Abstract

        Though some results are unexpected, most results portrayed in this study are in accord with our argument that teens are better off in terms of shunning high-risk behaviours and having personal or family problems if they are affiliated with conservative religious faiths, and if their main parent is married, better educated and works fewer weeks. The main results are as follows.
        Teen problems tend to increase with the teen's age, and are unrelated to sex.
        The importance of family setting for teens is revealed best in the analytical results. These reveal statistically significant factors associated with behaviours, after controlling for the effect of other factors: teen age, sex and religious affiliation, and parent's age, marital status, education, weeks worked, and region of residence.
        Teens with married rather than unmarried parents are less likely to smoke, to use marijuana, to have had sexual intercourse, to have had major school problems, and to have a main parent who smokes, to have a chronic health problem, to have bad feelings in the home, to be in a welfare-receiving home, to have the parent worried over finances, to have parents who do not volunteer in the locality, or to worship frequently.
        Compared with common-law parents, the married parents are less likely to smoke, the spouse of the main parent is less likely to smoke, and the main parent is happier with the marriage.
        Teens are also better off, the higher the education of their main parent. They are less likely to smoke, to have friends who smoke or drink alcohol, to have had sexual intercourse, and to have girl or boy friend problems.
        The more educated main parents are less likely to smoke (though they consume more alcohol and see drinking as a family problem). They are more able to talk of sadness (though tend to avoid discussing problems), and to plan family activities. They are less likely to receive welfare, and to worry over finances. The more educated parents are more likely to worship regularly and volunteer in the community.
        Teens with a more educated main parent are less likely to have two parents who smoke, or their main parent's spouse smoking, though the spouse drinks more alcohol.
        Teens with main parents who worked fewer weeks in the previous year are less likely to smoke, to drink alcohol, to have been drunk the previous year, to smoke marijuana, to have friends who smoke or use marijuana, and to have dieted.
        Their main parent who works fewer weeks also drinks less alcohol (though is more likely to perceive a drinking problem in the home), is more likely to volunteer in the community, and to worship more frequently, though is more likely to have a chronic health problem and to have received welfare.
        Teens in homes with two parents are less likely to have both parents smoking, the fewer the weeks worked, though the main parent is less happy with the marriage the fewer the weeks worked.
        Conservative Christian teens are less likely to than liberal Protestant teens to smoke, drink, use marijuana, have friends who smoke, drink or use marijuana, or to have been drunk in the past year. Also, their main parent is less likely to smoke, to drink, or to have a chronic health problem, and more likely to be happy with the marriage, and to worship regularly.
        Many of these results apply to non-Christian teens as well, but not to Catholics.