Thesis 1 COMPARISON OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS IN ADOLESCENTS WITH AND WITHOUT ENDOMETRIOSIS A Senior Honors Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Distinction

Definitive risk factors for endometriosis remain unknown due to the lack of knowledge concerning the pathogenesis of the condition, and little research has evaluated endometriosis within the adolescent population. The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to compare the exercise habits, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and caffeine intake between adolescent girls with and without endometriosis. Health behaviors were assessed using a researcher-developed mailed questionnaire. A convenience sample of girls between 13 and 21 years of age consisted of 24 girls without endometriosis and 15 girls with endometriosis. Girls with endometriosis were significantly less likely to perform aerobic and strength-training exercises than girls without endometriosis. There were only three current smokers in the study; all three had endometriosis, and more girls with endometriosis had tried smoking. More girls with endometriosis currently drink alcoholic beverages compared to girls without endometriosis. No differences were found between the groups regarding caffeine intake, but all of the girls with endometriosis who had quit drinking caffeine did so for health-related reasons. The findings suggest that lack of aerobic exercise and strength-training activities is associated with endometriosis, although whether it is the cause or effect is unknown. Further research is needed to determine whether or not there is an association of alcohol and cigarette smoking with endometriosis, but the findings from this study suggest that girls with endometriosis are more likely to drink alcoholic beverages and smoke cigarettes. Additional research is also needed to evaluate caffeine consumption and the influence of ceasing caffeine intake related to endometriosis.