Parent's perception of psychosocial factors associated with health compromising behaviours related to oral health among adolescents in South Africa
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Date
2016
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Even though the composition of the family unit has undergone considerable change in
recent decades due to a variety of socio-economic developments, it remains the first
learning environment for the child. The influence of the family continues throughout
adolescence and indeed throughout the life-course of the individual to varying degrees
because parents are powerful role models and influence. Their subjective perception of
the psychosocial factors associated with health compromising behaviours is critical in
the quality of parental participation in the prevention and control of these behaviours.
The aim of the present study was to investigate parents� perception of the psychosocial
factors outside marital and socioeconomic status that are associated with health
compromising behaviours related to oral health among adolescents. The design was a
qualitative exploratory one and the research strategy was inductive, deductive and
abductive. A non-probability purposive theoretical sampling method was employed and
data collected from five focus group interviews using a guiding questions schedule. The
sample size of 37 was determined by theoretical saturation.
Participants were aged between 28 and 75 years. Each of the five focus groups was
homogeneous in the sense of shared experience but diverse in terms of professions. The
data analysis used in this study was the grounded theory approach and a substantive
theory was generated that addressed the mitigation of adolescents� unhealthy
behaviours. The substantive theory provides an effective and holistic approach to the
problem of adolescent unhealthy behaviours. It went beyond the risk factors approach to
comprehensively address the root causes of five adolescent health compromising
behaviours viz. alcohol consumption, smoking, inadequate fruit and vegetables
consumption, inadequate oral health care and inappropriate sugar consumption.
Description
Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Community Oral Health)