Empowering Parents: Nurturing Spiritual Health to Prevent Childhood Addiction through the Lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

This study explores the role of parental spiritual health in shaping behavioral intentions to prevent addiction, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a conceptual framework. A total of 375 parents participated, with data collected on their spiritual health, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions toward addiction prevention. Descriptive statistics indicated moderate spiritual health and generally positive attitudes toward addiction prevention. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between parental spiritual health and TPB components, with behavioral intentions to prevent addiction showing the strongest correlation with spiritual health (r = 0.50). A multiple regression analysis indicated that attitudes, spiritual health, and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of behavioral intentions, explaining 16% of the variance. Further, moderation analysis showed that spiritual health strengthened the effect of attitudes on behavioral intentions. Additionally, an independent t-test revealed that parents with high spiritual health exhibited significantly higher behavioral intentions than those with low spiritual health. Socio-demographic factors, particularly education level, influenced behavioral intentions, with parents holding higher education exhibiting stronger intentions. These findings suggest that spiritual health plays a crucial role in shaping parental intentions to prevent addiction, with practical implications for addiction prevention programs. Future research should further explore causal relationships and test interventions designed to enhance spiritual health and attitudes toward addiction prevention.