Associations between Perceptions of School Connectedness and Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors in South African High School Learners

Autor/inn/en	Govender, Kaymarlin; Naicker, Sara Naomi; Meyer-Weitz, Anna; Fanner, Joanne; Naidoo, Avanya; Penfold, Wendy Leigh
Titel	Associations between Perceptions of School Connectedness and Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors in South African High School Learners
Quelle	In: Journal of School Health, 83 (2013) 9, S.614-622 (9 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-4391
DOI	10.1111/josh.12073
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Correlation; At Risk Persons; Health Behavior; Student School Relationship; Learner Engagement; High School Students; Student Attitudes; Substance Abuse; Violence; Sexuality; Suicide; Psychological Patterns; Questionnaires; Predictor Variables; Age Differences; Gender Differences; South Africa; Youth Risk Behavior Survey + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Korrelation; Risikogruppe; Health behaviour; Gesundheitsverhalten; Schüler-Lehrer-Beziehung; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Schülerverhalten; Drug use; Drug consomption; Drogenkonsum; Gewalt; Sexualität; Selbstmord; Fragebogen; Prädiktor; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Geschlechterkonflikt; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Background: This study investigated the relationship between school connectedness and health risk behaviors, specifically, substance abuse, violence-related behaviors, sexual risk behaviors, and suicidal ideation among school-going adolescents. School connectedness was understood to encompass a range of aspects pertaining to a learner's sense of belonging to the school. We hypothesized that strong perceptions of school connectedness will more likely be associated with lower levels of risk behaviors among school-going adolescents. Methods: The study was conducted in 2 neighboring public co-educational schools in Durban, South Africa. Independent measures assessed school connectedness, substance abuse, violence-related behaviors, sexual risk behaviors, and suicidal ideation. Results: Strong negative correlations were found between adolescents' perceptions of school connectedness and the 4 health risk behaviors, particularly suicidal ideation. The relative importance of risk factors was also evidenced in the sample. Conclusions: Adolescents with lower perceptions of school connectedness were more likely to engage in various risk behaviors, supporting the literature that a lack of school connectedness can act as a risk factor for adolescent involvement in clustering of risk behaviors. Further the relative weighting of individual risk factors, it is argued, was an effect of the sociocultural context of the study. (Contains 5 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10