ABSTRACT
Background: Family behavior models may influence health promoting conducts among adolescents. Aim: To determine the association between health promoting behaviors among parents and healthy behaviors of early adolescents. Material and Methods: Analysis of the baseline assessment of a longitudinal study of early adolescents in the city of San Felipe, Region of Valparaiso, Chile. Parents and their teenage children, attending 5th to 7th grade, from ten municipal schools, participated in this study. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess healthy lifestyles, answered separately by parents and their children. Univariable and multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses with complete data were carried out, using the students health promoting behaviors as dependent variables and the same behaviors among parents as the main predictors, controlling for other personal and family variables. Results: We contacted 1,035 parents and 682 consented to participate along with 560 students. The mean age of adolescents was 11.5 ± 1.2 years (49% females) The mean age of parents was 39.8 ± 8.8 years and 90% were women. The parental behaviors associated with teenage health promoting behaviors were eating vegetables (odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, p < 0.05), having breakfast (OR = 1.27, p < 0.05), do stretching exercises every day (OR = 1.19, p < 0.05) and take some time for relaxation (OR = 1.24, p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results show an association between healthy behaviors among parents and these behaviors among their adolescent offspring.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child , Adolescent , Parent-Child Relations , Parents/psychology , Health Behavior , Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Healthy Lifestyle , Health Promotion , Chile , Longitudinal StudiesABSTRACT
Background: Smoking and alcohol use are risky behaviors that can start early in life. Aim: To determine the lifetime prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use in adolescents aged 10 to 14 years and related factors. Subjects and Methods: A survey about smoking and alcohol use was answered by 1,392 teenagers aged 10 to 14 years (46% women) from seven schools in a small city near Santiago. Personal, family, and school factors were evaluated through self-report scales. Smoking and alcohol use, as dichotomous dependent variables, were defined as having consumed any of these substances throughout life. Prevalence was calculated as percentages with 95% confidence intervals. Association analyses were conducted using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Six and eleven percent of participants reported having smoked and used alcohol in their life, respectively. Smoking was associated with age, having behavioral problems, mothers smoking, perceiving that parents had drug problems, and not living with both parents. Alcohol use was mainly associated with age, having behavioral problems, perceiving that other students consumed drugs, alcohol use by both parents, and perceiving a lack of family support. Conclusions: Tobacco and alcohol use is highly prevalent in adolescents aged 10-14 years. There were common risk factors for smoking and alcohol use such as age and having behavioral problems, while other factors were more specific such as mothers smoking, or parental alcohol use.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child , Adolescent , Smoking/epidemiology , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Risk-Taking , Socioeconomic Factors , Students/statistics & numerical data , Chile/epidemiology , Sex Factors , Epidemiologic Methods , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Age Factors , Alcoholism/etiologyABSTRACT
Background: Health-promoting behaviors are important to prevent diseases and prolong life in the population. People develop these behaviors throughout life. However, better benefits for health are obtained with an early development. Aim: To determine the prevalence of health-promoting behaviors among early adolescents and its associated factors. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional survey performed in 1,465 students of high, medium and low socio-economic status, attending fifth to eighth grades of schools located in a small Chilean city. Participants answered a questionnaire that gathered information about frequency of health-promoting behaviors such as health responsibility and nutrition, physical exercise and stress management, life appreciation, social support and different personal, school and familial factors. Results: A higher frequency of health-promoting behaviors was associated with better academic achievement, better school commitment, and higher perception of school membership. It also was associated with a better perception of health status and a higher conformity with physical appearance. Conclusions: Health promoting behaviors in these children are related to a better academic achievement and a higher integration with school environment.