Parenting styles, adolescent substance use, and academic achievement

Is the Effect of Parenting on Substance Use among Adolescents and Young Adults Context Dependent? Evidence from Ten Countries of Southeastern Europe

Related to some inconsistent evidence in the literature, the current study tested the links between three parenting styles and four measures of substance use in samples of adolescents and young adults from ten, socio-economically diverse countries in Southeastern Europe (N = 10,909, 50.3% males, Mage = 21.70, SD = 4.5); it also tested whether these links were moderated by a measure of social progress. Results indicated that only authoritative parenting style was negatively associated with substance use; both authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were positively associated with substance use. The country-level effect on substance use was modest, yet significant; it explained between 1% and 4% of the total variance. Findings also provided some evidence of a moderation effects by social progress. Exploratory follow-up HLM analyses also provided evidence of significant country level social progress effects on alcohol use, soft drug use, and hard drug use; however, no significant cross-level interactions effects were found. Key study implications include positive effects by both authoritarian and permissive parenting on young adult substance use, but importantly, negative ones by authoritative parenting. Findings have important implications for potential intervention and prevention efforts, in addition to addressing potential country-level differences.

A Dimensional Approach to Discrepancy in Parenting Styles in Russian Families

We investigated the magnitude and direction of differences in parenting styles as they relate to children's mental health problems, as assessed using the CBCL. The sample consisted of 306 families residing in a large industrial city in Russia. We aimed to expand the cross-cultural literature on parenting styles by assessing a sample of Russian families and analyzing how agreement versus disagreement between self-reported and partner-reported parenting styles related to children's mental health problems. The findings suggested that both congruence and incongruence between parenting styles could be associated with children's mental health problems. When parents agreed about high warmth and matched on lower levels of demandingness, in line with the permissive parenting style, children tended to exhibit maladaptive behavior and externalizing problems. We also registered that children were likely to show low levels of mental health problems when fathers had higher self-reported warmth compared with mothers' reports. In contrast, children whose fathers had higher self-reported demandingness compared with the mothers' reports, exhibited moderate levels of mental health problems. This study expands the existing literature by providing a dimensional approach to children's mental health difficulties in the context of (dis)agreements in the parenting styles within a family.

Qualitative analysis of family interactions with Iranian women with substance use disorder: from before becoming aware of addiction to consecutive relapses

Family is the most important social institution since birth with which the person has been in direct contact. Family relationships with children play a major role in both the tendency toward substance addiction and the withdrawal of drugs. The present study aimed to examine the form of family interactions with Iranian women with substance use disorder. The method of this research was grounded theory, the sample was 20 women who were referred to Behboud Gostaran Hamgam Women's Addiction Withdrawal Camp in Tehran, in 2018-19 who were selected by theoretical sampling. Five themes of condemning-restrictive family, passive-accepting family, rejecting family, indifferent family, and disoriented family were discovered. The study also resulted in four key periods of time that define the form of family relationships with women with SUD, namely: before becoming aware of addiction, after becoming aware of addiction, after being aware of the first relapse, and after being aware of successive relapses. Finally, during these four time periods, three family interactive models were established for women with SUD: 1) The interactive model of Non-change, 2) The model of adopting a disoriented interactive pattern after changing dysfunctional interactive patterns, 3) The model of returning to the initial interactive pattern after changing the dysfunctional interactive patterns. The relapse is prevented, and the level of efficiency of family and members in the recovery process will be improving by identifying, recognizing, and training the interactive family model with women with SUD.

Authoritative parenting stimulates academic achievement, also partly via self-efficacy and intention towards getting good grades

Background

The aim of this prospective study is to examine how parenting style relates to academic achievement of Lebanese adolescents and test the mediating effect of self-efficacy and intention towards getting good grades. Potential moderation by demographic factors (age, gender, school type, religion and parents’ education) was also examined.

Methods

Students (n = 345) from private and public schools in Mount Lebanon and Beirut area, aged between 15 and 18, participated in a two-wave longitudinal study and completed a self-administered questionnaire based on the I-Change Model assessing socio-demographics (age, gender, school type, parents’ education, family structure, religion), socio-cognitive factors (attitude, social norms, self-efficacy, intention), parenting styles and academic achievement. Adolescent were surveyed at two time points, six months apart. A multiple linear regression was carried out to identify baseline factors independently associated with academic achievement 6 months later. Moderation was examined using Hayes’s SPSS macro PROCESS. A serial mediation model was employed to test for the sequential mediating effect of self-efficacy and intention between parenting style and academic achievement.

Results

Authoritative parenting was prospectively associated with better academic achievement and higher self-efficacy and intention at 6 months follow up. In addition, self-efficacy and intention towards getting good grades were found to mediate the relationship of parenting style to academic achievement. Adolescents who perceive their parents as authoritative are more likely to develop high efficacy beliefs and higher intention and subsequently are more likely to achieve better in school compared to peers of neglectful parents. Socio-demographics did not moderate the effect of parenting on academic achievement.

Conclusion

Authoritative parenting influenced both directly and indirectly the academic achievement of their children. Interventions aiming at improving academic performance of adolescents should also encompass positive parenting style strategies.

Parenting Styles as a Moderator of the Association between Pubertal Timing and Chinese Adolescents' Drinking Behavior

BACKGROUND

Previous work has indicated that pubertal timing and parenting styles are associated with adolescents' drinking behavior, but studies on the relationship between the above three variables are lacking.

METHODS

Participants were 1408 Chinese adolescents aged 11-16 years old (46.52% girls). The data emphasized pubertal timing, parenting styles, drinking behavior, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the adolescent and his or her family.

RESULTS

Early pubertal timing was related to drinking behavior; however, parenting styles played a moderating role. For male adolescents, father emotional warmth, mother rejection, and mother emotional warmth moderated the relationship between early pubertal timing and drinking behavior. For female adolescents, mother rejection, mother emotional warmth, and mother over-protection moderated the relationship between pubertal timing and drinking behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Parenting styles that include emotional warmth, rejection, and over-protection appear to influence the negative outcomes associated with early pubertal timing, and may be useful in reducing adolescents' drinking behavior.

