Teenagers' lifestyle and the risk of exposure to hepatitis B virus

Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and promotion of physical and ment al well-being in adolescents require an understanding of how life situation s place adolescents at risk. The most important risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are sexual activity with more than one partner and injecting drug use. Sexual transmission is particularly important in areas of low endemicity, but is increasingly important in areas of high endemicit y as young people adopt a 'Western' lifestyle. HBV infection in general is associated with indicators of sexual activity, e.g. number of sexual partne rs, years of sexual activity and the occurrence of other sexually transmitt ed diseases (STDs). Risk behaviours are often associated: adolescents who h ave frequent sexual intercourse also drink more alcohol, smoke more cigaret tes, use marijuana more often and wear seat-belts less often when driving t han adolescents who have little or no sexual activity. Wealth education and health promotion are important activities aimed at preventing HBV infectio n, but the major strategy should be providing immunity from infection befor e risk-taking behaviour. As for other STDs, this is best achieved by univer sal vaccination of young adolescents or infants or both. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.