Social association membership and risky behaviours among adolescents in South Africa
Date
2016
Authors
Muloiwa, Takalani
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Abstract
Background: Risky behaviours are notably the most important factors contributing to
negative health outcomes among adolescents. A number of diseases and deaths have been
linked to risky and harmful behaviours. Research has shown that being involved in one risky
behaviour increases the likelihood of involvement in additional risky behaviours.
Adolescents have been identified at the centre of sustainable development, particularly in
achieving goals related to bringing poverty to an end, promoting health and well-being,
attaining equitable and quality primary and secondary education as well as achieving
inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Objectives: The objective of this study was firstly to examine the levels of social association
membership and risky behaviour among adolescents. Secondly, to identify the
determinants of risky behaviour among South African adolescents and lastly, to examine the
relationship between social association membership and risky behaviour among
adolescents.
Methods: Data were drawn from the South African Youth Life Style Survey of 2008. A
sample of 3335 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years was analysed. Four binary and one
multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted. The four binary dependent
variables were for risky sexual behaviours, risky substance use behaviours, other risky
behaviours and engaging in at least one type of behaviour. For each of these binary
dependent variables the response category was yes or no. The dependent variable for the
multinomial logistic regression model was any adolescent risky behaviour which was
categorised as; no behaviour, any one category of behaviour, any two categories of
behaviour and all three categories of behaviour. The key independent variables were firstly
an index variable generated by merging all the different social associations into one variable
that had the response yes or no to being a member of any social association. There were
also five key independent variables that were the individual social associations namely;
sports, religious groups, choir, drama and other associations.
Results: The two most common social associations that adolescents engaged in were sports
groups (515 per 1000 adolescents) and religious groups (342 per 1000 adolescents). Risky
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behaviours with the highest number adolescents engaging in them were driving without a
seatbelt (32%), consuming alcohol (32%), being a passenger in a car driven by someone
under the influence of alcohol (28%), tobacco use (21%) and lack of condom use (9%).
Adolescents who were not members of social associations were found to have decreased
the risk of engaging in one, two and all three categories of risky behaviours. Not being a
member of religious groups increased the risk of engaging in one, two and all three
categories of risky behaviour. Adolescents who were not members of sports groups were
found to have lower risks of engaging in one, two and all three categories of risky behaviour,
as well as decreased odds of engaging in at least one type of risky behaviour.
Conclusion: The study found that there was a statistically significant relationship between
social association membership and risky behaviours among adolescents in South Africa.
More particularly, religious associations were found to be protective factors to risky
behaviours and sports, drama and other associations were found to be platforms that could
potentially increase the likelihood of risky behaviour among adolescents.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences,
University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts in the field of Demography and Population Studies, 2016
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Citation
Muloiwa, Takalani (2016) Social association membership and risky behaviours among adolescents in South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22808>