The association of high‑risk behaviors and their relationship with identity styles in adolescents

Adolescence is considered an important stage in the onset of high‑risk behaviors. Identity styles have significant pathological effects in various aspects of high‑risk behaviors. The present study was conducted aiming at investigating the association between high‑risk behaviors and identity styles in adolescents.

The present cross‑sectional research studied 384 girls and boys studying in the second grade of High School in Babol in 2018. Data collection was done through a demographic questionnaire, Mohammadkhani’s Risky Behaviour Questionnaire, and Berzonsky’s Identity Style Inventory. Data analysis was performed using Chi‑square test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and linear regression analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean age of adolescents was 17.21 ± 48.4 years (aged 16–19 years). Aggression (23.4%), relationship with the opposite gender (14.5%), smoking cigarettes and hookah (10.9%), consuming alcohol (9.3%), suicidal thoughts and attempts (5.7%), running away from home (3.9%), and consuming psychotropic substances (1.8%) were among the most common high‑risk behaviors observed in the adolescents. The scores of high‑risk behaviors were negatively correlated with the identity scores of informational style (4.56 ± 3.107), normative style (4.45 ± 2.581), and identity commitment style (4.15 ± 2.245) and positively correlated with the scores of diffuse‑avoidant style (4.15 ± 3.089). Regression analysis showed that only the informational style had a negative and significant correlation with high‑risk behaviors.

The present study showed significant prevalence of high‑risk behaviors and its relationship with identity styles in adolescents, which requires regular and planned health education intervention at schools.