Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this qualitative project was to ascertain the adolescents’ perspectives re-garding health and addiction.

Method: 41 adolescents from Tehran (22 males, 19 females) between 11 and 19 years of age were evaluated by way of open and semi-structured interviews. These subjects were selected by sampl-ing based on the project objectives. The interviews with the subjects were tape-recorded, then trans- cribed, and finally content analyzed.

Findings: 87% of subjects under the study claimed friendships and connections with cohorts and 15% declared family as the reasons for the prevalence of addiction. Other reasons of the adole-scents were being relieved of problems and being carefree, feeling superior and powerful, compensat- ing for social restrictions, unemployment and lack of recreations, oppositional tendencies, and curiosity.

Results: Considering adolescents as builders of the future and also pervasiveness of addiction problem, attaining information is indispensable regarding the perspectives of this vulnerable group vis-à-vis the relation between the concept of health with  addiction. This can be useful in cultural, health, and social program planning as well as need and priority assessments.