• Bevan Adrian Craig, Darren Peter Morton, Lillian Marton Kent, Alva Barry Gane, Terry Leslie Butler, Paul Meredith Rankin, and Kevin Ross Price.
• Lifestyle Research Centre, Avondale College of Higher Education, PO Box 19, Cooranbong, NSW, 2265, Australia. bevancraig@me.com.
• J Relig Health. 2018 Jun 1; 57 (3): 994-1009.

AbstractStudents attending Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia have been shown to have better health status and behaviours compared to secular norms, yet these schools cater for a high percentage of non-Adventist students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of religious affiliation (Adventist/non-Adventist) on the health status and behaviours of students attending Adventist secondary schools in Australia. The sample included 1734 students who responded to a health and lifestyle survey that captured demographic details, self-reported height and weight, self-reported health status, mental health and select health behaviours. Students who identified themselves as Adventist reported significantly better health behaviours than the non-Adventist students in several behavioural domains, especially among the male students. However, this did not translate to a difference in health status. Further research is needed to understand the causal mechanisms responsible for the potential health advantage of Adventist students, which may include family or church religious influences.

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