Assessment of culture and environment in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study: Rationale, description of measures, and early data

Neurodevelopmental maturation takes place in a social environment in addition to a neurobiological one. Characterization of social environmental factors that influence this process is therefore an essential component in developing an accurate model of adolescent brain and neurocognitive development, as well as susceptibility to change with the use of marijuana and other drugs. The creation of the Culture and Environment (CE) measurement component of the ABCD protocol was guided by this understanding. Three areas were identified by the CE Work Group as central to this process: influences relating to CE Group membership, influences created by the proximal social environment, influences stemming from social interactions. Eleven measures assess these influences, and by time of publication, will have been administered to well over 7,000 9-10 year-old children and one of their parents. Our report presents baseline data on psychometric characteristics (mean, standard deviation, range, skewness, coefficient alpha) of all measures within the battery. Effectiveness of the battery in differentiating 9-10 year olds who were classified as at higher and lower risk for marijuana use in adolescence was also evaluated. Psychometric characteristics on all measures were good to excellent; higher vs. lower risk contrasts were significant in areas where risk differentiation would be anticipated.

School and Parent Factors Associated With Steroid Use Among Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Steroid use among adolescents is an increasing health concern. Literature examining factors related to steroid use is limited.

METHODS

We investigated steroid use among 9th through 12th grade adolescents in the Greater Cincinnati area. A total of 38,414 adolescents completed the PRIDE Questionnaire. Associations between demographics, school factors, parent factors, sport participation, and steroid use were examined.

RESULTS

A total of 2.6% of adolescents reported using steroids in the past year. Most prevalent was steroid use among male, Junior/Senior, African-American, and Hispanic adolescents. Rates of steroid use differed significantly based on school and parent factors, but not sport participation. Adolescents who reported attendance at schools that frequently set and enforced rules for drug use or whose parents frequently set rules for drug use were at decreased odds for steroid use. School communication about drug use was negatively associated with steroid use.

CONCLUSIONS

School administration and staff, as well as parents, are uniquely positioned to deter steroid use among adolescents. Findings suggest that limiting steroid screening to student athletes might miss a substantial proportion of the population at risk. Thus, broad-based screening and prevention programs may be more effective than programs targeting student athletes alone.

Psychosocial Factors Associated with Alcohol Use Among Hispanic Youth

This study examined whether authoritarian parenting, school experiences, depression, legal involvement and social norms predicted recent alcohol use and binge drinking among a national sample of Hispanic youth. A secondary data analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health was performed (N = 3457). Unadjusted odds ratios were computed via univariate logistic regression analyses and significant variables were retained and included in the multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results indicated that in the past 30 days, 13.8 % of Hispanic youth drank alcohol and 8.0 % binge drank. Hispanic youth at highest risk for alcohol use were 16-17 years of age, experienced authoritarian parenting, lacked positive school experiences, had legal problems, and felt that most students at their school drank alcohol. Results should be considered when developing and implementing alcohol prevention efforts for Hispanic youth. Multiple approaches integrating family, school, and peers are needed to reduce use.

Evaluating the Hispanic Paradox in the Context of Adolescent Risky Sexual Behavior: The Role of Parent Monitoring

OBJECTIVE

In the United States, Hispanic adolescents are at elevated risk for negative outcomes related to risky sexual behavior. To evaluate potential protective factors for this group, we examined the fit of the Hispanic Paradox for sexual behavior among high-risk youth and the moderating role of parent monitoring.

METHOD

We enrolled 323 justice-involved Hispanic youth (73% male; mean age 16 years), and measured generational status, parent monitoring (monitoring location, who children spend time with outside of school, family dinner frequency), and sexual risk behavior.

RESULTS

There were no main effects for generational status on sexual behavior. Parent monitoring of location moderated the relationship between generational status and sexual behavior, such that greater monitoring of location was associated with less risky sexual behavior, but only for youth second generation and above.

CONCLUSIONS

Rather than direct evidence supporting the Hispanic Paradox, we found a more nuanced relationship for generational status in this sample.

Binge-Drinking Attitudes and Behaviors Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic College Students

This study explores binge-drinking behaviors and attitudes among Hispanic and non-Hispanic college students. The authors surveyed students at the same large Hispanic-serving university used in a 1999 study by Bennett et al., partially replicating that earlier research. While the percentage of students who reported binge drinking in the present study did not differ significantly by ethnicity, Hispanic students showed the most dramatic decrease in binge-drinking behavior since the 1990s study. Perhaps not coincidentally, during the years between studies, the university’s substance-abuse prevention office increased its outreach and awareness programs; university policies concerning alcohol use became more stringent and more publicly promoted; and Hispanics became the largest segment of the school’s undergraduate population. At the same time, despite these contextual changes, Hispanic students in the present study were less likely than other groups to disagree with the statement “binge drinking is part of my race/culture,” while non-Hispanic White students were less likely to disagree with the statement “no one ever died as a result of binge drinking.” Recommendations for binge-drinking education and prevention campaigns explicitly targeting Hispanic students and other risk groups (students living on campus; students from rural areas) are discussed.

Family-centered interventions for substance abuse in Hispanic communities

Treatment programs geared toward Hispanic culture are extremely rare, and programs involving the entire Hispanic family are virtually nonexistent. Two prospective studies test the hypothesis that a family-centered intervention is as effective with Hispanic families as it is with non-Hispanic families. First, the program (Celebrating Families!) was presented in English to non-Hispanic and Hispanic families. Second, the program was translated into Spanish and adapted to Spanish culture (¡Celebrando Familias!). Hispanic families were compared with non-Hispanic families in both studies. These studies indicate that a family-centered treatment model can be an effective treatment intervention for Hispanic clients.

Alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants before and after immigration to the United States

BACKGROUND

US-born Latinos have higher rates of alcohol use than Latinos who have immigrated to the United States. However, little is known about the pre-immigration drinking patterns of Latino immigrants or about the changes in their drinking behaviors in the 2 years post-immigration.

OBJECTIVES

This article reports findings of a longitudinal study that compared rates of regular, binge, and heavy drinking among a cohort of recent Latino immigrants, ages 18-34, prior to immigration to the United States and in the 2 years post-immigration.

METHODS

Baseline data were collected on the drinking patterns of 405 Latino immigrants living in the United States for 12 months or less. A follow-up assessment occurred during their second year in the United States.

RESULTS

Findings indicate that number of days of drinking declined significantly post-immigration. Binge alcohol use (five or more drinks on the same occasion during the past 90 days) significantly declined during the post-immigration period. Heavy alcohol use (five or more drinks on the same occasion on five or more days during the past 90 days) also significantly decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest a need for continued exploration of pre-immigration drinking patterns and research to uncover underlying factors associated with declines in rates of problematic alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

The results of this study can aid in furthering our understanding of the alcohol use of Latino immigrants ages 18-34 prior to and post immigration to the United States to guide future research and the development of culturally tailored clinical interventions.