Perceived Parenting Practices and Health-risk Behaviours Among Indian Adolescents: the Mediating Role of Emotion-regulation Difficulties

Preventing adolescents from engaging in Health-Risk Behaviours (HRBs) requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors linked to HRBs. Factors like dysfunctional parenting practices and emotion regulation difficulties may significantly contribute to the development and persistence of HRBs. However, this association, particularly the mediating effects of emotion-regulation difficulties, has not been extensively investigated among Indian adolescents, as such research has predominantly centred around Western cultures. The current study explored emotion-regulation difficulties as a mediator in the association between perceived parenting practices and HRBs. The sample comprises 723 adolescents (Mage = 16.05; Males = 440) selected from various schools in the Punjab state of India. Structural equation modelling using item-parcels and the path analysis tested the stated hypotheses. As hypothesized, difficulties in emotion regulation were found to be a partial mediator of the parenting-HRB relationship. By offering empirical evidence of this mediational mechanism, the study enhances our understanding of how perceived parenting influences adolescent behaviour. Emotion dysregulation may be the underlying factor behind the development and maintenance of HRBs. These insights can guide researchers in designing targeted interventions to address emotion regulation difficulties and, in turn, help reduce HRBs among adolescents. The study explored the inter-construct association between parenting, emotion regulation and health-risk behaviours (HRBs)Adolescents who experience positive parenting practices and active parental involvement are less likely to engage in HRBs.Adolescents' perception of maladaptive parenting practices is positively associated with their likelihood of engaging in HRBsDifficulties in emotion regulation emerged as a partial mediator of the parenting-HRB relationship.Emotion regulation interventions and positive parenting training may help mitigate adolescents' indulgence in HRBs.