The Effect of Religious Beliefs and Perceived Social Support on the Tendency Toward High-Risk Behaviors in Boys Studying in Senior High Schools

Mohamadi, Seyed Yazdan; Sotoodeh Asl, Nemat; Jahan, Faezeh; Moazedian, Ameneh

Volume 12 - Articles-1401 MEJDS (2022) 12: 71 | Back to browse issues page

Mendeley

Zotero

RefWorks

Mohamadi S Y, Sotoodeh Asl N, Jahan F, Moazedian A. The Effect of Religious Beliefs and Perceived Social Support on the Tendency Toward High-Risk Behaviors in Boys Studying in Senior High Schools. MEJDS 2022; 12 :71-71
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-2229-en.html

The Effect of Religious Beliefs and Perceived Social Support on the Tendency Toward High-Risk Behaviors in Boys Studying in Senior High Schools

Seyed Yazdan Mohamadi¹

, Nemat Sotoodeh Asl ^*²

, Faezeh Jahan²

, Ameneh Moazedian²

1- Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University
2- Department of Psychology, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University

Abstract: (1394 Views)

Background & Objective: Adolescence is one of the most critical periods of human life that plays a vital role in his or her future. High–risk behaviors are those that endanger the health and well–being of adolescents. These behaviors have a direct and indirect impact on an individual's health, family, and society with negative consequences. This study aimed to investigate the effect of religious beliefs and perceived social support on the tendency to high–risk behaviors among male high school students.
Methods: The present research was a correlational study using the structural equation modeling method. The statistical population included all boys studying in senior high schools in Tehran City, Iran, in the academic year of 2020. Using a multi–stage cluster sampling, we selected our samples among 4 districts of Tehran. In the first stage, 4 districts were randomly selected, then two high schools were randomly selected from each district, and finally, 25 students were randomly selected from each school. Therefore, the final sample size was 100 students. The Religious Attitudes Questionnaire (Sarajzadeh, 1999), High–Risk Behaviors (Zadeh Mohammadi, 2008), and Vaux Social Support Appraisals (Vaux et al., 1986) scale were used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed by multivariate regression and the Pearson correlation test in SPSS–21 and smart PLS–3 software. The significance level of all tests was set at 0.01.
Results: Demographic findings showed that the mean (SD) age of samples was 16.80 (0.76) years. Out of 100 participants, 45 (45%) were in the 10^th grade, 40 (40%) in the 11^th grade, and 15 (15%) in the 12^th grade. Personal reports also indicate that 76% (n=76) of individuals reported moderate to very good socioeconomic status. Besides, the results of the Pearson correlation test showed a significant negative correlation (r=-0.48; p<0.005) between religious beliefs and a tendency to high–risk behaviors. Also, the correlations between family and friends' support for high–risk behaviors were r=-0.26 (p<0.001) and r=-0.20 (p<0.002), respectively. The final model showed the significant direct effect of religious tendencies on high–risk behaviors (B=-0.39; p<0.001) and its indirect effect mediated by social support (B=-0.362; p<0.001). The study of CV–communality indices (SSE and 1– (SSE/SSO)) for the hidden variables of social support, high–risk behaviors, and religiosity were (112.20, 0.77), (956.83, 0.41) and (1012.00, 857.82), respectively which indicates the validity of the model.
Conclusion: According to the study findings, religion is a protective factor against high–risk behaviors and, combined with the perceived social support of important adolescents, can be very effective in avoiding high–risk behaviors.

