Published online Aug 6, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i22.6329
Peer-review started: May 15, 2021
First decision: May 23, 2021
Revised: May 25, 2021
Accepted: June 2, 2021
Article in press: June 2, 2021
Published online: August 6, 2021
Our study mainly explored health-related risky behaviors in adolescents with high-functioning autism (HFA) and their risk factors. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an increasing prevalence. Adolescents with HFA are in a critical period with many physical and mental changes. Except for social interaction disorder, communication barriers and stereotyped or repetitive behaviors, adolescents with HFA are more likely to be involved in health-related risky behaviors. These behaviors have not been understood so far.
Most of the previous researchers focused on a single risky behavior with HFA. Related risk factors of health-related risky behaviors in autistic individuals have not been fully explored. Our results may provide a better understanding of health-related risky behaviors in adolescents with HFA.
We aimed to explore health-related risky behaviors and their risk factors in adolescents with HFA. This study may lay a foundation for comprehensive intervention by discovering factors associated with such behaviors.
The study was set up into autism group and control group. Both groups completed the Adolescents Health-related Risky Behavior Inventory. Expression recognition, the Inventory of Subjective Life Quality for Child and Adolescent, Chinese Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adult-Chinese Revised, Theory of Mind Test and Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire were assessed in the HFA group to explore risk factors of health-related risky behaviors in autistic adolescents.
We found that individuals with HFA had more aggression and violence, suicide or self-injury, health compromising behavior and unprotected sex than neurotypical teenagers. Uncomfortable emotional experience, depression, low intelligence quotient score, low score of theory of mind test and not adapted to school life experience were risk factors.
Through this cross-sectional study, we found that adolescents with HFA have more health-related risky behaviors than neurotypical adolescents. Different health-related risky behaviors have different risk factors. We should pay attention to the emotional experience and school life experience of autistic adolescents and teach them self-protection knowledge.
This information will assist in the comprehensive evaluation and lay the foundation for intervention of health-related risky behaviors in adolescents with HFA. Future study should expand the sample size and enroll more female participants. More related factors should be taken into consideration, such as health status of subjects’ parents.