Parents’ Motivation to Preserve their Child’s Health: Sociological Analysis

In order to study the possibilities of family influence on child health, to characterize the motivation to preserve it among parents of Belarusian 10-14-year-old adolescents, we analyzed publications and open access Internet sources РИНЦ, Springer, WHO Internet portal, as well as the materials of a survey of 1230 respondents raising 10-14-year-old children (the sample is territorially representative for the Republic of Belarus), using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. It was found that family factors retain leading positions in the formation of adolescent health, regardless of national specifics. The motivation to preserve their child’s health among parents raising 10-14-year-old children living in Belarus, as well as the responsibility for its preservation and strengthening, has been sufficiently formed. Along with a certain distrust and insufficient understanding of the state contribution to the activities aimed at improving the health of adolescents, such formed personal responsibility indicates the need for interaction between the state authorities and families at the practical level, the level of local communities and schools, and the importance of greater popularization of the actions of the legislative and executive authorities, which are already being objectively implemented in this direction. The risk of a dependent position with shifting responsibility ‘on the shoulders’ of the state is relatively low — no more than 25% of families need additional control and, possibly, social and psychological support.