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Religious Affiliation Influences on the Health Status and Behaviours of Students Attending Seventh-Day Adventist Schools in Australia

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Abstract

Students attending Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia have been shown to have better health status and behaviours compared to secular norms, yet these schools cater for a high percentage of non-Adventist students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of religious affiliation (Adventist/non-Adventist) on the health status and behaviours of students attending Adventist secondary schools in Australia. The sample included 1734 students who responded to a health and lifestyle survey that captured demographic details, self-reported height and weight, self-reported health status, mental health and select health behaviours. Students who identified themselves as Adventist reported significantly better health behaviours than the non-Adventist students in several behavioural domains, especially among the male students. However, this did not translate to a difference in health status. Further research is needed to understand the causal mechanisms responsible for the potential health advantage of Adventist students, which may include family or church religious influences.

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Acknowledgements

T.L.B and K.R.P received funding from the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the administration and data collection of the survey. The funder had no involvement in: study design, data analysis and interpretation of data, the writing of the paper or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. No honoraria were involved in study authorship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lifestyle Research Centre, Avondale College of Higher Education, PO Box 19, Cooranbong, NSW, 2265, Australia

    Bevan Adrian Craig, Darren Peter Morton, Lillian Marton Kent, Terry Leslie Butler & Paul Meredith Rankin

  2. Avondale Seminary, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, NSW, Australia

    Alva Barry Gane

  3. Adventist Health, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Wahroonga, NSW, Australia

    Kevin Ross Price

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  1. Bevan Adrian Craig
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  2. Darren Peter Morton
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Correspondence to Bevan Adrian Craig.

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Authors Bevan Adrian Craig, Darren Peter Morton, Lillian Marton Kent, Alva Barry Gane and Paul Meredith Rankin declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Craig, B.A., Morton, D.P., Kent, L.M. et al. Religious Affiliation Influences on the Health Status and Behaviours of Students Attending Seventh-Day Adventist Schools in Australia. J Relig Health 57, 994–1009 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0495-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0495-9

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