@article{ref1,
title="Health-risk behaviors in young adolescents in the child welfare system",
journal="Journal of Adolescent Health",
year="2010",
author="Leslie, Laurel K. and James, Sigrid and Monn, Amy and Kauten, Milena C. and Zhang, Jian and Aarons, Gregory A.",
volume="47",
number="1",
pages="26-34",
abstract="PURPOSE: To examine rates and patterns of health-risk behavior (e.g., sexuality, depression/suicidality, substance use, delinquency) among a national probability sample of youth active to the child welfare/child protective services system. Recent federal legislation, P.L. 110-351, encourages child welfare systems, Medicaid, and pediatric experts to collaborate to ensure youth entering foster care receive comprehensive health examinations. METHODS: Analysis of baseline caregiver, caseworker, and child interviews, and assessment data for a subsample (n = 993) of youth, aged 11-15 years, from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability sample of children and adolescents undergoing investigation for abuse or neglect. RESULTS: Almost half of the sample (46.3%) endorsed at least one health-risk behavior. On Poisson multivariate regression modeling, factors related to higher rates of health-risk behaviors included older age, female gender, abuse history, deviant peers, limited caregiver monitoring, and poor school engagement. CONCLUSION: Given the heightened vulnerability of this population, early screening for health-risk behaviors must be prioritized. Further research should explore specific subpopulations at risk for health-risk behaviors and possible interventions to change these youths' trajectories.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1054-139X",
doi="10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.12.032",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.12.032"
}