Keywords: Religious beliefs, Risky behaviors, Perceived social support, Adolescents

Full-Text [PDF 678 kb] (581 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Psychology

References

1. Asghari Sharabiani A, Mikaeili N. The role of family function in predicting the moral identity of high school boys with high-risk behaviors. Bioethics Journal. 2019;9(33):31–40. [Persian] [DOI]

2. Tsitsimpikou C, Tsarouhas K, Vasilaki F, Papalexis P, Dryllis G, Choursalas A, et al. Health risk behaviors among high school and university adolescent students. Exp Ther Med. 2018;16(4):3433–8. [DOI]

3. Shahi H, Sadeghi Afjeh Z, Moradi Abbasabadi F. The relationship between attachment styles and self-control with high-risk behaviors among female students' high schools of Tehran city. New Advances in Behavioral Sciences. 2020;5(45):12–24. [Persian] [Article]

4. Korpics J, Stillerman A, Hinami K, Dharmapuri S, Feinglass J. Declining health risk exposure among Chicago public high school students: trends from the youth risk behavior survey 1997–2017. Prev Med Rep. 2020;20:101161. [DOI]

5. Ahmad Sermori P, Mardani Karani J, Nazari Sarmazeh F, Sayyadi Shahraki Z, Omidian Dehkordi M. The Effectiveness of admission and commitment group therapy on decreasing impulsivity and high risk behaviors of secondary school students. Rooyesh. 2020;8(12):21–30. [Persian] [Article]

6. Soleimaninasab F, Gholamrezaei S, Veiskarami H. Compilation and validation of "assessing the amount of tendency to risk taking in Iranian young students" questionnaire along the realization of religious training goals. Applied Issues in Quarterly Journal of Islamic Education. 2018;3(3):59–84. [Persian] [DOI]

7. Smith C. Theorizing religious effects among American adolescents. J Scientific Study of Religion. 2003;42(1):17–30. [DOI]

8. Ikiz FE, Cakar FS. Perceived social support and self-esteem in adolescence. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2010;5:2338–42. [DOI]

9. Ameri Z, Mirzakhani F, Nabipour AR, Khanjani N, Sullman MJ. The relationship between religion and risky behaviors among Iranian university students. J Relig Health. 2017;56(6):2010–22.‌ [DOI]

10. Ahmadi H, Shahhasani A. Barrasiye naghshe paybandi be din dar pishgiri az raftarhaye por khatar dar mian javanan 18-30 sale shahrestan haye Estahban va Fasa [Investigating the role of adherence to religion in preventing high-risk behaviors among young people aged 30-30 in Estahban and Fasa counties]. Journal of Social Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar Branch. 2017;11(1):1–34. [Persian]

11. Ghiasi S, Moradi A, Habibian Sh, Mardanizad E. Barrasiye elale etiad az didgahe daneshjooyan daneshgahe Payame Noor Shahre Kord [Investigating the causes of addiction from the perspective of students of Payame Noor University of Shahrekord]. Police Science Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari. 2020;8(29):77–98. [Persian] [Article]

12. Jocson RM, Alers-Rojas F, Ceballo R, Arkin M. Religion and spirituality: benefits for Latino adolescents exposed to community violence. Youth & Society. 2020;52(3):349–76. [DOI]

13. Mehrabi HA, Mahmoodi F, Molavi H. Predicting the tendency to high risk behaviors based on religious beliefs, emotion seeking, environmental pollution and media among female students. Knowledge and Research in Applied Psychology. 2015;17(2):4–14. [Persian] [Article]

14. Bazzazian S, Rajaei Y, Afsari L. The inhibitor role of religious beliefs and family belonging in tendency towards smoking, addictive substance and alcohol consumption. Family Psychology. 2014;1(1):19–28. [Persian] [Article]

15. Gülaçtı F. The effect of perceived social support on subjective well-being. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2010;2(2):3844–9. [DOI]

16. Sadri Damirchi E, Honarmand Ghojebegloo P, Basir Amir SM, Gholizade B. Predicting risk-taking behaviors based on the role of perceived social support components, emotional expression and brain- behavioral systems in addicts. Horizon Med Sci. 2019;25(4):282–97. [Persian] [DOI]

