Risky behaviours of Jamaican adolescents with sickle cell disease

Objectives: To describe the risky behaviours of Jamaican teens with sickle cell disease (SCD) and compare them to a national sample of Jamaican youth. Methods: One hundred twenty two SCD adolescents, 15- 19 years old, completed the standardized questionnaire used in the Jamaican Youth Risk and Resiliency Behaviour Survey (JYRRBS), which was a nationally representative survey of 1317 Jamaican youths. Information was obtained on sociodemographics, smoking, alcohol use, and sexual activity. Secondary data from the JYRRBS were extracted to measure the difference in risky behaviours between the groups. Results: Almost 50% of SCD and 58% of national teens reported having had sexual intercourse. More SCD teens used alcohol (77.7% vs. 60.7%; P value = 0.001). Risky behaviours tended to coexist and living with a parent (odds ratio: 0.62, P value < 0.01) and currently attending school (odds ratio: 0.43, P value < 0.001) lowered the likelihood of having had sex. Discussion: SCD teens engage in many risky behaviours and health care professionals should screen and counsel them at each visit.