The effect of social capital and socio-demographics on adolescent risk and sexual health behaviours.

Abstract: Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by heightened potential for risk-taking behaviours that have important implications for health and well-being. This study uses social capital to understand social influences on adolescent risk-taking in the Canadian context. Using data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), the paper contrasts the three most prominent interpretations of social capital by Bourdieu (1985, 1990), Coleman (1988, 1990), and Putnam (2000) in their association with multiple risk activities. Social capital indicators were significant predictors of risk behaviour among all adolescents; however, they were stronger predictors for males than females. Coleman's model, focusing on the family's role in social capital, had the strongest predictive power for males; whereas Putnam's model, focusing on social capital located in group and organizational membership, had the strongest predictive power for females. The findings support the conclusion that social capital is an important explanatory framework to consider when trying to understand adolescent risk behaviours.

Key words: Multiple risk activities, social capital, adolescents.

Introduction

Adolescence is a challenging developmental period characterized by experimentation, curiosity (Benda & Corwyn, 1998; Galambos & Tilton-Weaver, 1998) and uncertainty (Feldman & Elliott, 1990), making it a period of heightened potential for risk-taking. Consumption of health compromising substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other recreational drugs, as well as unprotected sexual activity that carries risk for unwanted pregnancy and infection, are among the risk-related activities taken up by many adolescents.

These risk behaviours among adolescents have been associated with social and economic costs, in both the short and long term, including accidents, violence, suicide, chronic or acute health conditions, truncated educational achievement and reduced employment opportunity, as well as direct financial burdens to health care and to other social services (Benda & Corwin, 1998; Galambos & Tilton-Weaver, 1998; Health Canada, 2001; MacDonald, 1984; Marcos & Bahr, 1988; Marcos, Bahr, & Johnson, 1986; Smith, 1984; Taub & Skinner, 1990; The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994). Research suggests that engaging in one form of risk behaviour may be correlated with an increased likelihood to engage in other risk behaviours (Dryfoos, 1991; Galambos & Tilton-Weaver, 1998), compounding the negative consequences. Little, however, is known about predictors of such multiple risk activities (Galambos & Tilton-Weaver, 1998).