Question

Critical Thinking Exercise: Risky Health-Related Behaviors Avery, a 20-year-old college sophomore, is very casual about his health. Although he can knowledgeably discuss the hazards of cigarette smoking, poor nutrition, and unsafe sex, Avery engages in all these health-compromising behaviors. Most days, Avery’s breakfast consists of a cup of coffee, a doughnut, and a cigarette grabbed in a mad dash to get to class on time. Lunch and dinner are almost always a burger and fries from the local drive-through. Avery hasn’t settled down with a partner yet, but he’s had a number of intimate partners, and, despite knowing better, sometimes fails to use a condom. Still, he doesn’t worry about contracting HIV or whether he will develop a sexually transmitted disease. Avery’s parents are worried about him. At home over semester break, Avery seems terribly run-down and irritable and has obviously gained a lot of weight. To make matters worse, he seems to be behaving recklessly. For example, although he’s on an urban campus and not driving as much, when he does drive he goes well above the speed limit and doesn’t wear a seatbelt. Avery tells his parents that accidents are inevitable and that people who don’t wear seatbelts are no more likely to be seriously injured than are those who wear them. His more health-conscious friends think Avery is acting as though he is going to be 20 years old forever and nothing bad can ever happen to him. Avery isn’t intentionally trying to make others worry. Sure, his life is fast-paced, but he feels that there is plenty of time to make improvements once the pressures of school are behind him. He knows he should quit smoking but he is afraid that he’ll become even more overweight if he does. Similarly, he knows he should practice safe sex, but he doesn’t know how to bring it up at the right time and he’s worried about what his friends would think. Researchers have found that unhealthy habits such as Avery’s tend to be related, just as healthy behaviors also tend to occur together. Although people take risks at any age, young adults like Avery seem to be especially prone to risk-taking. Using the biopsychosocial model to guide your thinking, prepare answers to the following questions as you diagnose the roots of Avery’s risky health-related behaviors.

Question 2 What are some of the psychological influences on the tendency of young adults to take health-related risks?

Answer 1

Young adults and adolocent people take more risky behaviour as compare other age group like smoking , poor nutrition , unsafe intercourse etc.such psychological influennce on the tendency of young adults to take health related risks behaviour are describe below.

Teen often engaged health related risky behaviour because they have less skill for evaluating risky behaiour . They are very well concerned about consequences of poor nutrition , unsafe sex but still they are majorly influennce by peer group in decision making. Besides there are so curious to know everything . sometimes they are take adventure through risky habits with influennce of peer group specially in smoking.

Another psychological influennce on this tendency is lack of experience . They are very less aware about massive consequences of health related risk behaviour . Because they doesn't have any experience about it only they have learned it . So they are not so much care and protective about their health condition .

He feels so stress , anxity in peer pressure and often worried to become cool in peer group .This likely contribute to engaging risky behaviour to prevent being exclude by their peers .