NCJ Number
217798
Journal
Journal of Adolescence Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 51-62
Date Published
February 2007
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the associations between connectedness to family and friends, and school engagement, and selected health compromising and health promoting behavior in a sample of New Zealand adolescents.
Abstract
The overall findings indicated significant associations among the family, friends, and school variables, but both the direction and strength of these associations was highly dependent on content. School engagement showed the strongest and most pervasive associations across both health compromising and promoting behaviors. Connectedness to family was associated primarily with fewer reports of suicidal ideation and increased reports of physical activity. Connectedness to friends was associated in the main with increased reports of health compromising behaviors. The importance of school and family as support networks for young people is reinforced in this study. Adolescents are typically regarded as an especially high-risk group for engaging in such health compromising behaviors as alcohol, cigarette smoking, and illicit drug use. A more positive aspect of the adolescent development relates to the adoption of health promoting behaviors. Researchers have attempted to identify why some adolescents choose to engage in various health compromising behaviors while others do not. Utilizing a cross-sectional prevalence survey, this study examined both health compromising and promoting behaviors in the context of adolescent perceptions of family, friends, and school. The study consisted of 643 students, 326 males and 317 females from the age of 14 years to 17 years. Tables and references