Exploring the relationship between health concerns and high-risk behaviours in Medical Sciences' students

Abstract

Aim: The need to cope with life concerns may drive an individual to resort to high-risk behaviours. This study aimed to determine the relationship between health concerns and high-risk behaviours. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: We sampled 926 Medical Sciences' students from the North of Iran from September–December 2017 using the stratified sampling method. Results: The most and less common high-risk behaviour was physical inactivity (97.5%) and high-risk sexual behaviour (15.7%), respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, participants' concerns about human sexuality (AOR: 1.39; CI: 1.22, 1.57), injury prevention and control (AOR: 1.12; CI: 1.01, 1.20), nutrition (AOR: 1.13; CI: 1.02, 1.26) and emotional health (AOR: 1.08; CI: 1.02, 1.15) increased the odds of risky behaviours. Among Medical Sciences' students, health concerns are linked with risky behaviours. The result of this study can be used to develop relevant interventions targeting mental health to reduce risky behaviour among youth.