Table 2.
Proportion (%) engaging in risk behavior according to perceived social mobility.
| Risk behavior variables | Sample size (n) | Society mobility |
p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downward/no change | Upward | |||
| Currently smokes | 5166 | 17.33 | 16.82 | 0.628 |
| Excessive drinking (≥5 drinks) | 5189 | 8.19 | 6.28 | 0.008 |
| Problem drinksa | 1589 | 8.38 | 4.81 | 0.004 |
| Sexually active | 5189 | 21.05 | 20.47 | 0.604 |
| Used condom during last sexual intercourse | 808 | 48.42 | 57.44 | 0.011 |
| Had compensated sex | 1068 | 12.40 | 6.94 | 0.002 |
| Has been detained by police | 5167 | 9.21 | 6.87 | 0.002 |
| Fights (≥2) | 5189 | 25.15 | 21.25 | 0.001 |
| Junk food consumption (≥3) | 5189 | 24.81 | 21.21 | 0.002 |
| Soda consumption (≥3) | 5189 | 14.22 | 11.07 | 0.001 |
| Television watching (≥4 h) | 5189 | 44.18 | 37.25 | <0.0001 |
| Exercises | 5189 | 45.11 | 53.53 | <0.0001 |
Adolescents completed survey questions on risk behaviors and perceived social status (used to create the social mobility indicator) at the same time; all data is cross-sectional. Problem drinking, condom use, and compensated sex are filter questions on the adolescent survey and therefore have a fewer number of responses.
aProblem drinking refers to the adolescents who reported drinking alcohol, even if just occasionally, and who over the last 30 days had an occasion in which they failed to complete an activity, like going to school or work, as a result of their alcohol consumption (yes/no).