An investigation of a theoretical model of health-related outcomes of resilience in middle adolescents

The purpose of this study was to develop a theory-based just-identified model to better understand resilience and its direct and indirect effects on theorized health outcomes in middle adolescents. The study empirically tested the direct effects of resilience on a) hope, b) well-being, and c) health-promoting lifestyles, and the direct effects of hope on (d) well-being and (e) health promoting lifestyles. The indirect effects of resilience on (a) well-being, and (b) health-promoting lifestyle through hope were also examined. The final sample of 311 of middle-adolescents, aged 15 to 17, was recruited at a northern New Jersey public high school. Participants completed the demographic data sheet and four instruments measuring the study variables during their regularly scheduled health classes. The structural equation model was tested with the LISREL 8.80 software program. Results indicated that resilience had a direct effect on hope (Gamma = .66, p < .001), well-being (Gamma = .44, p < .001), and health-promoting lifestyles (Gamma = .56, p < .001). Hope also had a direct effect on well-being (Beta = .42, p < .001), and health-promoting lifestyle (Beta =.26, p < .001). Resilience had an indirect effect on both well-being and health-promoting lifestyle through hope. The unhypothesized correlated error term between well-being and health- promoting lifestyle, the two dependent variables, was psi = 0.13, p < .001. All of the seven hypotheses in this study were derived from theory and were supported empirically, providing evidence of the predictive power of the theoretical propositions tested. Therefore, it can be concluded that resilience has direct positive effects on hope, well-being, and health-promoting lifestyle in middle adolescents, and that hope had direct positive effects on well-being and health-promoting lifestyle. Additionally, resilience has an indirect effect on well-being and health-promoting lifestyle through hope in middle adolescents. Finally, it can be concluded that resilience is a strong predictor of hope and that resilience is a better predictor than hope for the two health-related outcomes, well-being and health-promoting lifestyle.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Robert L. Scoloven