Consistency of Ever Reported Risky and Sensitive Behaviors Among Early Adolescents in a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study: Results From the First 2 Waves of the Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Filipino Child, 2016 to 2018

摘要

In the Philippines, one third of the population are adolescents between 10 and 24 years of age.1 They face several risks: 1 in 12 (8.6%) begin child-rearing before age 19,2 1 in 6 (14.6%) smoke tobacco by age 15,3 1 in 4 (23.8%) drink alcohol by age 16,4 and 4 in 5 (80%) experience some form of interpersonal violence by age 24.5 The negative effects of these risks cascade throughout an adolescent’s lifetime. For instance, teenage pregnancies in the Philippines are associated with higher school dropout rates, more infants with low birth weight, higher rates of maternal and child mortality, and lost economic productivity.6 Interventions in addressing these risk factors is critical to ensure better quality of life and economic productivity. Many of these behaviors begin around early adolescence, but research on early adolescent behaviors is limited in low- and middleincome country contexts.