title: Health behaviors among adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Document the frequency of substance use and oral hygiene among adolescents and young adults with moderate to complex congenital heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Patients' knowledge of health behaviors, including substance use and oral hygiene, has been examined among patients with CHD, but patients' actual behavior has not been studied. Understanding patients' behavior is needed to inform interventions that enhance healthy lifestyles, and in turn encourage patients to better care for their own health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young adults (19 or 20 years old) and older adolescents (16-18 years old) with moderate or complex CHD (n = 328) reported their substance use (i.e., smoking, marijuana, alcohol, other illicit drugs) and oral hygiene. Rates of these health behaviors were contrasted with comparison samples of peers of the same age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Just over half of the young adults (54%) and over one-quarter of the adolescents (28%) reported significant substance use (i.e., smoking cigarettes on more than 2 days, using marijuana or other illicit drugs at least once, or binge drinking) during the previous 30 days. Rates of significant substance use among the patients with CHD were either comparable to, or lower than, rates in comparison samples of similar aged peers. Only about 15% of the patients with CHD had excellent oral hygiene (i.e., self-reported annual teeth cleaning by dentist, brushing and flossing daily); however, virtually all patients (>95%) brushed daily. Patients with CHD generally had comparable oral hygiene to comparison samples in previously published data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many older adolescents and young adults with CHD are engaging in behaviors that may compromise their health. The impact of substance use and poor dental hygiene warrants further investigation. Nevertheless, health behaviors should be routinely discussed in this population.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. greid@uwo.ca
authors: Graham J
authors: GJ
authors: Reid
authors: Gary D
authors: GD
authors: Webb
authors: Brian W
authors: BW
authors: McCrindle
authors: M Jane
authors: MJ
authors: Irvine
authors: Samuel C
authors: SC
authors: Siu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012107:Research Design; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires