Social support and health of the family of origin: A path analysis

The present study utilized a descriptive-correlational approach to describe the relationship between social support and health of the family of origin. The Family of Origin Scale (FOS) developed by Anderson (1980) was used to measure the health of the family in which one grew up. The Social Support Scale (SSS) (De Lorenzo, 1988) measured social support in parents. The study was undertaken following a pilot study to estimate the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the study. Data were collected from one mailing of 2,000 sets of questionnaires to parents of 1,000 randomly selected children in grades nine through twelve in an independent school district in north Texas. It was estimated that a total of 1,628 questionnaires reached the targeted sample. After six weeks, subjects returned 190 usable questionnaires for a return rate of 11.74%. The data from the returned questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS$\backslash spX$ (Norusis, 1983) statistical programs.