The Association Between Connectedness and Grit Among Thai In-school Adolescents in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand

Arunrat Tangmunkongvorakul; Matthew Kelly; Kulvadee Thongpibul; Patou Masika Musumari; Kriengkrai Srithanaviboonchai; Cathy Banwell

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809508

The Association Between Connectedness and Grit Among Thai In-school Adolescents in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand

Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 28:13:809508. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809508. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Arunrat Tangmunkongvorakul¹, Matthew Kelly², Kulvadee Thongpibul¹, Patou Masika Musumari³, Kriengkrai Srithanaviboonchai^{1

4}, Cathy Banwell⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
² Department of Global Health, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
³ Interdisciplinary Unit for Global Health, Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
⁴ Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
⁵ National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the associations between Grit, connectedness, and parental involvement in Thai adolescents. Grit, perseverance, and passion for long-term goals are predictors of academic success and health. There is a small but developing knowledge of the predictors of Grit in Asia, especially Thailand. This paper investigates the proposition that connectedness and parental involvement are positively associated with Grit.

Method: A total of 2,839 lower secondary (grade 8), higher secondary (grade 11), and vocational (year 12) students from 21 schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand participated in a survey that measured Grit using the Short Grit Scale. Bivariate analysis was conducted using the t-test, ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis H test as appropriate. Multiple ordinary least squares linear regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with Grit.

Results: Satisfactory relationships with teachers (p = 0.01), parental support (p = 0.03), interest in school (p = 0.01), having been asked by parents to do homework (β = -0.69; p = 0.012), and having been told by parents that they had done something bad (β = -1.09; p = 0.02) associated with Grit. These findings can aid in design of tailored interventions to improve Grit in Thai adolescents.

Keywords: Grit; Thailand; connectedness; parental involvement; students.