The role of metacognitive beliefs and attitude to pre-marital relationships in predicting high-risk behaviors in adolescents

The prevalence of high-risk behaviors in communities, especially in teens is a serious health threat that has received much attention in recent years. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate the role of metacognitive beliefs and attitude to pre-marital relationships in anticipation of risky behaviors in adolescents. Accordingly, a correlational descriptive research method was selected. The research population consisted of adolescents with 17 to 20 years old of district 12 of tehran in 1393. The sample consisted of 80 adolescents in 40 girls and 40 boys who were selected by convenience sampling. To collect data, we used 30-point meta cognition questionnaire(MCQ-30), scale of attitude to pre-marital relationships, and high-risk behaviors scale. The results of current study showed that there was a negative and significant relationship between all components of metacognition and a variety of high-risk behaviors. As well as, there was a positive and significant relationship between attitude toward pre-marital relationships and tendency to high-risk behaviors. Then, regression analysis showed that attitude to pre-marital relationships includes highest predictive power for tendency to relation with the opposite sex which is a component of high-risk behaviors. As well as, among the components of metacognition, the component of need to thoughts control, includes the highest predictive power for high-risk behaviors.