title: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of secondary-school pupils in Oman: I. health-compromising behaviours.
abstract: We investigated the practice of some of health-compromising behaviours among Omani adolescents and their correlates in a nationally representative secondary school-based sample of 1670 boys and 1675 girls. The mean age of the sample was 17.13 (SD 1.35) years. Through a self-administrated questionnaire the adolescents were asked about 6 risky behaviours: current smoking, ever use of alcohol, succumbing to peer pressure to take illicit drugs, driving without a licence, speeding while driving and being involved in a physical fight in the month prior to the survey. Demographic and psychosocial variables related to their risk behaviours were also assessed. The results indicated that 4.6 % were current smokers, 4.3% had drunk alcohol and 4.6% had taken drugs. About 20% had been involved in a physical fight in the month prior to the survey, 33.4% drove without a licence and 33.9% liked to speed. Male sex and low self-esteem were the strongest predictors of risky behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Jaffer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afifi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al Ajmi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alouhaishi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009850:Oman; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology