You're in good hands with parents, according to a series of studies showing mom and dad's involvement and influence can insure children for big health benefits.
In a study that shows good citizenship can be good for a child's health, researchers found parents who get their offspring engaged in voting and election issues may be helping keep them from risky behaviors. Encouraging even young children to talk about their civic and community responsibilities can raise the odds they'll be focusing more on service projects than on drugs, drinking or violence, the scientists say.
As with any attempt to influence behavior -- be it to vote or eat healthy -- the endeavor must start early and be repeated often for reinforcement, advises Marc Zimmerman, research psychologist and professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Youngsters of all ages, but particularly pre-teens and teens, can understand and discuss election issues, but parents often don't bring politics to the table and, even worse, set a bad example by not taking advantage of their right to vote, Zimmerman says.
Perhaps as a result, only one in five eligible voters between 18 and 24 takes part in presidential elections, and the numbers continue their 30-year plunge.
Whatever the reasons for the lackluster interest, parents can influence their children to take a more active role in their neighborhoods and nation, but they must start early, Zimmerman says.
"We find that adolescents, especially high-school-age kids, are very important because they're soon going to be in that 18-to-24-year range," he says. "And if you don't instill some interest in voting, civic duty, civic pride and engagement in the world before they get there, you've lost them."
Zimmerman advocates adding civic duty to other health-promoting lessons parents teach their children.
"A basic principle in public health is that if we can reach people early in the process of their development, we can potentially instill in them a lifestyle that's healthy, and keep them having a higher quality of life into their adult and older years," he says.
"We've found that high school kids who engage in extracurricular activities through church or community organizations are less likely to be depressed, they feel better about themselves, they're less likely to engage in drug use and violent behavior, and they're more likely to be productive citizens, take pride in their community and their country, and work to help people."
There are other ways parents can help their children avoid the health-harming pitfalls of youth, such as underage drinking.
A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health shows teens are more likely to binge drink if their parents or their friends' parents provide alcohol for a party at their home, an increasingly common occurrence.
"Parental approval of underage alcohol use is surprisingly prevalent," says Kristie Foley, researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
In her survey, one in four respondents ages 16 to 20 had attended a party for which a parent supplied the drinks.
"Parents have good intentions, thinking the teenagers won't drink and drive, that they are safer staying at home, but it sends the wrong message," Foley says. "Adolescents interpret this behavior as an approval to drink alcoholic beverages."
Her study showed teenagers with booze-bearing parents were twice as likely to binge drink and use alcohol within a 30-day period as their peers with non-supplying moms and dads.
Strict house rules on drinking also helped keep teens away from the bottle, Foley found.
"If a teen thinks he or she will receive severe punishment (as perceived by the teen) if they are caught drinking, they are less likely to consume alcoholic beverages," she says.
Foley advises parents to check up on the drinking attitudes of their children's friends and their families.
"As teens go through puberty, parental involvement does matter," Foley assures. "They can influence their child's behavior in a positive way."
Such influence can last a lifetime, other research suggests. A nationwide survey of 2,100 parents shows their own upbringing plays a big part in how they discipline their child.
Dr. Shari Barkin, a pediatrician at Wake Forest Baptist's Brenner Children's Hospital, and her colleagues found 42 percent of parents use time-outs, 41 percent remove privileges, 13 percent yell and 9 percent spank their children to keep discipline in the house.
The choice they make is strongly influenced by the way their parents handled behavior problems during their childhood, says Foley, who presented the findings at a Pediatric Academic Society annual meeting.
"Discipline is a vital part of good parenting; teaching children appropriate behaviors, limits and consequences for their actions," she says. "This helps them maneuver their way through life."
With your children tow the line, and you can know they'll do just fine.
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UPI Consumer Health welcomes comments on this column. E-mail Lidia Wasowicz at [email protected].
