title: Risky behaviours of Jamaican adolescents with sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the risky behaviours of Jamaican teens with sickle cell disease (SCD) and compare them to a national sample of Jamaican youth.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty two SCD adolescents, 15-19 years old, completed the standardized questionnaire used in the Jamaican Youth Risk and Resiliency Behaviour Survey (JYRRBS), which was a nationally representative survey of 1317 Jamaican youths. Information was obtained on socio-demographics, smoking, alcohol use, and sexual activity. Secondary data from the JYRRBS were extracted to measure the difference in risky behaviours between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost 50% of SCD and 58% of national teens reported having had sexual intercourse. More SCD teens used alcohol (77.7% vs. 60.7%; P value = 0.001). Risky behaviours tended to coexist and living with a parent (odds ratio: 0.62, P value <0.01) and currently attending school (odds ratio: 0.43, P value <0.001) lowered the likelihood of having had sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCD teens engage in many risky behaviours and health care professionals should screen and counsel them at each visit.
authors.forename: Monika R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Asnani
authors.forename: Komal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhatt
authors.forename: Novie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Younger
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Georgiana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gordon-Strachan
authors.forename: Marvin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; Chronic illness; Jamaica; Risk behaviours; Sickle cell disease