This research is part of the project "The positive values and the adolescent development: from vulnerability to responsibility" that begun with the cultural adaptation of Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors, an instrument that aims to access the developmental assets present in adolescents of specific groups, proven to be very useful as a base from where to start planning actions to promote better lives to communities, families and their children. The adapted form of the instrument has been applied in a sample of 2725 adolescents from all regions of SP City, males and females, from 11 to 19 years, categorized by their social vulnerability (IPVS, SEADE, 2005) to design a map of positive values present in this population. The data showed that young people present a low number of positive values and that its variability is linked to sex and age, more than to social vulnerability. It also turns evident the necessity to review our health promotion strategies based in risk taking behaviors and grounded it in the promotion of positive values.
Adolescence; positive values; health promotion