| Learning Objective #1: Relate how powerlessness, stress, social support, and selected demographic variables affect the health-promoting behaviors of late adolescents | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Identify the health-promoting behaviors of late adolescents and apply the findings to nursing practice |
Adolescents engaging in health-promoting behaviors continue to decrease in numbers and may be related to powerlessness, stress and social support. There is paucity in the research literature on these variables in late adolescents. This descriptive correlational study examined the relationship of powerlessness, stress, social support and selected demographic variables to health-promoting behaviors in late adolescents and explored the differences that existed in the health-promoting behaviors of late adolescents. First and second year college students (ages 18-20) in one community college and one university in the Midwest were asked to participate in the study (n=215). The Powerlessness Scale was used to measure powerlessness, the Lifestyle Profile II questionnaire measured health-promoting behaviors. The stress variable was measured by the Modified Daily Hasles Scale. The social support level was measured by the PRQ85-Part II. A demographic data form measured gender, ethnicity, academic standing, and socioeconomic status. The study was guided by the Revised Health promotion model for its conceptual orientation. Reliability and validity of the tools were determined by a pilot study. The findings of the study include; (1) the increase in social support predicted the increase in the engagement in health-promoting behaviors, (2) high levels of stress predicted low health-promoting behaviors, (3) powerlessness was inversely predictive of the late adolescents' health-promoting behaviors, and (4) males engage in health-promoting behaviors by doing physical activities and stress management while females engage in health-promoting behaviors through personal relations. Through the identification of relationships between these variables, nurses may be able to identify adolescents at risk and intervene prior to the youth's injury or pathology. The results of the study are expected to provide knowledge in the area of health promotion and nursing and to improve nursing services to adolescents.
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