Students' Intention and School Programs as Predictors Toward Health-risk Behaviors

This study assessed the predictors toward students’ intention on health. This study also investigated the predictors toward reported students’ health-risk behaviors.

The Predictors of Students’ Intention
Being a male or non-SDA student tended to decrease intention toward the danger of health-risk behaviors but increase intention on exercising and eating vegetables and fruits. Students staying with guardians tended to have less intention toward the danger of drug use (cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs). Higher grade students were more likely to have less intention toward the danger of illegal drugs and sex related behavior. The longer the students study in the schools, their intention toward the danger of sex related behaviors increased.

Classes (Bible, science, social science, PE) tended to positively increase student intention toward the danger of health-risk behaviors. Chapel programs tended to increase student intention toward the danger of alcohol and the advantages of exercise; Pathfinder programs increase student intention toward exercise and breakfast, while PTA only increase intention toward drinking water.

The Predictors of Health-Risk Behaviors
Demographic variables. Being male student tended to get involved in using cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. They were more likely to exercise, drink water, be absent due to feeling unsafe, and more likely to get involved in fights than females.

Being non-SDA student tended to get involved in using cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, eat snacks, and drink less soft drink than SDA students. Higher grade students more likely initiate use of alcohol in later years. Furthermore, they exercised less than lower grade students.

Students staying with their father more likely initiate using cigarettes and illegal drugs in later years. Students staying alone tended to use drugs more often than staying with both parents.

School programs. Chapel programs tended to influence students to drink water, to eat snacks, to prevent absences due to feeling unsafe, and avoid getting involved in sex related behaviors. Pathfinder programs tended to increase smoking and eating snacks. Classes did not show any effect on students’ health-risk behaviors.

Intention. The more positive the students’ attitude, the less they were involved in drinking alcohol and sex related behaviors the more regular they eat breakfast and eat five servings of vegetables and fruits and drink seven to eight glasses of water per day. However, they drink more soft drinks. The subjective norm tended to help student stay away from smoking, violence, using drugs, and sex related behavior. They tended to exercise more. Perceived behavioral control tended to decrease snacking, and increase exercising and drinking soft drinks among the students.

Availability:
Free
Publication Date:
2007
Author:
Jeannie A Sabari-Manafe
Order Information:
Copy available from AIIAS Leslie Hardinge Library LG224.E38 .S23 2007
Subjects:
Language:
English
Resource Type:
Unpublished Plans & Papers
Resource Objective:
Research
Level:
Tertiary
Audience:
Administrator / Leader, Researcher
Religious Origin:
Seventh-day Adventist