Influence of Parental Monitoring, Birth Order, and Gender on Adolescent’s Health Risk Behaviour

The investigated the influence of monitoring, birth order and gender on adolescent risk behaviour. Three hundred and fifty (350) participants (175 female and 175 male) participated in the study.

’ ages ranged from 15 years to 21 years, with mean age of 18 years. Two instruments were used for data in the study: Parental Monitoring Inventory and Adolescent Health Risk Behaviour Scale.

A three-way ANOVA was used for data analysis and the result showed that parental monitoring did not significantly influenced adolescent’s health risk behaviour.

The result showed that Birth order significantly influenced adolescent’s health risk behaviour F (350 = 3.25, P <.05). The result showed that there are also gender differences as regards to adolescent’s health risk behaviour F (350 = 4.40, P <.05). The result was discussed; the implication and the limitations of the study were highlighted.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Table of Contents v
List of tables vi
Abstract vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
Statement of Problem 10
Purpose of the Study 10
Operational Definition of Terms 11
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical Review 12
Empirical Review of Literature 34
Summary of Literature Review 46
Hypotheses 47
CHAPTER THREE: METHOD
Participant 48
Instrument 48
Procedure 50
Design/Statistics 50
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 51
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION 54
Implications of the study 56
Limitations of the study 57
Suggestions for further studies 57
Summary and conclusion 58
REFERENCES 59
APPENDICES 

INTRODUCTION

Health risk behaviour can be defined as any activity undertaken by people with a frequency or intensity that increases risk of disease or injury (Baban & Craciun, 2007).

Risk-taking behaviour involves potential negative but is balanced in some way by perceived positive consequences (Moore & Gullone, 1996).

In other words, behaviour will be perceived as less risky if positive consequences outweigh the negative consequences and behaviour will be perceived as very risky if negative consequences outweigh the positive (Essau, 2014).

The impact of these risk behaviours on health is of such that it has become one of the priorities of the most important national and international health organizations (Baban & Craciun, 2007).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified six health risk behaviours as being particularly salient for the development of optimal health.

These six risk behaviours include: (a) behaviours that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; (b) tobacco use; (c) alcohol and other drug use;

(d) sexual behaviours that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; (e) unhealthy dietary behaviours; and (f) (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, Ross & Harris, 2006).

These behaviours are often established in early childhood and may continue and intensify through the adolescent period (Newman, Harrison, Dashiff & Davies, 2008).

REFERENCES

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Baban, A., & Craciun, C. (2007). Changing health-risk behaviors: A review of theory and evidence-based interventions in health psychology. Journal of Evidence- Based Psychotherapies, 7(1), 45-67.
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