A Childhood Attachment and Adolescent's Self Esteem as Predictors of Health Efficacy in Adolescents

애착과 자아존중감이 청소년의 건강효능감에 미치는 영향

Purpose: Adolescence is viewed as a critical period in the formation of health behavior and many health behaviors developed during this era persist into adulthood. Social-cognitive theory, self-efficacy as a central construct, has been used to predict and intervene the health behavioral patterns in adolescent. Previous research demonstrated that the attachment in childhood and self-esteem as psychosocial factors are predictors of the health efficacy in adolescent and it is viewed as solely an antecedent for the lifelong health behavior. Method: To investigate the path pattern of attachment in childhood, self-esteem and health efficacy in adolescents, 381 adolescents in high school from two urban cities in Korea were recruited for cross-sectional sample. Attachment in childhood was measured using Mother-Father-Peer Scale. Self esteem was measured with Hare self esteem. Perceived self efficacy in Health was measured by the School Health Efficacy Questionnaire. The path analysis revealed a significant relationship between attachment in childhood and self-esteem, self-esteem and health efficacy in adolescents. Self esteem was the strongest contributing factor for health efficacy in adolescent. The results suggest that attachment in childhood may aid in formulating positive self -esteem in adolescents and self-esteem played a major role in predicting health efficacy in adolescents. Conclusion: Therefore, self-esteem enrichment should be incorporated with adolescent health promotion and certainly should be a component in any health education program in school health program and interventions. These results have implications of psychosocial and family related factors on health promotion and health education for the health care provider with regard to primary and secondary prevention in adolescent population.