Health and health risk behaviour of adolescents-Differences according to family structure. Results of the German KiGGS cohort study.

Because the direct effects of family structure on adolescents' health were small and family cohesion was found to be an important mediator in the association between family structure and adolescents' health, prevention programmes and interventions should be directed towards the parent-adolescent relationship rather than just the family structure, in order to minimize the psychosocial stress of adolescents during the period of family transition.