Health communication with parents and teachers and unhealthy behaviours in 15- to 16-year-old Swedes

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy behaviours during adolescence constitute a major risk for numerous diseases in adulthood. Aim: To explore the associations between multiple unhealthy behaviours in adolescents and health behaviour information communicated by their parents and teachers, how much the adolescents cared about this information and whether adolescents went to schools with an annual health-themed week or not. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a self-reported questionnaire was delivered to pupils aged 15 and 16 (n = 492). The results were analysed using Poisson regression. Results: The number of unhealthy behaviours was lower in adolescents whose parents encouraged them to adopt healthy behaviours. Adolescents at schools with an annual health-themed week reported more unhealthy behaviours than other adolescents. In addition, attendance at such schools did not compensate for a lack of health behaviour information communicated by parents. Caring about health behaviour information communicated by parents was associated with fewer unhealthy behaviours. In contrast, the opposite was found when adolescents cared about health information communicated by teachers. Conclusion: It is important for parents to encourage their adolescent children to adopt healthy behaviours because this is particularly effective at lowering the number of unhealthy behaviours in adolescents. It also appears to be important for parents and teachers to develop credibility among adolescents regarding information communicated about health issues. The results also indicate the importance of involving parents in the school health work to influence them to encourage their adolescent children to adopt healthy behaviours.