Depression and alcohol use in American Indian adolescents: The influence of family factors

BACKGROUND

Rates of both depression and alcohol use are disproportionately higher among American Indian (AI) adolescents than adolescents in the general population. The co-occurrence of depression and alcohol use is common and clinically relevant given their reciprocal negative influences on outcomes. Family factors may be especially relevant because they could have a buffering effect on this relationship due to the importance of kinship and community in AI communities. The current study examines the roles of family warmth and parental monitoring in the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol use in a large, nationally representative sample of AI adolescents.

METHODS

Data were collected from 3498 AI 7th to 12th graders (47.8% female) residing on or near a reservation during the period 2009 to 2013. Participants reported on their depressive symptoms, family factors, and alcohol use.

RESULTS

There was a small, but statistically significant positive association between depressive symptoms and alcohol use (r = 0.11, p < 0.001). Greater depressive symptoms were associated with significantly less perceived family warmth (β = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.13, -0.06]), which was associated with significantly greater alcohol use (β = -0.39, 95% CI [-0.55, -0.23]). Family warmth significantly accounted for the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol use at high (β = 0.04, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [0.004, 0.09]), but not low, levels of parental monitoring (β = 0.02, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.002, 0.06]).

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the present study suggest that developing culturally sensitive prevention and treatment approaches focusing on increasing both family warmth and parental monitoring are important to address the co-occurrence of depression and alcohol misuse among AI adolescents.

Parenting Styles as a Moderator of the Association between Pubertal Timing and Chinese Adolescents' Smoking Behavior

BACKGROUND

Pubertal timing refers to the timing of an individual regarding pubertal sexual maturation, both physiologically and psychologically. Existing research shows that pubertal timing is associated with behavioral problems. This study investigated the role of parenting style in the relationship between pubertal timing and Chinese adolescents' smoking behavior.

METHODS

The study examined the association of pubertal timing, parenting style and adolescents' smoking behavior, using the Pubertal Development Scale (Chinese version), Simplified Parenting Style Scale-Chinese version, and three items related to adolescents' smoking situation. Participants were 1391 Chinese adolescents aged 11-16 years old (53.41% boys). Hierarchical linear regression analyses assessed the moderating role of parenting style on the association between pubertal timing and adolescent smoking behavior.

RESULTS

The results indicated that parenting style moderates the relationship between pubertal timing and adolescent smoking behavior. For male adolescents, father rejection moderated the relationship between early pubertal timing and smoking behavior. For female adolescents, father rejection, father emotional warmth, and mother emotional warmth moderated the relationship between pubertal timing and smoking behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from the study highlight the importance of parenting style, which may influence the negative outcomes associated with early pubertal timing and can help improve interventions aimed at reducing these negative outcomes.

Raising Spanish Children With an Antisocial Tendency: Do We Know What the Optimal Parenting Style Is?

Families can play an essential role in preventing violent and antisocial behaviors, which are considered a significant public health issue. However, some studies argue that most children are antisocial only during adolescence, and even teenagers can mimic antisocial behavior in ways that are normative and well-adjusted. This study analyzed patterns of competence and adjustment in young adults with and without an antisocial tendency during adolescence from authoritative (characterized by warmth and strictness), authoritarian (strictness but not warmth), indulgent (warmth but not strictness), and neglectful (neither warmth nor strictness) families. Emergent research has indicated that in a European context, the indulgent parenting style is optimal. Offspring's competence and adjustment were captured through self-esteem (academic and family), psychosocial development (self-competence and empathy), and low emotional maladjustment (nervousness and hostility). Participants consisted of a community sample of 489 Spanish young adults, 191 men (39.1%) and 298 women (60.9%), aged 18 to 34 years old. The design was a 4 × 2 × 2 × 2 MANOVA (parenting style × antisocial tendency × sex × age). Analysis of main effects showed that youths with an antisocial tendency have less self-esteem and psychosocial development, but more emotional maladjustment. Regardless of the parenting style, an antisocial tendency during adolescence is consistently associated with worse adjustment in young adults. Both the authoritative and indulgent parenting styles are consistently associated with better outcomes (higher self-esteem and psychosocial development, and lower emotional maladjustment) than the authoritarian and neglectful parenting styles. However, there are interactions between the parenting style and the antisocial tendency. For young adults without an antisocial tendency, only indulgent parenting is associated with less emotional maladjustment. These results support the idea that in Europe the indulgent parenting style performs better than the authoritative style, but only when raising adolescents without an antisocial tendency. For young adults with an antisocial tendency, indulgent and authoritative parenting are equally optimal for all the studied outcomes.

Parenting style as longitudinal predictor of adolescents' health behaviors in Lebanon

This prospective study aimed to examine how parenting style relates to health behaviors and body mass index of Lebanese adolescents while checking for interactive effect of child characteristics (age and gender). About 341 students from private and public schools in Mount Lebanon and Beirut area, aged between 16 and 18 years, completed a self-administered survey assessing socio-demographics, parenting styles and health behaviors. Adolescents were surveyed at two time points, six months apart. Anthropometric measurements were also taken. Authoritative parenting was associated with better outcomes compared to the neglectful style. Adolescents raised with an authoritative style had higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and lower consumption of alcohol intake. Parenting style was a significant predictor of eating behavior and alcohol intake of Lebanese adolescent. Interventions aiming at improving health behaviors should also encompass healthy parenting style strategies.

La funcionalidad política de la “ciencia” prohibicionista: El caso del cannabis y los psicodélicos

Se analiza, desde una perspectiva externalista, el uso de la ciencia como herramienta política por parte de la lógica prohibicionista. El prohibicionismo trabaja para que sus preceptos político-morales sean considerados científicos, es decir, como el resultado de un proceso de investigación neutro a nivel ideológico. El artículo analiza el caso del cannabis y de los psicodélicos para mostrar cómo el prohibicionismo solo ha recurrido a la “ciencia” para ocultar su agenda político-moral, mientras ha ignorado todos los resultados de las investigaciones científicas que no se ajustaban a sus apriorismos. Finalmente planteamos que las políticas de drogas deben fundamentarse en la evidencia científica y en ciertos valores básicos –defensa de la salud pública, de la cohesión social, de los Derechos Humanos–, por lo que un análisis en términos de relaciones de poder permitiría entender mejor las contradictorias relaciones entre ciencia y políticas de drogas.

Academic Performance in Adolescent Students: The Role of Parenting Styles and Socio-Demographic Factors - A Cross Sectional Study From Peshawar, Pakistan

Academic performance is among the several components of academic success. Many factors, including socioeconomic status, student temperament and motivation, peer, and parental support influence academic performance. Our study aims to investigate the determinants of academic performance with emphasis on the role of parental styles in adolescent students in Peshawar, Pakistan. A total of 456 students from 4 public and 4 private schools were interviewed. Academic performance was assessed based on self-reported grades in the latest internal examinations. Parenting styles were assessed through the administration of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Regression analysis was conducted to assess the influence of socio-demographic factors and parenting styles on academic performance. Factors associated with and differences between "care" and "overprotection" scores of fathers and mothers were analyzed. Higher socio-economic status, father's education level, and higher care scores were independently associated with better academic performance in adolescent students. Affectionless control was the most common parenting style for fathers and mothers. When adapted by the father, it was also the only parenting style independently improving academic performance. Overall, mean "care" scores were higher for mothers and mean "overprotection" scores were higher for fathers. Parenting workshops and school activities emphasizing the involvement of mothers and fathers in the parenting of adolescent students might have a positive influence on their academic performance. Affectionless control may be associated with improved academics but the emotional and psychosocial effects of this style of parenting need to be investigated before recommendations are made.

Do Parenting Styles Affect Children's Oral Health in Saudi Arabia?

Objective The purpose of the study is to correlate the parenting styles of parents with the oral health of their children, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Study design Two hundred and eighty healthy preschool children, who have never been to the dentist, were recruited. Parenting style was determined by the Parenting Style and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ). World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and simplified debris index (DI-S) were used for the diagnosis of dental caries and oral hygiene of the children respectively. Results Two parenting styles were identified among Saudi parents; authoritative (94%, n = 265) and permissive (6%, n = 17). The majority of children were brushing by themselves (n = 130, 46.1%) and once per day (n = 163, 57.8%). Significant correlations were detected between parenting style and children's brushing times (P-value of 0.016) and the number of meals consumed by children (P-value of 0.031). The age of the child and oral hygiene score were significantly correlated to dental caries (P-value < 0.05). Conclusion Two parenting styles were identified among Saudi parents. Parenting style influenced the child's oral health but not significantly. Early childhood caries and fair to poor oral hygiene were commonly detected among children. Clinically interesting correlations were identified regarding factors affecting the child's oral health status.

The relationship between parental attitudes and children's alcohol use: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

The main aim of this study was to assess the relationship between parental attitudes towards children's alcohol use and their child's alcohol use. Secondary aims included assessing the relationship between attitudes reported by parents and those perceived by children, and between perceived parental attitudes and children's alcohol use.

METHODS

Meta-analysis of studies reporting on the associations between parental attitudes towards children's alcohol use and children's self-reported alcohol use. Published, peer-reviewed cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were identified from the following databases up to April 2018: Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science. Quality assessment was performed by using guidelines developed by Hayden, Cote & Bombardier. Pooled effect sizes were calculated by using random-effects meta-analyses, if there were at least two studies that could be included per analysis. Of 7471 articles screened, 29 were included comprising data from 16 477 children and 15 229 parents.

RESULTS

Less restrictive parental attitudes towards children's alcohol use were related to higher rates of alcohol use initiation [odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-1.80], alcohol use frequency (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.24-1.86) and drunkenness (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.35-1.85) among children. Less perceived restrictive parental attitudes were related to higher alcohol use frequency (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.29-2.40). Perceived parental attitudes were not clearly related to alcohol use initiation. Parent-reported attitudes and perceived parental attitudes were weakly positively correlated (r = 0.27, P = ≤ 0.001). The strength of the relationship between parental attitudes and children's alcohol use frequency attenuated with children's age. Study design, sample size, study location and levels of alcohol use frequency did not have a detectable effect on the relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Less restrictive parental attitudes towards children's alcohol use are associated with increases in children's alcohol use onset, alcohol use frequency and drunkenness. Children's perception of less restrictive parental attitudes is associated with children's alcohol use.

The Role of Parenting Styles on Behavior Problem Profiles of Adolescents

Parental behavior is one of the most influential factors on the development of adolescent externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. These behavioral problems are closely related and often co-occur. The objectives of this work were: (i) to identify adolescents profiles according to their behavior problems; (ii) to explore individual, family, and social characteristics associated with these profiles; and (iii) to analyze the potential role of parenting styles in belonging to adolescents’ profiles. A total of 449 Spanish adolescents (223 from families declared at-risk and enrolled in Child Welfare Services and 226 from families from the general population) participated in this study. The analyses revealed three profiles of adolescents based on external and internal behavior problems (adjusted, external maladjustment, and internal maladjustment). Parenting styles explained the adolescents’ belonging to different profiles, in which the indulgent style was the most favorable in general terms. The distinctive role of parenting styles on two types of maladjustment profiles was confirmed. The relationship between parenting styles and adolescent adjustment is a key component that should be included in interventions according to adolescents’ behavior problem profiles. Furthermore, the results shed light on the need that family interventions are complemented with individualized interventions with adolescents that accumulate stressful life events.

Associations of perceived drinking motives of parents and friends on adolescents' own drinking motives

Adolescents form perceptions of why their parents and friends drink alcohol that may impact adolescents' own drinking motives. This study tested whether perceived drinking motives of parents and friends are associated with adolescents' own drinking motives. Participants included community-recruited adolescents 14-17 years (N = 105; 63.8% female) who drank alcohol in the past year. Perceived parent and friend motives both related to adolescent drinking motives at the bivariate level; however, only friend motives remained statistically significant in the final hierarchical regression models controlling for relevant covariates (e.g., alcohol frequency). Findings support a social-cognitive modeling pathway in the development of adolescents' own drinking motives and highlight the perception of why others drink as a potential intervention target.

