Prevalence and Types of Risky Health Behaviors of Omani Adolescents

Adolescence is a period of growth and development that occurs after childhood and ends with adulthood, aged 10 to 19 years old (Organization, 2015). It?s one of the most important transitional stage of human being as it prepares one for the highest productive age period; adulthood. Health status among adolescents predicts their health status during (Foti, Balaji, and Shanklin, 2011). Adolescence is a developmental stage usually linked to unhealthy behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, tobacco use, and unsafe sex (Abuse, 2000; Windle, 2016). Although death rates among adolescence are lower than another developmental stages, the trend in causes has changed and HIV became one major cause of death among this age group (Organization, 2015). The three leading causes of death among adolescents are accidents, homicide and suicide behaviors (Murphy, Xu, and Kochanek, 2013). Surveys among U.S. youth has reviled an association between unhealthy or risky behavior and unwanted health outcomes in young and middle adulthood, including substance misuse and dependence, poorer academic and work achievement, and low physical and mental health status (Klosky et al., 2012). Health risk behaviors include unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, drug misuse or abuse, alcohol consumption, smoking, unsafe sex and suicidal ideation due to many underlying causes are also a common risk health behaviors among adolescents (Sychareun, Thomsen, and Faxelid, 2011, 2013). Many other behaviors can be classified as risk health behaviors; unsafe driving, weapon carrying, involvement in gangs and aggressive behaviors.Efforts should be made to identify adolescents who are at risk for further consequences for health risk behaviors. Many approaches have shown a positive results in decreasing or modifying the consequences of health risk behaviors. Family support, school counseling, youth communities support groups. Presence of positive adult relationships and building social and emotional competences among children are effective (Terzian, Andrews, and Moore, 2011) This study aims to collect the more data about health risk behaviors among Omani adolescents who are at risk for major negative health consequences. The results will be used to address the need for community, family and schools intervention that will enhance and promote health of Omani adolescents.