Substance use among Hispanic early adolescents: influence of family, peers, and culture

Research finds adolescents’ perceptions of authoritative parenting are associated with lowered risk of substance abuse, and perceptions of authoritarian and permissive parenting are associated with increased risk. A serious shortcoming exists in this research because it was conducted primarily with Caucasian youth. In a national survey, Hispanic youth reported the highest usage of alcohol and other drugs in the eighth grade; however, there are no studies that explore the relationship between parenting style and substance abuse among this group. As the Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing groups in the nation as well as in the public school systems, research that focuses on their specific needs is essential. This study investigated the roles of parenting styles, linguistic acculturation, ethnic identity, gender, and socioeconomic status in the development of substance abuse among Hispanic adolescents. Participants were eighth graders from three middle schools, who self-identified as either Latino/Hispanic or Mexican (n=309), and were drawn from a larger study. It was hypothesized that the relationship between parenting styles and substance abuse found in extant literature would be supported with this sample of Hispanic youth. In addition to perceived parenting styles, socioeconomic status and gender differences were explored and were expected to predict risk of substance use. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that cultural variables, specifically linguistic acculturation and ethnic identity, would also be predictive of risk for use of alcohol and drugs among Hispanic youth. Results of this study indicated that parenting styles were predictive of risk of substance use, as measured by having close friends who drink alcohol and/or use drugs. Although a relationship exists between parental involvement and risk of alcohol use, parental monitoring may be of particular importance in lowered risk of alcohol and drug use. Furthermore, linguistic acculturation was found to be a significant predictor of risk of substance use, with monolingual English speakers at greatest risk of alcohol use. Findings of this study provide a better understanding of how parenting styles and culture are associated with risk of substance use among Hispanic early adolescents. Implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent substance abuse among Hispanic youth are discussed.