Spirituality within the family and the prevention of health risk behavior among adolescents in Bangkok, Thailand

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 71; no. 10; pp. 1855 - 1863
• Main Authors: Chamratrithirong, Aphichat, Miller, Brenda A., Byrnes, Hilary F., Rhucharoenpornpanich, Orratai, Cupp, Pamela K., Rosati, Michael J., Fongkaew, Warunee, Atwood, Katharine A., Chookhare, Warunee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2010; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Alcohol; Bangkok, Thailand; Buddhism; Drug use; Families & family life; Family; Family - psychology; Family structure; Female; Health Behavior; Humans; Individual behaviour; Male; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Prevention; Prevention programs; Qualitative Research; Religiosity; Risk; Risk behavior; Risk factors; Risk-Taking; Sexual Behavior; Sexual behaviour; Spirituality; Substance Abuse; Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control; Teenagers; Thailand; Thailand Buddhism Spirituality Adolescents Family Risk behavior Tobacco Alcohol Health behavior Sexual behavior; Tobacco; Thailand; United States > US; Thailand, Chacoengsao Prov., Bangkok; Spirituality; Tobacco; Buddhism; Risk behavior; Health behavior; Sexual behavior; Family; Alcohol; Thailand; Adolescents
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.08.020

This study investigates the influences of a family’s spiritual beliefs and practices on substance use and sexual risk behaviors among young adolescents 13–14 years old in Bangkok, Thailand. Independent predictor variables are the parents’ and teens’ spiritual beliefs and practices in Buddhism and parental monitoring behaviors. The study uses data from the 2007 Baseline Survey of the Thai Family Matters Project, which adapted a U.S. based family prevention program for Thai culture. A representative sample of 420 pairs of parents and teens from the Bangkok metropolitan area was recruited to participate in the study. Structural equation models indicate that positive direct and indirect associations of the spirituality of parents and teens within a family and the prevention of adolescent risk behaviors are significant and consistent.