Structural equation modeling of the effect of religiosity, social support and peer exclusion on high-risk behaviors of students

The aim of this article was to investigate the modeling of structural equations of religiosity, social support and peer exclusion on high-risk behaviors of female high school students in Dorodzan district of Shiraz. The research method was descriptive and survey and the statistical population of Nazar included all high school students in Dorodzan area of Shiraz (600 people). 234 people were selected as the sample size by random sampling method based on Morgan table. Measurement tools in this study included: Glock and Stark religiosity questionnaire (1965), risk-taking of Iranian-born adolescents Mohammadi and Ahmadabadi (2009), rejection of Tahmassian and Golmirzai (2009) and social support of Fleming et al. (1982). The validity of the questionnaires was based on social science experts and the reliability of the questionnaires was obtained using Cronbach's alpha of 0.83, respectively, for religiosity, Iranian teenagers' risk-taking 0.87, peer rejection 0.89, and social support 0.85.

Structural equations was used to analyze the data. Results: The most direct effect on high-risk behaviors covered by religiosity was negatively related to this relationship. That is, with the increase of religious factors in individuals, the occurrence of less risky behaviors has occurred. The coefficient of effectiveness of religiosity index on high-risk behaviors is -0.52, the coefficient of effectiveness of exclusion of friends is 0.11 and the coefficient of effectiveness of social support is -0.36. After the religiosity variable, the social support variable in individuals had the greatest effect on controlling high-risk behaviors, and this negative relationship was obtained. In the end, the least effect on the three variables has the index of friend exclusion, and also there is a strong positive relationship between the three independent variables of religiosity, social support and peer exclusion. Conclusion: If any of these indicators improves, it will improve the other indicators and the weakening of each indicator will weaken the other indicators. Also, promoting religious characteristics and social support and peer performance can reduce high-risk behaviors in the statistical population.