Abstract
The present study primarily aims to examine differences in the use of tobacco and alcohol by junior high school students under different parental control levels (including parental psychological control and parental behavioral control). It thus explores the regulatory effect of parental control on the relationship between adolescent sensation seeking and tobacco and alcohol use. A total of 1,050 junior high school students in Shandong province were surveyed using sensation-seeking scale, parental control scale, and adolescent health-related risk behavior questionnaire. As the results showed, (1) sensation seeking and gender had effects on the use of tobacco and alcohol among junior high school students; (2) parental psychological control can enhance and moderate the relationship between sensation seeking and the use of tobacco and alcohol; (3) parental behavioral control cannot regulate the relationship between sensation seeking and the use of tobacco and alcohol among junior high school students; and (4) no significant urban-rural differences were found regarding the regulatory effects of parental psychological control on sensation seeking and alcohol and tobacco use in junior high school students.
Highlights
In recent years, smoking and drinking among junior high school students have become a public health issue attracting great concern
We propose Hypothesis 3: parental control can moderate the relationship between sensation seeking and the use of tobacco and alcohol in junior high school students; Hypothesis 3a: parental psychological control can enhance the relationship between sensation seeking and tobacco and alcohol use in junior high school students; and Hypothesis 3b: parental behavioral control can weaken the relationship between sensation seeking and the use of tobacco and alcohol in junior high school students
The present study primarily aimed to examine differences in the use of tobacco and alcohol by junior high school students under different parental control levels and further explore the relationship between sensation seeking and alcohol and tobacco use at high and low levels of parental control
Summary
In recent years, smoking and drinking among junior high school students (mostly aged 12–15) have become a public health issue attracting great concern. According to the 2018 Alcohol and Health Status Report published by the World Health Organization, more than a quarter (26.5%) of adolescents aged 15–19 are current drinkers (World Health Organization, 2018). This rebellious phenomenon is prominent due to the imbalance between the physiological maturity and psychological maturity of junior high school students (Han et al, 2016), which is likely to cause adolescents to violate their parents’ wishes and to engage in negative behaviors, such as smoking and drinking. To prevent and control the tobacco and alcohol use in junior high school students, it is necessary to explore its influencing factors and its mechanism of action
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