사회경제적 지위가 청소년의 건강증진행동에 미치는 영향

A Study on the Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Adolescents' Health Promoting Behaviors: Mediating Effect of Family-based Activity

Although adolescents of low socioeconomic status (SES) are known to engage in health promoting behaviors (HPB) less frequently, the specific mechanism between their SES and HPB has not been extensively studied. This study assumed that family-based activities play a critical role, and are closely related to the double poverty of time and income caused by low SES, while providing adolescents with opportunities to establish desirable health behaviors. Accordingly, the mediating effect of family-based activities on the association between SES and HPB was examined. 636 adolescents and their parents from the 1st year survey of the Seoul Education & Health Welfare Panel (2014) were analyzed utilizing SEM. The results of the analysis show that adolescents of low SES engage in HPB less frequently. This association was partially mediated by family-based activities. Based on the findings, we suggest that enhancing education programs on HPB in schools and related community organizations may supplement the deficient family activities of low-SES families. The present finding encourages intervention that raises parents' awareness about the importance of family-based activities on children's HPB. Moreover, family-friendly environments promoting various family activities need to be emphasized to increase adolescents' HPB.