17. Nejati Sooq SM, Mohammadhossini Servak R, Mansoorian SMA, Bezorghyan L, Jamali Nasab Z, Jamali Nasab A. Determining the prevalence of high-risk behaviors among adolescents and its relation to perceived social support in Yasuj, Iran, in 2016. Armaghane-Danesh. 2019;24(1):110–21. [Persian] [Article]

18. Lundberg CA, McIntire DD, Creasman CT. Sources of social support and self-efficacy for adult Students. Journal of College Counseling. 2008;11(1):58–72. [DOI]

19. Banstola RS, Ogino T, Inoue S. Self-esteem, perceived social support, social capital, and risk-behavior among urban high school adolescents in Nepal. SSM Popul Health. 2020;11:100570. [DOI]

20. Reininger BM, Pérez A, Aguirre Flores MI, Chen Z, Rahbar MH. Perceptions of social support, empowerment and youth risk behaviors. J Primary Prevent. 2012;33(1):33–46. [DOI]

21. Abdi Hamalabad M, Narimani M. Moghayeseye hemayat ejtemaei edrak shode dar danesh amoozan b ava bedoone sabegheye raftarhaye por khatar [Comparison of perceived social support in students with and without a history of high-risk behaviors]. In: The first national conference of Farda School [Internet]. Ardabil; 2020. [Persian]

22. Peviani KM, Brieant A, Holmes CJ, King‐Casas B, Kim‐Spoon J. Religious social support protects against social risks for adolescent substance use. J Res Adolesc. 2020;30(2):361–1. [DOI]

23. Hoyle RH. Structural equation modeling: concepts, issues, and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc; 1995.

24. Zadeh Mohammadi A, Ahmadabadi Z, Heidari M. Construction and Assessment of Psychometric Features of Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale. IJPCP. 2011; 17 (3) :218-225. [Persian] [Article]

25. Glock CY, Stark R. Religion and society in tension. Chicago: Rand McNally; 1965.

26. Sirajzadeh SH. Negareshe ha va raftarhaye dini nojavanan Tehrani va delalat haye an bar nazariye ye Secular shodan [Religious attitudes and behaviors of Tehran adolescents and its implications for the theory of Secularization]. Research Index Quarterly. 1999;9 & 10:105–20. [Persian]

27. Sharifi T. Rabeteye negareshe dini ba salamate omoumi, afsordegi, ezterab, parkhashgari va sabr dar daneshgahe Azad Eslami Vahede Ahvaz [The relationship between religious attitude and general health, depression, anxiety, aggression and patience in the Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz] [Thesis for MSc]. [Ahvaz, Iran]: Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz; 2007. [Persian]

28. Vaux A, Phillips J, Holly L, Thomson B, Williams D, Stewart D. The Social Support Appraisals (SS-A) Scale: studies of reliability and validity. Am J Community Psychol. 1986;14(2):195–218. [DOI]

29. Shahbakhsh A. Barrasi va moghayeseye rabeteye beyne ab'aad kamal garaei, hemayat ejtemaei ba farsoodegi tahsili dar daneshjouyan ba sootoohe bala va paeine farsoodegi tahsili daneshgahe Allame Tabatabai [Investigating and comparing the relationship between the dimensions of perfectionism, social support and academic burnout in students with high and low levels of academic burnout at Allameh Tabatabai University] [Thesis for MSc]. [Tehran, Iran]: Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Allameh Tabatabai University; 2007. [Persian]

30. Spohr SA, Suzuki S, Marshall B, Taxman FS, Walters ST. Social support quality and availability affects risk behaviors in offenders. Health & Justice. 2016;4:2–12. [DOI]

31. Hamdan S, Peterseil-Yaul T. Exploring the psychiatric and social risk factors contributing to suicidal behaviors in religious young adults. Psychiatry Res. 2020;287:112449. [DOI]

32. Amraee K, Aghajan M, Romiani R. Prediction of risky behavior of college students based on family and friends social support. Police Knowledge of Lorestan Province Applied Research Office-Lorestan Police. 2017;5(17):48–62. [Persian] [Article]