Association Between Multiple Risk Behaviors and Life Assets of High School and Vocational Students

Abstract

Problem risk behaviors have increased, especially multiple risk behaviors. This might be due to decreasing life assets. This survey research aimed to examine the association between multiple risk behaviors and life assets among students studying in high school and vocational study in Ratchaburi Province. The sample consisted of 416 students. Multistage random sampling was conducted to draw the sample. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and One Way ANOVA. Level of statistically significance was p<0.05. Most (61.8%) students who had risk behaviors had only alcohol (22.6%) as their common risk behavior. Those students engaged in three risk behaviors had smoking, alcohol consumption and sexual activity behaviors (14.7%). A majority of the 416 subjects were found to have life assets at a moderate level (67.2 %). The life assets concerning the power of wisdom learning most frequently failed to meet the majority criterion (51.2%). This was followed by the power of community (50.5%), and peers and activities (35.8%) respectively. The analysis showed a significant correlation between multiple risk behaviors and life assets (F(4, 409) = 5.8, p-value<0.001). Students who had multiple risk behaviors, either two risk behaviors (alcohol consumption and sexual activity ) or three risk behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption and sexual activity ) had lower power of self than students who had no risk behaviors (p-value<0.05). Moreover, students who had multiple risk behaviors had lower power of family and power of wisdom learning than those who had no risk behavior (p-value < 0.05). These finding suggest that life asset promoting programs are essential in the prevention of risk behaviors among high school and vocational students.