title: Using path analysis to examine adolescent suicide attempts, life satisfaction, and health risk behavior.
abstract: This study determined if differences existed between four race/gender groups in regard to attempted suicide among a randomly selected, cross-sectional population of 4,565 public high school students in South Carolina. A modified Youth Risk Behavior Survey was designed to gather information on quality of life, life satisfaction, and six risk-behavior categories. Data first were analyzed using logistic regression analysis and subsequently analyzed using path analysis. Results suggest several independent variables (feelings of intimidation, alcohol and cocaine use, self-perceptions of mental health, self-perceptions of body weight, dieting practices, bulimic episodes, and physical and sexual abuse) were associated significantly (p < .01) with adolescent attempted suicide either directly or indirectly through mediating variables. Significant associations among risk behaviors, mediating variables, and self-reported attempted suicide varied across the four race/gender groups, indicating a need to further study differences noticed in each race/gender scheme.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA. greg_thatcher@hotmail.com
authors.forename: W Gregory
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Thatcher
authors.forename: Belinda M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Reininger
authors.forename: J Wanzer
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Drane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013022:South Carolina; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*