Experimenting with certain behaviors that present risk and have negative consequences for one’s health and well-being, such as cigarette and alcohol consumption, illicit drug use and risky sexual behavior usually begins during adolescence. For example, the prevalence of weekly alcohol use and drunkenness and the prevalence of smoking increase significantly during the adolescent years (Currie at al., 2012). The engagement of adolescents in health-risk behaviors presents a concern for parents, schools and health care providers. According to problem-behavior theory, risk behaviors often co-occur in adolescents (Jessor, 1991). Various risk and protective factors for engagement in health-risk behaviors during adolescent years have been identified, among which are characteristics of relations with parents and peers (Prinstein & La Greca, 2004; Rai et al., 2003), peer and dating violence (Swahn et al., 2008), academic success (He et al., 2004; Murphey et al., 2004), leisure time activities (Borawski et al., 2003) and obesity (Farhat et al., 2010). The aim of the present study was to examine whether different health-risk behaviors are manifestations of a single underlying tendency to engage in multiple risk-behaviors and to explore how family characteristics and indicators of adolescent performance and adjustment in the school context contribute to the explanation of their tendency to become involved in health-risk behaviors.

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