Familial antecedents of young adult health risk behavior: A longitudinal study.

Abstract

With a sample of 116, the authors asked how characteristics of the family, rated by adolescents, predicted health risk behavior at young adulthood 6 years later and whether adolescent and young adult personal and emotional functioning mediated these relationships. The authors also explored the consistency of relationships among these variables across 4 types of families: balanced, traditional, disconnected, and emotionally strained. The family variables significantly predicted young adult health risk behavior over time and functioning at adolescence and young adulthood did not serve as a mediator. The family model operated well in 3 of the 4 family contexts; it failed to operate among offspring from disconnected families. Characteristics of the family affect the display of health risk behavior when offspring come from families that have well-defined and coherent family structures. Drinking, smoking, drug use, criminal behavior, violence, and unprotected sexual activity are behaviors that have major implications for health and development during adolescence and young adulthood. Considerable research has suggested that many of these behaviors co-occur to form a single behavioral style, variously termed general deviance, problem behavior, or risk behavior syndrome (Donovan & Jessor,

Psychological predictors of health-related behaviour in children

“…Given the fact that the health behaviour of elementary school children is not only controlled by the children themselves, but also by their parents (Fisher & Feldman, 1998), the associations found in this study can be seen as rather substantial. This is in line with previous research suggesting that children show considerable autonomy in formulating specific health actions, although they may internalize parental beliefs (Bush & Iannotti, 1990).…”

Gesundheitsverhalten im Kindes- und Jugendalter

“…So sagt riskantes Gesundheitsverhalten der Eltern (z.B.ungesunde Ernährung,Bewegungsmangel, Rauchen) gleichgerichtetes Gesundheitsverhalten der Jugendlichen vorher [36], wobei anscheinend Mütter eher das Verhalten ihrer Töchter und Väter eher das Verhalten der Söhne beeinflussen [43]. Darüber hinaus beeinflussen Familienklima und elterliches Erziehungsverhalten das Gesundheitsverhalten der Kinder: In Familien mit geringem Zusammenhalt, die keine klaren Regeln setzen und wenig Autonomie gewähren, zeigen Jugendliche mehr riskantes Gesundheitsverhalten [44]. Ebenso erhöhen familiäre Konflikte das Risiko für dieses Verhalten [12].…”

Work It Out Together: Preliminary Efficacy of a Parent and Adolescent DVD and Workbook Intervention on Adolescent Sexual and Substance Use Attitudes and Parenting Behaviors

“…Healthy, supportive, close, stable and open relationships with parents, along with supportive relationships with other adults, can insulate youth against intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors that drive high-risk behavior [4, 8, 9]. Conversely, poor family functioning may help drive high-risk behaviors.…”