The proposed study will test a model of health risk behavior with high- risk population of incarcerated adolescents. Specifically the study seeks to determine the prevalence of health-risk behaviors in three health risk domains: sexual risk taking, substance use, and violence. The study seeks to identify risk and protective factors at the individual, family and community level, specific to risk behaviors in the three health risk domains. Subjects will be randomly recruited from the detection facility over a 15 month period; females will be over sampled. Measures include a psychosocial interview, biological tests of drug metabolites in urine, juvenile criminal records, and community indicators of STD prevalence, crime, and drug use. Focus groups will be conducted with incarcerated youth to gain additional qualitative information on risk and protective factors and on the situational context of risk behavior. The psychosocial interview will be pilot tested and revised with 2 separate cohorts of adolescents. Statistical analysis will include bivariate correlations followed by multivariate analysis of risk and protective factors with health risk-behaviors.
