Status Of Family Functioning And Its Inlfuencing Factors Among Chinese Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study In Hefei

ObjectivesThis study was to explore the status and influencing factors of family functioningincluding cohesion, adaptability and family types among middle school students inHefei, so as to provide theoretical basis for related departments to make health servicepolicies and take pertinent intervention measures.Methods2916students from junior high schools and senior high schools were selected bystratified cluster sampling to fill out the anonymous questionnaire voluntarily, whichincluded Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACESⅡ-CV),Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ),UCLA-Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), self-Esteem Scale (SES) and so on. At the base ofunivariate analysis, stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was employed toexplore the relationship among influencing factors of family cohesion and adaptability,and multiple Logistic regression analysis was employed among influencing factors offamily types.ResultsAmong middle school students in Hefei, the score of family cohesion was63.76±10.96, compared with Chinese norm (63.9±8.0), no significant difference wasfound (t=-0.69，P>0.05). The score of family adaptability was42.49±9.61, which was lower than Chinese norm (50.9±6.2), and there was a significant difference betweenthem (t=-47.26, P<0.001). The multiple linear regression analysis showed that poorrelationship with parents, higher scores of UCLA-loneliness, self-Esteem, negativecoping style and depression, lower scores of positive coping style and level of fathers’education, parents’ divorce were the risk factors of family cohesion. However, poorrelationship with parents, higher scores of UCLA-loneliness, self-Esteem anddepression, lower scores of positive coping style and level of fathers’ education were therisk factors of family adaptability.Among middle school students in Hefei, balanced families were main family typewhich accounted for58.26%(1699/2916); then midrange families accounted for21.26%(620/2916); extreme families were least, only accounted for20.47%(597/2916).With balanced families as compared, multiple logistic regression analysis showed thatthe students who were female, poor relationship with parents, light study pressure ormothers’ college education degree or over (compared with junior high school educationdegree) tend to extreme families and that the students who were female, poorrelationship with parents, or moderate study pressure tend to midrange families. Therewere no significant difference among three family families in psychological health levelwhich included depression, loneliness, self-esteem and copying style.ConclusionIn microcosmic view, the score of family cohesion was consistent with Chinesenorm among middle school students in Hefei. However, the score of family adaptabilitywas lower than Chinese norm. So it’s completely necessary to adopt related measures toimprove middle school students’ family adaptability. In macroscopic view, amongmiddle school students in Hefei, balanced families were main family type, thenmidrange families, finally extreme families. So the family functioning is comparativelygood in this area. Taken overall, the influencing factors of family functioning among adolescents were many-sided, we should take pertinent measures to enhance middlestudents’ family adaptability and to transit and optimize extreme families and midrangefamilies into balanced families associated with family, school and society.