Sexual behaviors and substance use behaviors among North Carolina's high school students: implications for health care providers wanting to reach teens at risk.

Parents of adolescents, health care professionals, teachers, school administrators, and community organizations are all concerned about health risk behaviors among adolescents. Use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, lack of physical activity, sexual risk-taking, and behaviors that put students at risk for injuries have been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as priority areas for surveillance and intervention for adolescents. These behaviors represent significant preventable causes of morbidity and mortality for adolescents [1]. In addition to compromising the current health status of young people, risk behaviors initiated during adolescence result in adverse health consequences in adulthood and in significant social and financial costs [2] sexual behaviors | substance use | north Carolina | high school students | health care