engleski

Assessing Youth Risk Behaviours Via Traditional and Digital Mobile Measurement

Compared to individuals in other developmental periods, adolescents are more prone to experimenting and engaging in a variety of risky behaviours. Vulnerability and specific characteristics of their age group place adolescents at higher risk when they engage in behaviours such as sexual risk, peer violence, tobacco, alcohol, illicit substance use, and gambling. Assessing the occurrence and prevalence of these behaviours in youth is still a challenge. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) has been asserted by proponents of the technique as being superior to standard paper-and-pencil measurements in terms of the reliability and validity of the information obtained. EMA allows us to measure behaviour in a real time and natural environment, as well as to observe both intraindividual and interindividual variability. However, more studies are needed. In Spring 2022, a total of 3170 first grade students (51.2% female) from Croatia, with the mean age of 15.10 (SD=.38) were included in the online study. In these 45 minutes long assessment, students reported their involvement in different risk behaviours including alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, violence, sexual risk behaviour, and gambling. A subsample of 50 adolescents were then asked to participate in an intense longitudinal study. After receiving their informed consent, the smartphone app EARS was used to conduct a 7-day longitudinal study with participants reporting three times a day (in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening), among other, on their involvement in different risk behaviours. With the results of this study, the advantages and disadvantages, so as ethical concerns of using EMA in assessing risk behaviours of youth will be discussed. This paper is a part of study «Testing the 5C framework of positive youth development: traditional and digital mobile measurement - P.R.O.T.E.C.T.» funded by Croatian Science Foundation, UIP – 2020 – 02 – 2852.

risk behaviours ; adolescents ; ecological momentary assessment

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