Adolescents' Health Deviant Behavior in Modern Society

Aims: Health deviant behavior of many of today's youth is a serious problem for modern society. The present study aimed to examine the causes and consequences of health deviant behavior and identify the main strategies to overcome this problem. Participants & Methods: This study is mixed research (qualitative and quantitative) conducted on 21 May 2021 in a group of students aged 16 to 18 years with health deviant behaviors. So, the purposive sampling method was used to select subjects (N=142). A researcher-made questionnaire was used, and students were asked to answer the questionnaire anonymously, enabling more honest responses. The collected data in the quantitative part of the research were analyzed using the SPSS 22 software using the Pearson correlation test. Findings: There was a significant positive correlation between health deviant behavior and vulnerability to the negative peer influence (r=0.69; p<0.01). Relatively weak and negative correlations were found between self-esteem and health deviant behavior (r=-0.13; p<0.001) and between vulnerability to the negative peer influence and self-esteem (r=-0.16; p<0.001). Conclusion: The main reasons for health deviant behavior appear to be biological, psychological, and social. Psychological reasons lie in temperament and accentuations and the interaction of the teenager with society, family, and school. Thus, the reasons for health deviant behavior can be reduced to the characteristics of the individual, the conditions of the social environment, education, upbringing, and social activity.

Adolescents' Health Deviant Behavior in Modern Society Keywords:

Behaviour , Peer Influence , Students , Adolescent