1.Associations Between Parental Monitoring and Health Risk Behaviors Among Mongolian Adolescents
Bayarjargal Uuganbayar ; Bettina F Piko
Mongolian Medical Sciences 2025;212(2):30-41
Background:
Adolescents’ health risk behaviors tend to increase during the high school years. Parental
control from the family may serve as protective factors against substance use and early
sexual activity.
Aim:
In this study, we aim to examine the prevalence of health-risk behaviors, namely alcohol
consumption, tobacco use, and risky sexual practices among Mongolian adolescents, and to
evaluate the impact of parental monitoring on these behaviors.
Method:
Participants of this cross-sectional survey were Mongolian adolescents (N = 312) from 9th to
12th grades of high schools living in provinces. The self-completed questionnaire included
items on the students’ sexual behavior and substance use (Health Behavior in School
aged Children, HBSC study; Inchley et al., 2018) and parental control (Parental Monitoring
Instrument; Cottrell et al., 2007).
Results:
Seven forms of parental monitoring were measured: direct and indirect, school, health,
computer, phone, and restrictive monitoring. The parents’ indirect monitoring declined with
age (r =-0.12, p <0.05). Among the forms of parental control, phone monitoring showed
the strongest correlations with adolescent behaviors: having a boy or girlfriend (r = -0.25, p
<0.001) and having sexual intercourse (r =-0.21, p <0.001). Besides, restrictive monitoring
also played a role in having a boy or girlfriend (r = -15, p <0.01) and previous sexual
experiences (r = -11, p<0.05).
Conclusion
Parental monitoring might play a lesser role in adolescent substance use as we expected.
In contrast, certain form of parental control, namely, phone and restrictive monitoring might
prevent adolescents from early sexual activity.
Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail