Seth J Prins1, Sandhya Kajeepeta2, Robin Pearce3, Jordan Beardslee4, Dustin Pardini5, Magdalena Cerdá6. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, 722 W 168 St, Room 521, New York, NY, 10032, USA. seth.j.prins@columbia.edu. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, 722 W 168 St, Room 521, New York, NY, 10032, USA. 3. , Oakland, USA. 4. Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, USA. 5. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA. 6. Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: There are well-established associations between parental/peer relationships and adolescent substance use, but few longitudinal studies have examined whether adolescents change their substance use in response to changes in their parents' behavior or peer networks. We employ a within-person change approach to address two key questions: Are changes in parenting and peer factors associated with changes in adolescent marijuana and alcohol use? Are there sensitive periods when changes in parenting and peer factors are more strongly associated with changes in adolescent marijuana and alcohol use? METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data collected annually on 503 boys, ages 13-19, recruited from Pittsburgh public schools. Questionnaires regarding parental supervision, negative parenting practices, parental stress, physical punishment, peer delinquency, and peer drug use were administered to adolescents and their caretakers. Alcohol and marijuana use were assessed by a substance use scale adapted from the National Youth Survey. RESULTS: Reductions in parental supervision and increases in peer drug use and peer delinquency were associated with increases in marijuana frequency, alcohol frequency, and alcohol quantity. Increases in parental stress were associated with increases in marijuana and alcohol frequency. The magnitudes of these relationships were strongest at ages 14-15 and systematically decreased across adolescence. These associations were not due to unmeasured stable confounders or measured time-varying confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing or mitigating changes in parenting and peer risk factors in early adolescence may be particularly important for preventing substance use problems as adolescents transition into young adulthood.
PURPOSE: There are well-established associations between parental/peer relationships and adolescent substance use, but few longitudinal studies have examined whether adolescents change their substance use in response to changes in their parents' behavior or peer networks. We employ a within-person change approach to address two key questions: Are changes in parenting and peer factors associated with changes in adolescent marijuana and alcohol use? Are there sensitive periods when changes in parenting and peer factors are more strongly associated with changes in adolescent marijuana and alcohol use? METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data collected annually on 503 boys, ages 13-19, recruited from Pittsburgh public schools. Questionnaires regarding parental supervision, negative parenting practices, parental stress, physical punishment, peer delinquency, and peer drug use were administered to adolescents and their caretakers. Alcohol and marijuana use were assessed by a substance use scale adapted from the National Youth Survey. RESULTS: Reductions in parental supervision and increases in peer drug use and peer delinquency were associated with increases in marijuana frequency, alcohol frequency, and alcohol quantity. Increases in parental stress were associated with increases in marijuana and alcohol frequency. The magnitudes of these relationships were strongest at ages 14-15 and systematically decreased across adolescence. These associations were not due to unmeasured stable confounders or measured time-varying confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing or mitigating changes in parenting and peer risk factors in early adolescence may be particularly important for preventing substance use problems as adolescents transition into young adulthood.
Authors: Isaac C Rhew; Kate Simpson; Melissa Tracy; James Lymp; Elizabeth McCauley; Debby Tsuang; Ann Vander Stoep Journal: Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health Date: 2010-02-09 Impact factor: 3.033