysis

Figures & data

Figure 1. Hypothesized model of social environmental factors and adolescent risk behaviors.

Hypothesized SEM where parental monitoring and environmental risk have a reciprocal relationship and directly affect adolescents’ behavioral intentions and risk behaviors of delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk. Behavioral intentions also have a direct effect of risk behaviors.

Table 1. Proportion of adolescents involved in delinquent, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors in Grade 6.

	Total	Males	Females	χ^2	P
Sample (n)	2205	1091	1114
Delinquent Behaviors
1. Was truant	14.0%	16.0%	12.0%	7.05	0.0079
2. Carried a knife/screwdriver	4.3%	6.9%	1.7%	36.36	<.0001
3. Carried a gun	2.8%	4.8%	0.7%	34.23	<.0001
4. Engaged in a fight	54.3%	65.2%	43.7%	103.03	<.0001
5. Involved in stealing/burglarizing	4.5%	7.2%	2.0%	33.62	<.0001
Substance Use Behaviors
6. Smoked cigarets	4.0%	6.4%	1.7%	30.47	<.0001
7. Drank alcohol	21.7%	27.8%	15.7%	46.84	<.0001
8. Used Marijuana	1.7%	2.5%	0.9%	8.56	0.0034
Sexual Behaviors
9. Ever had sex	7.0%	10.8%	3.2%	48.44	<.0001
10. Had sex in last 6 months	4.4%	7.4%	1.6%	42.78	<.0001
11. Risked pregnancy	1.8%	2.7%	0.9%	9.93	0.0016

Table 2. Spearman correlation coefficients between age, parental monitoring, environmental risk, behavioral intentions, and adolescent risk behaviors (n = 2205).

Variables	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Mean	SD
1. Age	1.00							10.50	1.53
2. Parental monitoring	−0.09^a	1.00						4.05	0.78
3. Environmental risk	0.07^a	−0.27^a	1.00					2.04	0.31
4. Behavioral intentions	0.11^a	−0.34^a	0.28^a	1.00				1.58	0.64
5. Delinquent behaviors	0.18^a	−0.34^a	0.32^a	0.38^a	1.00			0.78	0.85
6. Substance use	0.10^a	−0.24^a	0.29^a	0.39^a	0.37^a	1.00		0.27	0.54
7. Sexual risk	0.11^a	−0.19^a	0.17^a	0.28^a	0.26^a	0.26^a	1.00	0.13	0.45

^aP < 0.001.

SD = standard deviation.

Figure 2. The relationships between parental monitoring, environmental risk, behavioral intentions, and adolescent risk behaviors. R² = 0.57. ^cP < 0.001.

The final SEM where Parental monitoring, and students’ age have reciprocal relationships and directly affect adolescents’ behavioral intentions and risk behaviors of delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk. Behavioral intentions also have a direct effect of risk behaviors. All relationships are statistically significant.