ADOLESCENT RISK TAKING BEHAVIORS: THE CASE OF GEORGIA.

A Unified Theory of Behavior (UTB) was used to answer the main questions: (1) Is a person's intention to perform a behavior is a strong predictor of his/her risk behavior? (2) Which factors are the most influential that affect adolescent risk behaviors, such as tobacco smoking, drug and alcohol abuse? In order to understand these risk behaviors survey data were collected from the 9th and 11th graders of the biggest secondary public schools of Georgia by using self-administered questionnaires (958 respondents). The major classes of variables that are most highly correlated with behavioral intentions and behavior were identified. Based on the obtained data effective intervention model was designed for each risk behavior. These models underline the factors that show the most promise for producing behavior change among the Georgian youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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