Religious Affiliation Influences on the Health Status and Behaviours of Students Attending Seventh-Day Adventist Schools in Australia

Students attending Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia have been shown to have better health status and behaviours compared to secular norms, yet these schools cater for a high percentage of non-Adventist students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of reli...

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Authors: Craig, Bevan Adrian (Author) ; Butler, Terry Leslie (Author) ; Gane, Alva Barry (Author) ; Kent, Lillian Marton (Author) ; Morton, Darren Peter (Author) ; Price, Kevin Ross (Author) ; Rankin, Paul Meredith (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. [2018]
In: Journal of religion and health
Year: 2018, Volume: 57, Issue: 3, Pages: 994-1009
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Summary:Students attending Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia have been shown to have better health status and behaviours compared to secular norms, yet these schools cater for a high percentage of non-Adventist students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of religious affiliation (Adventist/non-Adventist) on the health status and behaviours of students attending Adventist secondary schools in Australia. The sample included 1734 students who responded to a health and lifestyle survey that captured demographic details, self-reported height and weight, self-reported health status, mental health and select health behaviours. Students who identified themselves as Adventist reported significantly better health behaviours than the non-Adventist students in several behavioural domains, especially among the male students. However, this did not translate to a difference in health status. Further research is needed to understand the causal mechanisms responsible for the potential health advantage of Adventist students, which may include family or church religious influences.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0495-9