Executive Functioning Mediates Predictions of Youth Academic and Social Development from Parenting Behavior

Using multiple mediation with bootstrapping, dimensions of executive functioning (i.e., inhibitory control, working memory, set shifting) were tested as mediators of predictions of academic and social outcomes from observed positive and negative parenting in 131 children followed prospectively into early adolescence. Inhibitory control and working memory mediated predictions of academic achievement, whereas inhibitory control meditated predictions of school competence from positive parenting. Additionally, working memory mediated predictions of negative social preference, but not social competence, from positive parenting. Executive functioning did not mediate predictions from negative parenting. The role of parenting in shaping youth outcomes through executive functioning is considered.

Parenting styles and emerging adult depressive symptoms in Cebu, the Philippines

Incidence of depressive disorders and symptoms increases during the transition to adulthood. The parenting relationship is a potential target for interventions to reduce risk for depression in offspring during this time period, and a four-category typology of parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, authoritarian, and neglectful) has been found to correlate with offspring psychological functioning. The majority of studies, however, have examined this four-category parenting style typology in Western populations. We used the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) from the Philippines to assess associations between parenting styles reported by offspring at age 18 and depressive symptoms reported by offspring at age 21 ( N = 1,723). Using adjusted linear regression models, we found that authoritarian and neglectful mothering styles were positively associated with daughters' depressive symptoms, whereas authoritarian mothering was negatively associated with sons' depressive symptoms. Findings suggest both cross-cultural similarities and variability in positive parenting. Results may have implications for family-based depression prevention interventions in the Philippines.

Relationship among family environment, self-control, friendship quality, and adolescents' smartphone addiction in South Korea: Findings from nationwide data

Background

Many studies have examined the negative impact on smartphone addiction in adolescents. Recent concerns have focused on predictors of smartphone addiction. This study aimed to investigate the association of adolescents’ smartphone addiction with family environment (specifically, domestic violence and parental addiction). We further investigated whether self-control and friendship quality, as predictors of smartphone addiction, may reduce the observed risk.

Methods

We used the 2013 national survey on internet usage and utilization data from the National Information Agency of Korea. Information on exposure and covariates included self-reported experience of domestic violence and parental addiction, sociodemographic variables, and other variables potentially related to smartphone addiction. Smartphone addiction was estimated using a smartphone addiction proneness scale, a standardized measure developed by national institutions in Korea.

Results

Adolescents who had experienced domestic violence (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.23–2.45) and parental addiction (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.24–3.27) were found to be at an increased risk for smartphone addiction after controlling for all potential variables. Furthermore, on classifying adolescents according to their level of self-control and friendship quality the association between domestic violence and parental addiction, and smartphone addiction was found to be significant in the group with adolescents with lower levels of self-control (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.68–4.90 and OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.34–2.83) and friendship quality (OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.41–3.85 and OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.26–2.64).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that family dysfunction was significantly associated with smartphone addiction. We also observed that self-control and friendship quality act as protective factors against adolescents’ smartphone addiction.

School Disciplinary Style and Adolescent Health

PURPOSE

Parenting style is strongly associated with adolescent health. However, little is known about how school disciplinary style relates to health. We categorized adolescents' perceptions of their schools as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful, and test whether perceived school disciplinary style is associated with health.

METHODS

We analyze data from the RISE Up study (Reducing Health Inequities Through Social and Educational Change Follow-up), comprised of baseline (eighth grade) and 2-year follow-up surveys (10th grade) from 1,159 low-income minority adolescents in Los Angeles attending 157 schools. At 10th grade, students' ratings of school support and structure were used to categorize perceived school disciplinary style as authoritative (highest tertile for support and structure), authoritarian (low support, high structure), permissive (high support, low structure), neglectful (low on both dimensions), and average (middle tertile on either dimension). Mixed effects logistic regressions controlling for sociodemographic factors, parenting style, grades, and baseline health tested whether school disciplinary style was associated with substance use, violence, bullying, and depression symptoms.

RESULTS

Risky behaviors varied by school disciplinary style. After adjusting for covariates, compared with an average school disciplinary style, a neglectful school was associated with higher odds of substance use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.3, p < .001) and bullying (AOR 1.5, p = .02), a permissive school was associated with higher odds of depression symptoms (AOR 2.1, p = .04), and an authoritative school was associated with lower odds of substance use (AOR .6, p = .049), violence (AOR .6, p = .03), and bullying (AOR .5, p = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Structured and supportive school environments may impact the health of vulnerable adolescents.

Drinking with parents: Different measures, different associations with underage heavy drinking?

Aims:

Is drinking with parents (DWP) likely to curb or to encourage adolescent heavy drinking? The scant number of studies addressing this issue have arrived at contradictory conclusions, which may reflect that different measures of DWP have been used. We pursued the assumption, taking potential confounding related to parental alcohol-specific rule-setting and parenting style into account.

Method:

Data stem from the Norwegian 2015 ESPAD survey of 15–16 year olds. Drinking with parents at the last drinking event and the frequency of DWP in the past year were assessed among those who had consumed alcohol (n = 1374). Severe drunkenness and binge drinking in the past month were the outcomes. Parental covariates were accounted for in Poisson regression models.

Results:

One in five (21%) had been drinking with their parents the last time they consumed alcohol, and this DWP measure was strongly and inversely related to both drunkenness and binge drinking. Adolescents who reported no DWP episodes in the past year (61%) and those who reported 1–2 such episodes (30%) barely differed with respect to the two outcomes. More frequent DWP (9%) was significantly associated with an increased risk of heavy episodic drinking, but the statistical impact on severe drunkenness was no longer significant when adjusting for parental covariates.

Conclusions:

Different measures of DWP were related differently to adolescent heavy drinking, indicating that studies based on DWP at the last drinking event are biased in favour of the view that adolescents may “learn” sensible drinking by consuming alcohol with their parents.

Adolescents from upper middle class communities: Substance misuse and addiction across early adulthood

In this prospective study of upper middle class youth, we document frequency of alcohol and drug use, as well as diagnoses of abuse and dependence, during early adulthood. Two cohorts were assessed as high school seniors and then annually across 4 college years (New England Study of Suburban Youth younger cohort [NESSY-Y]), and across ages 23-27 (NESSY older cohort [NESSY-O]; ns = 152 and 183 at final assessments, respectively). Across gender and annual assessments, results showed substantial elevations, relative to norms, for frequency of drunkenness and using marijuana, stimulants, and cocaine. Of more concern were psychiatric diagnoses of alcohol/drug dependence: among women and men, respectively, lifetime rates ranged between 19%-24% and 23%-40% among NESSY-Os at age 26; and 11%-16% and 19%-27% among NESSY-Ys at 22. Relative to norms, these rates among NESSY-O women and men were three and two times as high, respectively, and among NESSY-Y, close to one among women but twice as high among men. Findings also showed the protective power of parents' containment (anticipated stringency of repercussions for substance use) at age 18; this was inversely associated with frequency of drunkenness and marijuana and stimulant use in adulthood. Results emphasize the need to take seriously the elevated rates of substance documented among adolescents in affluent American school communities.

Adolescent Social Networks and Alcohol Use: Variability by Gender and Type

BACKGROUND

Scientists have established that social networks influence adolescents' substance use behavior, an influence that varies by gender. However, the role of gender in this mechanism of influence remains poorly understood. Particularly, the role an adolescent's gender, alongside the gender composition of his/her network, plays in facilitating or constraining alcohol use is still unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the associations among the gender composition of adolescents' networks, select network characteristics, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, and alcohol use among a sample of adolescents in the United States.

METHODS

We assessed cross-sectional data from a 2010 study of 1,523 high school students from a school district in Los Angeles. Analyses of adolescents' network characteristics were conducted using UCINET 6; and logistic regression analyses testing the associations between gender composition of the network and alcohol use were conducted using SPSS 20.

RESULTS

Our results indicate that the gender composition of adolescents' networks in our sample is associated with alcohol use. Adolescents in predominantly female or predominantly male friendship networks were less likely to report alcohol use compared to adolescents in an equal/balanced network. In addition, depending upon the context/type of network, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors varied in their association with alcohol use. Conclusions/Importance: Based on these findings, we make several recommendations for the future research. We call for researchers to further examine gender as a risk factor for alcohol abuse, particularly within the complex interplay between gender and network contexts.

Forgiveness, Shaming, Shame and Bullying

This study predicts self-initiated bullying from three variables: shaming, forgiveness and shame. Data were collected from 1875 Bangladeshi school children (60% girls; mean grade = 8.28) using the Bengali version of the Life at School Survey. Results demonstrated that reintegrative shaming and forgiveness were related to less bullying. High shame acknowledgment (accepting responsibility, making amends) and low shame displacement into anger or blaming others were also associated with less bullying. Liking school protected children who experienced (a) less reintegrative shaming, and (b) more stigmatising shaming at home. Equally, more reintegrative shaming and less stigmatising shaming protected children against bullying when liking for school was absent. The forgiveness main effect on bullying (22.4% reduction) was much bigger than the main effect of reintegrative shaming (11.3% reduction). These results are consistent with the view that forgiveness is a more powerful restorative practice than reintegrative shaming.

Parenting Style and Black Adolescents’ Academic Achievement

The relationships between maternal beliefs in control and responsiveness and adolescent academic achievement were examined by interviewing 59 Black mothers and female guardians of adolescents, ages 11 to 19, living in a northeastern small city or adjacent suburb and correlating their answers to year-end report cards of their adolescents. Demographic variables such as maternal education level and adolescent sex were also examined to determine whether they helped explain variation in adolescent grade point averages. The analyses revealed that higher maternal beliefs in control were significantly associated with lower grade point averages. No other statistically significant relationship was found in this sample between the other parenting and demographic variables and adolescent academic achievement. The results of this study are discussed in terms of factors that may mediate the relationship found.

Parenting Practices, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement in Adolescents

This study was concerned with the relationship between parenting practices and academic achievement of high school students. A sample of 873 Asian Americans, 1449 Hispanics, 1176 African Americans and 8292 European Americans was selected from the first follow-up (1990) and second follow-up (1992) of the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS). Analysis of variance (ANOVA), hierarchical and stepwise multiple regressions were employed to determine the extent to which parenting practice predicts academic achievement. The results of the study showed that European Americans are more authoritative than other ethnic groups, but the relationship between having an authoritative parenting style and student academic achievement is supported only for the majority group. Implications for practices and suggestions for future research are offered.

Role of parenting styles in adolescent substance use: results from a Swedish longitudinal cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Adolescent substance use is an area of concern because early substance use is associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes. Parenting style, defined as the general style of parenting, as well as substance-specific parenting practices may influence children's substance use behaviour. The present study aims to probe the impact of parenting style on adolescent substance use.

METHOD

A cohort of 1268 adolescents (48% girls), aged 12-13 years at baseline, from 21 junior high schools was assessed in the first semester of junior high school, and then again in the last semester of the 9th grade, 32 months later. Parenting style, operationalised as a fourfold classification of parenting styles, including established risk factors for adolescent substance use, were measured at baseline.

RESULTS

Neglectful parenting style was associated with worse substance use outcomes across all substances. After adjusting for other proximal risk factors in multivariate analyses, parenting style was found to be unrelated to substance use outcomes with one exception: authoritative parenting style was associated with less frequent drinking. Association with deviant peers, delinquent behaviour, provision of alcohol by parents, and previous use of other substances were associated with substance use outcomes at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study indicate that parenting style may be less important for adolescent substance use outcomes than what has previously been assumed, and that association with deviant peers and delinquent behaviour may be more important for adolescent substance use outcomes than general parenting style.

What's love got to do with it? Adolescent romantic networks and substance use

This study examined how romantic aspiration network characteristics at the individual level (in-degree and out-degree) are associated with substance use (i.e. smoking and drinking) among a cross-sectional sample of US adolescents (10th grade, n = 1523) from 4 high schools in Los Angeles. Findings highlighted that, with an increase in out-degree (romantic aspiration nominations made), adolescents in our sample were less likely (OR = .824, CI = .688-.986, p < .05) to report smoking in the past 30 days. Additionally, with an increase in in-degree (romantic aspiration nominations received), adolescents were more likely (OR = 1.186, CI = 1.04-1.36, p < .05) to report drinking in the past 30 days. We conclude that romantic aspirations/relations influence adolescents' substance use behaviour (i.e. smoking and drinking alcohol), particularly because of the intensity of such relationships and the desire to please or be acceptable to the other person. Moreover, understanding adolescents' aspirations/relations can be useful for the development of intervention/prevention programmes to target adolescents' substance use.

Is Drinking with Parents Associated with High-Risk Drinking among Adolescents?

BACKGROUND/AIMS

What are the implications of drinking with parents (DWP) on adolescents' drinking behavior? We expanded the meagre body of research on this controversial issue by assessing the association between the frequency of DWP and adolescent high-risk drinking, taking a number of parental factors into account.

METHOD

Data stemmed from a subsample of 14-17-year-old current drinkers (n = 7,616) who participated in a cross-sectional Norwegian school survey (response rate: 84%).

RESULTS

One in four reported DWP during the past year. The higher the frequency of DWP, the higher was the prevalence of high-risk drinking. Parental drunkenness, permissive alcohol-related parenting, and indicators of suboptimal parenting more generally also correlated with DWP. After controlling for these confounders, only frequent DWP remained significantly associated with high-risk drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

DWP was related to adolescent high-risk drinking, yet the association was in part attributable to parents' drinking and parenting style. The risk of involvement in high-risk drinking was about the same for adolescents reporting no DWP and infrequent DWP, while it was significantly elevated among those reporting frequent DWP. This study thus demonstrated that the frequency of DWP matters and that parents who drink with their adolescent children differ from other parents in important ways.

Patterns of substance use, delinquency, and risk factors among adolescent inhalant users

BACKGROUND

Despite insidious effects, use of inhalant substances by adolescents remains an understudied phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE

This research was designed to identify patterns of past year substance use and delinquency among adolescent inhalant users.

METHOD

The study used a sample of adolescent inhalant users (ages ranged from 12-17 years, n = 7,476) taken from a pooled sample of the 2002 through 2012 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Three-step latent class analyses were conducted with past year substance use and delinquency behaviors as class indicators. Demographic and social covariates were included in the analyses.

RESULTS

Analyses yielded a six-class solution comprised of classes of users characterized by low substance use/low delinquency, high substance use/low delinquency, low substance use/fighting, cigarettes/alcohol/marijuana, high substance use/high delinquency, and cigarettes/alcohol/ marijuana/opioids/moderate delinquency.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide insight into the taxonomy of adolescent inhalant user heterogeneity, and may inform future efforts at detection and prevention of inhalant use by suggesting warning signs of co-occurring externalizing behaviors and possible indications of underlying internalized issues.

Parenting style and locus of control, motivation, and school adaptation among students with borderline intellectual functioning

<b>Background</b><br /> Parenting style impacts children’s psychosocial development. Students with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) are especially sensitive to the quality of parental care. The objective of this study was to compare parenting styles of mothers of children with BIF and mothers of typically developing peers, and establish associations between parenting styles and children’s psychosocial traits, which determine their school functioning.<br /> <br /> <b>Participants and procedure</b><br /> Forty-two primary school students in Grades 4 to 6, their teachers, and mothers participated in the study. Based on their IQ level they comprised two groups: students with BIF (criterion group; n = 21) and students with average IQ (comparison group; n = 21). A series of measures were used to assess mothers’ parenting style and students’ psychosocial traits. Questionnaires measuring students’ psychosocial pro­perties were administered to children and their teachers in order to compare their perspectives.<br /> <br /> <b>Results</b><br /> Mothers of children with BIF in comparison to mothers in the control group presented greater inclinations towards over-parenting. Based on self-reports, students with BIF did not differ from their typically developing classmates in terms of school motivation, anxiety, locus of control, or social adjustment, despite their lower academic performance. According to teachers, students with BIF had significantly lower school motivation and delayed socialization. For students with BIF but not for the comparison group, a negative correlation was found between mothers’ tendency to dominate over their child and students’ locus of control and school motivation.<br /> <br /> <b>Conclusions</b><br /> Children with BIF are especially sensitive to the quality of mothers’ parenting style, which can have an adverse effect on their school adjustment.

Racial differences in parenting style typologies and heavy episodic drinking trajectories

OBJECTIVE

This study examines racial differences between Whites and Blacks in the association of parenting style typologies with changes in heavy episodic drinking from adolescence to young adulthood.

METHOD

The analytic sample consists of 9,942 adolescents drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which followed respondents from ages 12 to 31 years. Confirmatory factor analysis and factor mixture modeling are used to classify parenting style typologies based on measures of parental acceptance and control. Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) trajectories are evaluated using a zero-inflated Poisson multigroup latent growth curve modeling approach.

RESULTS

The mixture model identified 4 heterogeneous groups that differed based on the 2 latent variables (parental acceptance and control): balanced (65.8% of the sample), authoritarian (12.2%), permissive (19.4%), and uninvolved or neglectful (2.7%). Regardless of race, we found that at age 12 years, children of authoritarian parents have a higher probability of not engaging in HED than children of parents with balanced, permissive, or neglectful parenting styles. However, among Black youth who reported HED at age 12, authoritarian parenting was associated with greater level of HED at age 12 but a less steep increase in level of HED as age increased yearly as compared with balanced parenting. For White adolescents, uninvolved, permissive, and authoritarian parenting were not associated with a greater level of HED as age increased yearly as compared with adolescents exposed to balanced parenting.

