| Background: First year of university is a critical life transition period with an increased probability of
taking risky behaviors. We aimed to examine the transitions in risky behaviors in the first year of college
in the northwestern Iran using latent transition analysis (LTA).
Study design: A longitudinal study.
Methods: A random sample of 1406 freshmen enrolled in three universities in Tabriz City (the capital
city of East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran) were evaluated twice in November 2014 and 2015.
A multiple-choice self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on risky behaviors and
demographic characteristics of students. LTA was performed to examine the prevalence and changes in
risky behaviors (cigarette and hookah smoking, illicit drug use, alcohol consumption and risky sexual
behaviors) among the students.
Results: The LTA model revealed four interpretable statuses. The prevalence data showed that 77.1%,
12.3%, 8.3% and 2.3% of students were “risk-free”, “tobacco user”, “sexual risk-taker” and “multiple risktacker”,
respectively in the first assessment. Over the period of one year, 4.2% and 6.1% of risk-free
students became tobacco user and sexual risk-takers, respectively, and 22.4% of tobacco user students,
transfer to the multiple risk-taker group.
Conclusion: The prevalence of risk-taking behaviors increased during the freshman year. Tobacco
smoking was predispose acquiring more risky behaviors. Probability of transition to the multiple risktaker
group was higher among tobacco users. |