OBJECTIVES: The aim was to explore the associations of family composition, family support and communication with emotional and behavioural problems among adolescents as well as a possible moderating effect of gender on these associations. METHODS: Data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study conducted in 2014 in Slovakia were used. The final sample consisted of 2908 students (mean age 14.36; 49.7% boys). We explored the association using generalized linear models. RESULTS: We found that non-intact family was significantly associated with a higher score in emotional and behavioural problems. Family support and communication were found to be significantly associated with a lower score in emotional and behavioural problems. Significant interactions of gender and family communication with emotional and behavioural problems were found, showing that family communication decreased emotional and behavioural problems only in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Family composition, family support and communication play an important role in the occurrence of emotional and behavioural problems in adolescence. Family communication lowers these problems only in girls. Prevention and intervention programmes could be focused on parent-child communication strategies with the importance of differences in the needs of boys and girls.

Department of Health Psychology Medical Faculty PJ Safarik University in Kosice Kosice Slovak Republic

Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health PJ Safarik University in Kosice Kosice Slovak Republic

Olomouc University Social Health Institute Palacky University in Olomouc Univerzitni 22 771 11 Olomouc Czech Republic

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