Adolescence is often characterized as a particularly difficult time for children. Though adolescents begin to desire independence from their parents, parents still play an integral role in prevention of health-risk behaviors in their children. In fact, the quality of the parent-child relationship continues to serve as a determining factor of whether or not an adolescent will engage in harmful behaviors. Often times, this may lead to the practice of risky and harmful behaviors, such as, poor diet, substance use, unprotected sex, and reckless driving. The quality of the parent-child relationship continues to serve as a determining factor of whether or not an adolescent will engage in harmful behaviors. For instance, weekly parent-child discussions have also been identified as one of the strongest factors in influencing healthier food choices in adolescents. It is important to increase understanding of parent views about discussions of health risk behaviors with their children, in order to guide efforts to develop health communication strategies aimed at promoting parent and child discussion of these behaviors. In turn, this may lead to a decrease in youth engaging in health-risk behaviors.~This study explores parental views about discussing health risk behaviors with their children and then tests the effects of a discussion tool on parents conversations with their children about unhealthy eating, marijuana use, and sedentary behavior. Participants will include parents living in the United States who have children ages 10 to 17 years old. The study will consist of a baseline survey, and then a follow-up survey four weeks later. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three discussion tool conditions that include marijuana use, unhealthy eating, or sedentary behavior. One month later, participants will be invited to complete a follow-up survey that will measure discussion behavior, followed by items from the initial survey. Following the survey completion, participants will read a brief explanation of the study and receive links to websites of national health organizations with information about unhealthy eating and marijuana use.
It is important to increase understanding of parent views about discussions of health risk behaviors with their children, in order to guide efforts to develop health communication strategies aimed at promoting parent and child discussion of these behaviors. In turn, this may lead to a decrease in youth engaging in health-risk behaviors. This study explores parental views about discussing health risk behaviors with their children and then tests the effects of a discussion tool on parents conversations with their children about unhealthy eating, marijuana use, and sedentary behavior. Participants will include parents living in the United States who have children ages 10 to 17 years old.