Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 15, Issue 6, November 1986, Pages 614-623
Preventive Medicine

General article
Correlates of seat-belt use by adolescents: Implications for health promotion

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Abstract

This study examined the psychosocial and behavioral correlates of seat-belt use among 1,728 10th-graders in four Northern California high schools. Parent and friend seat-belt use patterns were most highly correlated with student seat-belt use (r = 0.66 and r = 0.61, respectively) and together accounted for 46% of the variation in use. These relationships held across differences in sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Failure to wear seat belts was associated with a higher use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and cocaine; more tolerance toward speeding and drinking while driving; less exercise; and more preference for fat in the diet. Our findings attest to the power of parent and peer influences in shaping seat-belt use by adolescents and suggest that not wearing seat belts can be conceptualized as one facet of a pattern of general risk-taking behavior. These findings suggest several possible educational interventions to increase seat-belt use by adolescents.

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Cited by (0)

This research was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and by Public Health Service Grant HL 32185 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to John W. Farquhar, M.D. The opinions, conclusions, and proposals in the manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Maron was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar when this study was conducted. Mr. Saylor is supported by Public Health Service National Research Service Award T 32 HL 07034 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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