CONCLUSION

The influence of parenting styles on HED during adolescence persists into young adulthood and differs by race for youth engaging in HED.

Alcohol and Substance Use in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: The Role of Siblings

Interpersonal relationships both within and outside the family have been a central part of alcohol and substance use research. Many studies have focused on the role of parents and peers; fewer studies have focused on siblings. This paper examined siblings' roles in ATOD use patterns and trajectories in the context of familial and non-familial factors across time. First, intraclass correlations (ICCs) were used to examine the degree to which older siblings' ATOD use was associated with younger siblings' ATOD use. Second, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the degree to which individual, parent, sibling and peer factors over time were associated with adolescents' and young adults' ATOD use. It should be noted that developmentally proximal predictors were utilized in these models and within-family replication was also examined. Results demonstrate strong associations between older and younger siblings' ATOD use. Moreover, the developmentally proximal sibling variables were predictive of younger sibling ATOD use in the context of other variables across all substances. Study findings are discussed in terms of identifying promising and potentially malleable points of intervention for future investigators.

Which parenting style is more protective against adolescent substance use? Evidence within the European context

BACKGROUND

This study examines whether authoritative parenting style (characterized by warmth and strictness) is more protective against adolescent substances use than authoritarian (strictness but not warmth), indulgent (warmth but not strictness) and neglectful (neither warmth nor strictness) parenting styles. Emergent research in diverse cultural contexts (mainly Southern European and Latin American countries) questions the fact that authoritative would always be the optimum parenting style.

DESIGN

Multi-factorial MANOVAs.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of 7718 adolescents, 3774 males (48.9%), 11-19 year-olds (M=14.63 year-olds, SD=1.9 years) from Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic.

MEASUREMENTS

Parenting style dimensions (warmth and strictness) and adolescent substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs); additionally another three adolescent outcomes were also measured (self-esteem, school performance and personal disturbances) all of them related in the literature with substance use.

FINDINGS

Both indulgent and authoritative parenting styles were associated with better outcomes than authoritarian and neglectful parenting in all the countries studied. Overall, our results support the idea that in Europe the indulgent parenting style performs as well as the authoritative one since adolescents' scores in the youth outcomes were equal (on substance use and personal disturbances) or even better (on self esteem and school performance) than for authoritative parenting style.

CONCLUSIONS

Parenting styles relate to substance use and other outcomes in the same way in different countries explored. The so-called indulgent parenting style appears to be as good as the authoritative in protecting against substance abuse.

Socialization of Dissonance Processes

Based on portrayals of dissonance as a learned drive state, it was hypothesized that there may be a role for parenting style and related variables in the development of dissonance reactions. This experiment found that both reports of having parents with authoritarian parenting styles and learning the link between responsibility and consequences moderated the effect of an induced compliance dissonance manipulation on attitudes. Reports of having experienced authoritarian parenting and responsibility emphasis both bolstered the effect of the dissonance manipulation, accentuating the difference between the dissonance and control conditions as authoritarian parenting and responsibility increased. These findings help shed some light on the processes by which dissonance reactions might be learned.

Is the relationship between early-onset cannabis use and educational attainment causal or due to common liability?

BACKGROUND

Several studies have shown that early cannabis use is correlated with poor educational performance including high school drop-out. The predominant explanation for this relationship is that cannabis use causes disengagement from education. Another explanation is that the association between early cannabis use and educational attainment is not causal, but the result of overlapping risk factors that increase the likelihood of both early cannabis use and disengagement from education. These confounding factors could be of genetic and/or environmental origin.

METHODS

Here we use data from a large community-based sample of adult twins (N=3337) who completed a comprehensive semi-structured telephone interview. We first apply the classical twin-design to determine whether genetic and/or environmental influences underlie the relationship between early-onset cannabis use (prior to age 18) and early school leaving. Next, with a co-twin control design we investigate whether the relationship between the two variables is more likely due to direct causality or overlapping risk factors.

RESULTS

We find a significant phenotypic correlation between early-onset cannabis use and early school leaving (r=0.26), which could be explained by familial influences (of genetic and/or shared environmental origin). The pattern of odds ratios found in the co-twin control design is not consistent with direct causation, but rather suggests that the association is due to shared environmental factors influencing both variables.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the relationship between early-onset cannabis use and school leaving is due to shared environmental risk factors influencing both the risk of early-onset cannabis use and early school leaving.

Parents' and students' reports of parenting: which are more reliably associated with college student drinking?

Recent efforts to reduce college student heavy episodic drinking have examined parental influences, with the goal of continually refining parent-based interventions (PBIs). This research has primarily relied on student-reported data, which is often cited as a methodological limitation although the degree to which parent- and student-reported data on parenting behaviors correspond is unknown. The goals of the present study were to assess the level of consistency between parent- and student-reported data for commonly examined parenting constructs and compare their associations with college student drinking. Data were collected from a sample of 145 parent-student dyads using a longitudinal design. At baseline, parents and students reported on parental monitoring, approval of light and moderate/heavy drinking, and permissiveness. At a 10-month follow up, students reported on their typical weekly drinking and consequences. Parents' and students' reports of parenting behavior at baseline were compared and their associations with student drinking and consequences at follow up were assessed. Agreement between parents' and students' reports of parenting was fair to moderate, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from .34 to .61. Student-reported data were more reliably associated with student drinking at follow up. Studies examining parent influences on college student drinking, including research on PBIs, do not appear to be limited by using student-reported data. Implications for future research are discussed.

The influence of psychosomatic symptoms, physical and sexual abuse, and coping strategies on delinquent behavior among Korean adolescents

PURPOSE

This cross-sectional study was undertaken to examine the contributing factors related to juvenile delinquency, as well as to identify the effect of psychosomatic symptoms, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and coping strategies on delinquent behavior among Korean adolescents.

