Supportive family relationships and adolescent health in the socio-cultural context of Iran: a qualitative study.

Abstract

Parents have a critical role in adolescent health. The association of adolescents' perceptions of family relationships with adolescent health was investigated using a sample of 67 female adolescents who participated in eight focus group discussions, utilising a purposeful sampling method. All tape-recorded data were fully transcribed and content analysis was performed. Three themes were identified, namely emotional support, responsible parents and well-informed parents. With regard to some of the challenges in Iranian adolescents' relationships with their parents, it is necessary to educate parents to be alert to their role in adolescent health.