Family characteristics and health behaviours of adolescents and families

The relationship between general family characteristics, represented by family cohesion and adaptability, and health behaviours (smoking, alcohol use, food choice, sleeping, Body Mass Index, and physical activity) is studied in a first study of 429 adolescents and young adults, and in a second study of 522 family triads (adolescent-mother-father). Using cluster analysis, adolescent groups with four different profiles of health behaviour were identified Very similar results were found in the two studies. The health behaviour patterns in the different subgroups show that forms of(un)desirable health behaviours are interrelated in some clusters. Adolescents in the most healthy clusters, consistently reported highest levels of family cohesion. The relationship between family adaptability and health behaviours showed only limited significance. In families characterised by a high level of emotional bonding between family members together with stability and regularity in roles, rules and power structure, adolescents' behaviour is the most healthy. The findings suggest that parental involvement is desirable in health promotion intervention. Further, it seems possible that health behaviours originate from a relatively small set of family characteristics and that modifying family interactions might be powerful, albeit very difficult to do so, in changing a variety of health behaviours in adolescents.