Table 3.
Univariate and multivariate analyses on the association between loneliness and health risk behaviours among U.S. adolescents
| |
|
Girls |
Boys |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
|
Model 1 |
Model 2 |
Model 3 |
Model 1 |
Model 2 |
Model 3 |
| Health risk behaviours (outcome) | I felt lonely ¤ | OR (95% CI) | adj. OR (95% CI) † | adj. OR (95% CI) ǂ | OR (95% CI) | adj. OR (95% CI) † | adj. OR (95% CI) ǂ |
|
Substance use |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Smoking (past 30 days) |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
2.56 (1.49–4.38)b |
2.56 (1.47–4.44)b |
1.86 (0.88–3.94) |
1.11 (0.34–3.61) |
0.96 (0.29–3.22) |
0.72 (0.17–2.97) |
| Lifetime marijuana use |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
2.11 (1.48–3.02)c |
2.08 (1.41–3.06)c |
1.79 (1.26–2.55)b |
1.96 (0.97–3.96) |
1.68 (0.83–3.42) |
1.17 (0.48–2.87) |
| Lifetime other illicit drug use§ |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
3.00 (1.66–5.41)c |
3.03 (1.69–5.42)c |
1.72 (0.97–3.07) |
4.44 (2.27–8.69)c |
4.30 (2.37–7.82)c |
3.09 (1.41–6.77)b |
| Alcohol consumption¶ (past 30 days) |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
2.71 (1.83–4.01)c |
2.68 (1.75–4.09)c |
1.80 (1.18–2.75)b |
2.08 (1.20–3.59)b |
1.83 (1.03–3.25)a |
0.87 (0.40–1.87) |
| Binge drinking# (past 30 days) |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
3.60 (2.21–5.85)c |
3.57 (2.14–5.96)c |
2.40 (1.56–3.70)c |
2.60 (1.16–5.83)a |
2.22 (1.01–4.87)a |
1.05 (0.36–3.07) |
|
Sexual behaviour |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lifetime sex |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
1.79 (1.14–2.82)a |
1.77 (1.11–2.84)a |
1.29 (0.76–2.19) |
1.41 (0.89–2.24) |
1.25 (0.75–2.11) |
1.13 (0.61–2.10) |
| Last sex alcohol or drug use$ |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
6.24 (1.62–23.99)b |
6.22 (1.54–25.08)a |
4.21 (0.80–22.22) |
2.44 (0.53–11.22) |
1.97 (0.42–9.20) |
2.49 (0.31–20.21) |
| Last sex non-condom use$,* |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
2.87 (0.90–9.21) |
2.67 (0.83–8.56) |
2.74 (0.80–9.41) |
0.92 (0.36–2.38) |
1.00 (0.38–2.59) |
0.77 (0.24–2.48) |
| Got someone pregnant/been pregnant* |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
2.96 (0.66–13.37) |
3.02 (0.69–13.25) |
1.57 (0.31–8.05) |
1.87 (0.72–4.82) |
1.74 (0.70–4.37) |
0.66 (0.18–2.38) |
|
Violence (past year) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Started a fistfight or shoving match |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
1.26 (0.90–1.76) |
1.23 (0.89–1.71) |
0.84 (0.59–1.20) |
1.36 (0.84–2.19) |
1.30 (0.81–2.08) |
0.89 (0.50–1.57) |
| Hurt someone badly in a physical fight |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| |
Yes |
1.76 (1.26–2.45)b |
1.77 (1.27–2.49)b |
1.24 (0.76–2.01) |
1.92 (0.85–4.35) |
1.69 (0.72–3.98) |
1.25 (0.48–3.25) |
| Carried a blade, knife, or gun in school |
No |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
| Yes | 1.65 (0.93–2.91) | 1.59 (0.89–2.85) | 0.99 (0.50–1.95) | 1.85 (0.98–3.51) | 1.68 (0.78–3.63) | 0.81 (0.31–2.07) | |
¤In response to the statement ‘I felt lonely (in the past 30 days)’, ‘Not true’ and ‘Somewhat true’ were used as the reference category (No) while ‘Certainly true’ was taken as signifying feeling lonely (Yes).
†Adjusted for age, family structure, and parental education.
ǂAdjusted for age, family structure, parental education, and depressive symptoms.
§Illicit drug use includes huffing to get high (glue, aerosols), amphetamines, ecstasy or dust, LSD (Acid) or PCP.
¶Alcohol consumption was based on the consumption of either beer, wine or hard liquor.
#Binge drinking referred to drinking at least five drinks of alcohol in a row on at least one day.
$Restricted to those who ever had sex.
*Age categories of 14 and 15 years among girls were collapsed for adjustment due to the small number of events in the oldest category.
aP < 0.05, bP < 0.01, cP < 0.001.