Risk Behaviors and Their Consequences for Health, Welfare and Labor Force Participation Among Rural Oportunidades beneficiaries

Fifteen- to twenty-four-year-olds make up the largest age group in the world, and many engage in certain behaviors that compromise their present and their future. In this sense, such actions are considered ‘risk behaviors,’ including unprotected sexual relations, violent behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, and limited physical activity, among others. It has been documented that decisions made during adolescence can become patterns of behavior that solidify in adult life. The objective of this study is to estimate the probability of engagement in risk behaviors by individuals between 14 and 24 years old in families covered by the Oportunidades and to analyze their relationship with variables of general wellbeing. This report presents an analysis of information from the Rural Households Evaluation Surveys (ENCEL) of the Program, in particular those taken in 2003 and 2007, which included modules on risk behaviors in adolescents and modules on education and labor market participation The analysis of the association between time of participation in the Program and risk behavior in 2007 suggest that Oportunidades has played an important part in delaying unions among adolescents and youths. This may be reflected in greater educational success, which is in line with the Program’s long-term objectives. With more participation in the Program, adolescents and youths postponed the start of their sexual lives, which may be directly related to formal unions. Likewise, this contributes to greater results in education as it reduces the probability of becoming pregnant and/or contracting sexually-transmitted diseases