title: Health risk behaviors among college youths: a cross-cultural comparison.
abstract: The present study examined the frequency of smoking, seatbelt use, and vehicular speeding among American and Jordanian college students, and assessed the relationship between these risk behaviors and gender, socioeconomic status, and religiosity. Significantly more Jordanian students were smokers. Jordanian students were less likely than American students to buckle up, but American students were more likely to engage in vehicular speeding. Female students, especially among Jordanians, were less likely than male students to engage in risky behaviors. Among Jordanian participants, smoking and passenger seatbelt use were positively associated with indices of socioeconomic status, and smoking was negatively associated with religiosity.
authors.affiliation: Middle East Technical University-Northern Cyprus Campus, Kalkanli-Guzelyurt, Mersin, Turkey. ymkhallad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yacoub
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Khallad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult