1. Health Risks and Your Behavior
In this lesson, you will Learn About…
What risk behavior is.
What cumulative risk is.
How to avoid health risk behaviors.

2. Health Risks and Your Behavior
The Vocabulary terms in this lesson are:
Risk behaviors.
Consequences.
Cumulative risks.
Subjective.
Objective.
Prevention.
Abstinence.
Click each term to display its definition.

3. Risk Behaviors
An important part of taking responsibility for your health is identifying and avoiding risk behaviors – actions or choices that may cause injury or harm to you or others.
Risk behaviors can lead you into taking unnecessary risks.
It is important to realize that your behavior can affect the health of others.
Point out to students that some risks are unavoidable. Events are unpredictable; and certain activities, such as playing a sport, can involve some hazards, or potential sources of danger.

4. Consequences of Health Risk Behaviors
Risk behaviors may lead to a variety of consequences.
Financial
Physical
Legal
Click to display the many different types of consequences.
The following are examples of the consequences the teen shown here might face.
Physical Consequences: Falling and hurting oneself.
Financial Consequences: Being forced to pay for damaging oneself.
Legal Consequences: Getting in trouble for trespassing.
Mental/Emotional Consequences: Feeling upset and angry with oneself.
Academic: Making up for time lost from school because of an injury.
Social: Missing out on activities because of injury.
Every risk can lead to many different types of consequences.
Have students name a risk behavior that could contribute to each type of consequence shown here.
Mental/Emotional
Academic
Social

5. Encouraging News 91% 81% 84% 69% 69% Use safety belts Do not
currently use illicit drugs
Do not currently smoke cigarettes
Have not used alcohol in the previous month
These graphs show that the majority of teens are avoiding risk behaviors. Here are some additional statistics to share with students:
According to a major drug survey conducted by the department of Health and Human Services, the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by youth ages 12–17 has either declined or remained the same in recent years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a large percentage of 12–and 13-year-olds are physically active.
The National Safety Council reported that a large percentage of children ages 5–15 are wearing safety belts when riding in a motor vehicle.
69%
Participate in vigorous
physical activity
69%

6. Cumulative Risk
Cumulative risks are related risks that increase in effect with each added risk.
Riding a bicycle without a helmet, for example, is one risk factor. Riding on a busy street and in the rain greatly increases your chances of injury.
Ask the class to give other examples of cumulative risks.

7. Knowing the Risks
Teens have different reasons for taking risks. The reasons represent subjective thinking.
When considering risks, it is much better to use objective information.
Objective information helps you act responsibly so that you can prevent injuries and illnesses.
Teens may engage in risk behaviors because they believe that nothing bad can happen to them. Others may question whether certain actions are really risky. They may believe, for example, that people who have accidents are just unlucky. All these ideas are subjective.
Examples of subjective and objective thinking:
Subjective thinking: Lots of people smoke cigarettes, so how harmful can it be? (Involves a person’s own views).
Objective thinking: The average smoker has a risk of dying from cancer of the lung, throat, or mouth that is 14 times greater than that of a nonsmoker (based on facts).

8. Reducing and Avoiding Risks
An effective strategy to reduce risks or even avoid them entirely is to practice prevention.
Being on the lookout for hazards, or potential sources of danger, is an important part of prevention.
Another key element of prevention is abstinence. Abstaining from risk behaviors can help you avoid the serious consequences associated with them.
Prevention means taking steps to make sure that something does not happen.
Abstinence means not participating in unsafe behaviors or activities.
If one is aware of hazards, one can protect oneself against them. Riding a bike in bad weather is a hazard. By slowing down, a rider can reduce the risk of injury.

9. Shield Yourself from Risk
Point out to students that each of these attitudes and actions can help protect them from risks that could threaten their health and even their lives.

10. Keeping Yourself Healthy
Most injuries are caused by poor decision making. By acting responsibly and avoiding risk, you can prevent most injuries.
By practicing good health habits, you can also prevent many illnesses.
Keeping health and safety in mind will help teens enjoy life while protecting their own health and that of others.

11. Reviewing Terms and Facts
List six types of consequences that may result from risk behavior.
Physical consequences
Mental/Emotional consequences
Academic consequences
Financial consequences
Legal consequences
Social consequences
Click to show the correct answer.

12. Reviewing Terms and Facts
Define the term cumulative risks.
Cumulative risks are related risks that increase in effect with each added risk.
Click to show the correct answer.

13. Thinking Critically
Suppose that you were going to spend a day on a boat. What precautions might you take to avoid risks?
Responses will vary. Accept all reasonable responses.

14. Chapter Review

15. Reviewing Terms and Facts
How well you get along with others is a key part of your ______ health.
social
Click to show the correct answer.

16. Reviewing Terms and Facts
______ are the various methods for communicating information.
Media
Click to show the correct answer.

17. Reviewing Terms and Facts
Going canoeing without wearing a life jacket when the current is strong and with someone who has no experience is an example of ______________.
cumulative risks
Click to show the correct answer.

18. Thinking Critically
If your mental/emotional health improves, how might other aspects of your health be affected?
Responses will vary. Accept all reasonable responses.

19. Thinking Critically
In your opinion, which factor is a greater influence on your health: heredity or environment? Why?
Responses will vary. Accept all reasonable responses.

20. Thinking Critically
Imagine that you are getting to know a group of new friends. Tell how you would decide whether these friends were going to be a positive or negative influence on your health.
Responses will vary. Accept all reasonable responses.

21. Vocabulary Review
Risk behaviors are actions or choices that may cause injury or harm to you or to others.
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22. Vocabulary Review Consequences are the results of actions.
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23. Vocabulary Review
Cumulative risks are related risks that increase in effect with each added risk.
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24. Vocabulary Review
Subjective means that the idea comes from a person’s own views and beliefs, not necessarily from facts.
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25. Vocabulary Review
Objective information means the information is based on facts.
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26. Vocabulary Review
Prevention means taking steps to make sure that something does not happen.
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27. Vocabulary Review
Abstinence means not participating in unsafe behaviors or activities.
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