US EPA

7430441 

Journal Article 

A Biopsychosocial Perspective of Adolescent Health and Disease 

Sales, JM; Irwin, CE; , 

2013 

Springer New York 

New York, NY 

Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology 

13-29 

10.1007/978-1-4614-6633-8_2 

http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-4614-6633-8_2
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Although considered to be a normative part of adolescence, risk-taking behaviors are nonetheless concerning because these actions often endanger adolescents’ current and future health and well-being. A variety of factors, including biological, psychosocial, and environmental, have been found to be associated with various adolescent risk-taking behaviors. The biopsychosocial model of risk-taking provides a framework in which social environmental factors as well as existing biological and psychological predispositions interact to influence risk-taking behavior. In this chapter, we (1) briefly review the studies or theories of risk-taking that focus predominately on one factor (i.e., biological, psychological, and environmental) as it related to risk-taking behavior; (2) describe the multidimensional biopsychosocial model of risk-taking; (3) provide empirical evidence supporting the utility of the biopsychosocial model for better understanding various adolescent health-endangering behaviors; and (4) suggest future directions for the utility of the biopsychosocial model of risk-taking for advancing our understanding of adolescent health.