EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS IN HIGH SCHOOL GIRL STUDENTS

Life style of every person is effective on his/her health, and health promoting behaviors and hygienic lifestyles are the main strategies for facilitation and protection of health in adolescents. The family is one of the most important factors influencing the health promoting behaviors of adolescents. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between health promoting behaviors and family characteristics in high school students of Isfahan District 2. The study is a descriptive-analytic one, and statistical population was consisted of 500 people from high school students Isfahan District 2 who were selected by multi stage random sampling. Data collection has been performed by standard questionnaire of health promoting behaviors (HPLPII) that were filled by sample and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS-11 package. Findings of the study indicated that total score mean of health promoting behaviors in students was 71.2± 21. The highest score received in the studied samples is in the area of spiritual growth (19.7± 6.1), and the lowest score received in physical activity (6.1±4.7). Also, the scores of stress management and self-responsibility for health, total score of health-promoting behaviors are lower than average, and interpersonal relationships is higher than average (except in the nutrition area that is average). The findings also revealed a statistically significant relationship between the number of variables, including the number of brothers, paternal age, maternal age, father's education, mother's education, family income, relationship with mother, relationship with parents, parent's relationship with each other, and life satisfaction among parents with student behaviors(p<0/05). Considering the vital role of the family in adolescent's behavior, and also considering adolescence period as infrastructure for future life and society health, provision of appropriate hygienic services and consultative-educational services to adolescents and their families should be considered in direction with hygienic services of schools.