Youth Risk-Taking Behavior in Brazil : Drug Use and Teenage Pregnancy
Using an extensive survey that addresses risk factors faced by the population in the shantytowns (favelas) of Fortaleza, Brazil, the aim of this paper is to study risk-taking behavior by youth, focusing on drug use and teenage pregnancy. The paper...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/03/9058934/youth-risk-taking-behavior-brazil-drug-use-teenage-pregnancy http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6560 |
| Summary: | Using an extensive survey that addresses
risk factors faced by the population in the shantytowns
(favelas) of Fortaleza, Brazil, the aim of this paper is to
study risk-taking behavior by youth, focusing on drug use
and teenage pregnancy. The paper analyzes the impact of
factors such as exposure to mass media, the existence of
support networks, self-esteem, and the occurrence of
violence at home and in the neighborhood, on the probability
of risk-taking behavior. A bivariate probit model is
estimated. The findings indicate that reliance on support
networks and exposure to mass media are associated with a
lower probability of either type of risk behavior. Living in
a violent home increases drug consumption. Race does not
have a significant impact on either type of behavior. |
|---|