Factors influencing health practices of Nepalese adolescent girls

Abstract

Introduction: Nepalese adolescents, like their counterparts in other places of the world, need to focus on positive health care practices. There is a paucity of studies on factors that influence positive health practices among adolescents in developing countries such as Nepal. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between social support, self-esteem, hopefulness, and positive health practices among Nepalese adolescent girls. Methods: A convenience sample of 101 Nepalese adolescent girls participated in the study. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Personal Resource Questionnaire, Part II, The Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents, and The Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire were used to measure self-esteem, social support, hope, and health practices of adolescents, respectively. Pearson product moment correlations were used to analyze the data. Results: Statistically positive correlations were found between positive health practices and social support, self-esteem, and hope. Conclusion: The data demonstrated that social support, self-esteem, and hope relate to positive health practices of Nepalese adolescent girls. Nurse practitioners and other health care providers need to better understand factors that impact the health of adolescents around the world. J Pediatr Health Care. (2001). 15, 251-255.