Citation

Hatala A, McGavock J, Michaelson V, Pickett W. Paediatr. Child Health (1996) 2021; 26(2): e121-e128.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Canadian Paediatric Society, Publisher Pulsus Group)

DOI

10.1093/pch/pxaa007

PMID

36381678

PMCID

PMC9642347

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Adolescent risk-taking behaviours, such as substance use and early sexual activity, can adversely impact physical health and psychosocial development. A connection to spiritual health may buffer against the negative health impacts of several risk-taking behaviours. The aim of this study was to determine if higher spiritual health was associated with lower risk-taking behaviours among school-attending adolescents in Saskatchewan, Canada.

METHODS: A representative sample of 4,751 adolescents in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan completed the Health Behaviour of School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire during the 2014 to 2015 school year. The main risk-taking behavioural outcomes were self-reported: smoking; alcohol; and cannabis use; as well as sexual intercourse. The main exposures related to spiritual health included four factors: connectedness to (1) one's self; (2) others; (3) nature; and (4) notions of the transcendent. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to test for associations between exposures and outcome measures.

RESULTS: The sample was balanced across gender, primarily Caucasian (71%), and primarily ages 11 to 15 years (48%). Adolescents indicated a high prevalence of spiritual health. Across all adjusted models, the results demonstrated that adolescents who value the various components of spiritual health showed a decreased likelihood of engaging in cigarette smoking, alcohol and marijuana use, and sexual intercourse.

CONCLUSION: The findings indicate the potential for spiritual health to be considered as the basis for public- and community-health interventions, pending further evidence from experimental studies.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol use; Cannabis use; Adolescence; Risk-taking behaviours; Saskatchewan; Spiritual health