“I’m an adult now”: Health risk behaviors and identifying as an adult

Elizabeth Culatta, Jody Clay-Warner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Is identifying as an adult associated with lower rates of participation in risky behaviors? This study focuses on how identity affects health behaviors for young adults. We use an original sample of over 500 18- to 29-year-olds in the United States to explore how self-identification as an adult is associated with three clusters of health risk behaviors: substance use, risky sexual behavior, and risky driving behavior. Consistent with our predictions, we find that viewing oneself as an adult is associated with lower levels of participation in each of the health risk behavior outcomes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3164-3176
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Health Psychology
Volume27
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2022

Keywords

  • health risk behaviors
  • identity
  • risky driving behaviors
  • risky sexual behavior
  • substance use
  • transition to adulthood

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology

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