Michael J Mason1, Jeremy Mennis2. 1. a Center for Behavioral Health Research , College of Social Work, University of Tennessee , Knoxville , Tennessee , USA. 2. b Department of Geography & Urban Studies , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: An understudied, yet important area of youth development research is the examination of how place affects critical psychosocial processes such as identity formation, problem solving, emotional regulation, and in particular with adolescents, belongingness, autonomy, social competency, and behavioral health. A growing spatially informed literature indicates that youth interact with meaningful places as environmental strategies, shaping developmental trajectories related to behavioral health. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to investigate the relationship between place preference and health behavior among adolescents, with a focus on substance use behavior, specifically, cannabis use. We theorize that cannabis use is associated with place preference for urban, city types of places, and that this particular place preference interacts with close peer network behaviors. METHODS: To understand the role of preferred locations, close peer relations, and mental health on cannabis use, 248 adolescents (ages 13 to 14) were studied longitudinally. Logistic regression models tested the moderating effects of peer network health (sum of close friends risk and protective behaviors) on selecting city locations (urban stress/neighborhoods) as preferred places, and subsequent cannabis use. RESULTS: Results indicated that peer network health moderated the effects of choosing city locations as favorite, increasing the odds of cannabis use more than eight-fold at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Favorite places located in city environments appear to interact with peer risk behaviors influencing the cannabis use of young urban adolescents, even after controlling for the influence of baseline cannabis use, neighborhood disorder the home neighborhood, age, gender, and mental health effects.
BACKGROUND: An understudied, yet important area of youth development research is the examination of how place affects critical psychosocial processes such as identity formation, problem solving, emotional regulation, and in particular with adolescents, belongingness, autonomy, social competency, and behavioral health. A growing spatially informed literature indicates that youth interact with meaningful places as environmental strategies, shaping developmental trajectories related to behavioral health. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to investigate the relationship between place preference and health behavior among adolescents, with a focus on substance use behavior, specifically, cannabis use. We theorize that cannabis use is associated with place preference for urban, city types of places, and that this particular place preference interacts with close peer network behaviors. METHODS: To understand the role of preferred locations, close peer relations, and mental health on cannabis use, 248 adolescents (ages 13 to 14) were studied longitudinally. Logistic regression models tested the moderating effects of peer network health (sum of close friends risk and protective behaviors) on selecting city locations (urban stress/neighborhoods) as preferred places, and subsequent cannabis use. RESULTS: Results indicated that peer network health moderated the effects of choosing city locations as favorite, increasing the odds of cannabis use more than eight-fold at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Favorite places located in city environments appear to interact with peer risk behaviors influencing the cannabis use of young urban adolescents, even after controlling for the influence of baseline cannabis use, neighborhood disorder the home neighborhood, age, gender, and mental health effects.
Authors: Jeremy Mennis; Michael Mason; John Light; Julie Rusby; Erika Westling; Thomas Way; Nikola Zahakaris; Brian Flay Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2016-06-25 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Gregory N Bratman; J Paul Hamilton; Kevin S Hahn; Gretchen C Daily; James J Gross Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2015-06-29 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Shannon N Zenk; Amy J Schulz; Stephen A Matthews; Angela Odoms-Young; JoEllen Wilbur; Lani Wegrzyn; Kevin Gibbs; Carol Braunschweig; Carmen Stokes Journal: Health Place Date: 2011-05-17 Impact factor: 4.078