You decide you are going to make more responsible health decisions. Which of the following risk factors can you control?Unintentional accidents are the leading cause of death for teens.

Question

Unintentional accidents are the leading cause of death for teens.

There is a history of heart disease in your family.
There is a history of heart disease in your family.

There is a higher incidence of high blood pressure in your ethnic group.
There is a higher incidence of high blood pressure in your ethnic group.

Your friends have recently started smoking.

Answer 1

Among the risk factors you've listed, the one you can control is:

• Your friends have recently started smoking.

You can choose to avoid smoking and the influence of friends who smoke, which allows you to make responsible health decisions regarding this behavior.

The other factors—family history of heart disease and the incidence of high blood pressure in your ethnic group—are not within your control, as they are based on genetic and demographic factors. Unintentional accidents can be influenced by your choices and behaviors, but the statement as presented does not specify what you can do to control such risks. However, it is possible to take precautions (like wearing seatbelts, avoiding distracted driving, etc.) to help mitigate this risk.