METHODS

To investigate the research problem, 2,146 adolescents, including 1,350 student adolescents and 796 delinquent adolescents, were assessed using a cross-sectional descriptive design study via anonymous, self-reporting questionnaires. Almost all research variables were measured using the Mental Health Questionnaire for Korean Adolescents.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that delinquent adolescents showed a greater incidence of psychosomatic symptoms, higher levels of physical and sexual abuse, and a higher level of less effective coping strategies compared with student adolescents. Our path analysis revealed that the likelihood of delinquent behavior among adolescents appeared to be influenced mainly by sexual abuse, Psychosomatic Symptoms I, and physical abuse, with these three variables having the highest total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms the relationships previously identified among stress, somatic complaints, and ineffective coping. In addition, we demonstrated that these relationships cover a wide spectrum, ranging from psychosomatic symptoms to behavioral problems. Further implications of the results and research limitation were discussed.

Parenting styles and alcohol consumption among Brazilian adolescents

AIM

This study evaluates the correlation between alcohol consumption in adolescence and parenting styles of socialization among Brazilian adolescents. The sample was composed of 273 adolescents, 58% whom were males. Instruments were: 1) Sociodemographic Questionnaire; 2) Demand and Responsiveness Scales; 3) Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI). Study analyses employed multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Maternal, but not paternal, authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles were directly related to adolescent alcohol intake.

CONCLUSIONS

The style that mothers use to interact with their children may influence uptake of high-risk behaviors.

Parental sedentary restriction, maternal parenting style, and television viewing among 10- to 11-year-olds

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether parenting styles or practices were associated with children's television (TV) viewing.

METHODS

A total of 431 parent-child dyads (10- to 11-year-old children) from Bristol, United Kingdom, were included. Child and parent TV viewing were self-reported and categorized as <2, 2 to 4, or >4 hours/day. Children reported maternal parenting style (authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive). Child-reported maternal and paternal sedentary restriction scores were combined to create a family-level restriction score. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine whether child TV viewing was predicted by parenting style or family restriction.

RESULTS

A greater proportion of children with permissive mothers watched >4 hours of TV per day, compared with children with authoritarian or authoritative mothers (P = .033). A greater proportion of children for whom both parents demonstrated high restriction watched <2 hours of TV per day (P < .001). The risk of watching 2 to 4 hours (vs <2 hours) of TV per day was 2.2 times higher for children from low-restriction families (P = .010). The risk of watching >4 hours (vs <2 hours) of TV per day was 3.3 times higher for children from low-restriction families (P = .013). The risk of watching >4 hours of TV per day was 5.2 times higher for children with permissive (versus authoritative) mothers (P = .010).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians need to talk directly with parents about the need to place limitations on children's screen time and to encourage both parents to reinforce restriction messages.

Longitudinal associations between family characteristics and measures of childhood obesity

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between different family characteristics and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in children.

METHODS

This was a prospective follow-up study conducted in Helsinki region with data collected in 2006 and 2008. The sample consisted of 550 children aged 9-11 at baseline. Children were measured and weighed by research staff, and they completed a questionnaire about their family characteristics.

RESULTS

More meals together with the family, more parenting practices at meals, less time home without adult company after school, and child's perception of receiving care from mother in 2006 predicted a lower BMI in 2008 and partly a smaller increase in BMI from 2006 to 2008. Fewer associations were found to WHtR. Physical activity with either parent was not associated with BMI or WHtR.

CONCLUSIONS

Several family characteristics predicted child BMI and WHtR 2 years later. These results contribute new knowledge about parental influence on child weight and weight gain and should be taken into account when planning interventions on the matter.

Underage drinking on saturday nights, sociodemographic and environmental risk factors: a cross-sectional study

Background

Excessive alcohol consumption in underage people is a rising phenomenon. A major proportion of the disease burden and deaths of young people in developed nations is attributable to alcohol abuse. The aim of this study was to investigate social, demographic and environmental factors that may raise the risk of Saturday night drinking and binge drinking among Italian school students.

Methods

The study was conducted on a sample of 845 Italian underage school students, by means of an anonymous, self-test questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify independent risk factors for alcohol drinking and binge drinking. Ordered logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for harmful drinking patterns.

Results

The independent variables that confer a higher risk of drinking in underage students are older age classes, male sex, returning home after midnight, belonging to a group with little respect for the rules, or to a group where young people are not seen as leaders. The higher the perception of alcohol consumption by the group, the higher the risk. Spending time in bars or discos coincides with a two-fold or four-fold increase, respectively, in the risk of alcohol consumption.

Conclusion

Our findings show that certain environmental and social risk factors are associated with underage drinking. The most important role for preventing young people's exposure to these factors lies with the family, because only parents can exert the necessary control and provide a barrier against potentially harmful situations.

Motivation for reducing substance use among minority adolescents: targets for intervention

Motivation to change substance use is considered to be one of the most important predictors of client readiness for alcohol and other drug treatment and ability to benefit from treatment. Enhancing motivation to change substance use is an important emphasis of many substance use intervention programs. The specific factors predicting motivation to change substance use remain largely unidentified and poorly understood, particularly among racial/ethnic minority youth. This study examines the influence of adolescent and parental factors on motivation to change substance use among 310 alcohol-using and/or drug-using racial/ethnic minority adolescent males. The analytic plan involved the use of structural equation modeling. Adolescents' motivation to change substance use was influenced directly and indirectly by parental factors, as well as by adolescent substance use severity and externalizing disorders. Findings have implications for treatment with racial/ethnic minority youth, as parental factors may be exceptionally useful targets for interventions aimed at enhancing motivation to reduce substance use among these at-risk youth.

Associations between authoritative parenting and the sun exposure and sun protective behaviours of adolescents and their friends

Associations between the sun exposure and sun protective behaviours of adolescents and their friends were examined along with the role played by authoritative parenting and other family and peer socialisation factors. Four hundred and two adolescents (198 males, 204 females) participated in the research. It was found that these adolescents and their friends shared similar sun exposure and sun protective behaviours and had similar parenting backgrounds. Parental authoritativeness was positively associated with the use of sun protection, even after the effects of other familial and peer variables were controlled, but not with the time spent sunbathing which was associated with friends' behaviours. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.