title: Does Parental Divorce Increase Risk Behaviors among 15/16 and 18/19 year-old Adolescents? A Study from Oslo, Norway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have reported an increase in risk behaviors among adolescents after experience of parental divorce. The aim of the study was to investigate whether parental divorce is associated with risk behavior among adolescents independent of mental health problems, first when early divorce was experienced, and second after experience of late parental divorce.
  
  
  METHODS
  One prospective (n=1861) and one cross-sectional study (n=2422) were conducted using data from two Young-HUBRO surveys in Oslo, Norway. All 15/16 year-old 10(th) grade students who participated in the first survey in the school year 2000/01 were followed-up in 2004 when they were 18/19 year-olds. The follow-up rate was 68%. The prospective study investigated the influence of late parental divorce that occurred between the age of 15/16 and 18/19. In the cross-sectional study we focused on early parental divorce that occurred before the participants were 15/16 year-old.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the prospective study we could not discern a significant association between experiencing late parental divorce and an increase in risk behaviors among 18/19 year-old adolescents. In the cross-sectional study parental divorce was significantly associated with cigarette smoking and using doping agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental divorce that occurs when the children of divorced parents are 15/16 year-old or younger is associated with an increase in cigarette smoking and use of doping agents. However, no evidence of significant association is found between experience of late parental divorce and risk behaviors in late adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Box 1130 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Henok
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeratsion
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Box 1130 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Cecilie B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bjertness
authors.affiliation: National Center for Dual Diagnoses, Innlandet Hospital Trust HF 2312 Ottestad, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ole R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Haavet
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Box 1130 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalsklev
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Faculty of Medicin, Norway.
authors.forename: Jon A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Halvorsen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Box 1130 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway ; Tibet University Medical College, Lhasa, Tibet, China.
authors.forename: Espen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bjertness
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Box 1130 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjørgulf
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Claussen
keywords: Adolescents; internalized and externalized mental health problems; parental divorce; risk behaviors.