Culturally protective parenting practices against substance use among adolescents in Mexico

Parental support and monitoring as associated with adolescent alcohol and tobacco use by gender and age

BACKGROUND

Parental support (PS) and parental monitoring (PM) are known protective factors against adolescent substance use (SU). However, little is known about whether PS and PM may affect SU outcomes differently by gender and age. This study examined the relationship between PS and PM and adolescent SU, specifically alcohol and tobacco use, stratified by gender and age group.

METHODS

Middle and high school students (n = 2351, 48.5% Female) completed surveys of self-reported SU, perceived PS and PM, and socioeconomic background. Age group was defined dichotomously as grade 7-8 Middle school and grade 9-10 High school students. PS and PM were each measured using previously validated tools. SU was measured by lifetime and past 30 days cigarette/alcohol use. One-way ANOVA and binary logistic regression models were completed. Odds ratios and means were reported.

RESULTS

PS and PM were significantly and negatively related to all outcome variables regardless of gender and age group. Mean differences in PS and PM were insignificant between age groups. Between genders, PM scores were significantly higher for girls (14.05) compared to boys (13.48) (p < 0.01). Odds Ratios of all four SU types (for alcohol and tobacco use) increased with higher age group, with ORs ranging from 1.45-2.61 (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

PS and PM were protective against SU for all participants, consistent with previous literature. Girls reported greater parental monitoring than boys, irrespective of age-group. While girls experienced higher levels of monitoring, they did not report lower SU than boys. This suggests that monitoring girls more closely than boys appears unnecessary in preventing adolescent SU. Finally, PS was a more significant factor in preventing SU for older adolescents (high school aged group) than for younger adolescents, irrespective of gender suggesting that PS may be more impactful and important as adolescents age. As children mature, particularly from middle school to high school, PS may play a larger role in preventing SU for older adolescents compared to younger ones.

The relationship between density of drug outlets, crime hot spots and family factors on the consumption of drugs and delinquent behaviour of male adolescent Mexican students

This study examined the relationship between community risk factors (drug outlets density and crime hot spots) and family factors on the risk behaviours (drugs consumption and delinquent behaviour) of male adolescent Mexican students. Results were obtained based on data bank analysis and direct collection of information regarding family factors and risk behaviours of adolescents attending school. Spatial and statistical analysis was performed. The final sample was composed of 1450 male adolescents, from 11 secondary and high schools located in marginal and violent areas of Mexico. Spatial analysis revealed that when considering only the prevalence of the risk behaviours of the adolescents, the area of highest risk was the northwestern area of the city. However, after performing conjunct analysis of all evaluated variables using density point risk (aside from confirming that the northwestern area is still the one with the greatest risk), results indicated that the southern area has a high-density point risk. All densities of the variables showed a statistically significant positive association (p < 0.05). However, the results of the structural equation model indicated than only the family factors influenced the risk behaviours of adolescents (p < 0.05). The spatial distribution of the risk behaviours in male adolescent students and community risk variables surrounding the area where schools are located allows for the description of patterns and hotspot detection that facilitate the prioritization of where interventions must be directed. Besides, the interventions should target family factors.

How the U.S.-Mexico border influences adolescent substance use: Youth participatory action research using photovoice

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to use Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methods and Photovoice to identify the perceived environmental factors that influence substance use among adolescents living at the U.S.-Mexico border.

METHODS

One academic and a local youth health coalition engaged in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) using Photovoice and qualitative methods to examine the perceived factors influencing adolescent substance use in their border community.

RESULTS

Identified novel risk factors for adolescent substance use on the border included the normalization of drug trafficking, normalization of substance use, and cross-border access to substances. Novel protective factors included living in a close-knit binational community and having strong binational family and social support systems. The findings also illustrate a nexus of 'factors' wherein risk and protective elements overlap.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes to the broader literature on international border health and how living in a border space influences adolescent substance use. The examination of influential border-bound factors provides a more complete understanding of the experiences of youth living on the U.S.-Mexico border, and informs the field of the importance of considering the border experience for future prevention and risk reduction efforts with border adolescents.

Percepción del riesgo y consumo de alcohol en adolescentes de preparatoria

Objetivos: determinar la relación entre la percepción del riesgo frente a las bebidas alcohólicas y el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes mexicanos e identificar la prevalencia de consumo de alcohol, el nivel de percepción de riesgo y los patrones de consumo de alcohol según el sexo. Materiales y métodos: estudio cuantitativo de corte transversal y diseño correlacional, con una muestra probabilística de 251 adolescentes de Nuevo Laredo, México, en 2017. Se utilizó una cédula de datos personales, el Cuestionario de Percepción de Riesgo hacia el Consumo de Alcohol y el Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) o Prueba de Identificación de Trastornos Relacionados con el Consumo de Alcohol. Resultados: un mayor nivel de percepción del riesgo frente al alcohol se relacionó con un menor consumo de dicha sustancia (rs = –.235, p <.001). La mayoría de los adolescentes consumieron alcohol alguna vez en la vida (59,0 %) y en el último año (51,8 %). La percepción del riesgo y los patrones de consumo de alcohol no fueron significativamente diferentes según el sexo. Conclusiones: los hallazgos indican vulnerabilidad frente a la adicción al alcohol en la población de estudio. Se invita a profundizar, mediante redes de trabajo multidisciplinario, en los niveles de percepción sobre los riesgos del uso de drogas, con miras a contribuir a la producción de conocimientos que guíen acciones preventivas dirigidas a hombres y mujeres adolescentes.

Is there room for resilience? A scoping review and critique of substance use literature and its utilization of the concept of resilience

Research in the area of illicit substance use remains preoccupied with describing and analyzing the risks of people who use drugs (PWUD), however more recently there has been a drive to use a strengths-based or resilience approach as an alternative to investigating drug use. This leads us to ask: what can be known about PWUD from the point of view of resilience? The objective of this scoping review is to analyze how the concept of resilience is defined, operationalized, and applied in substance use research. Popular health, social science, psychology, and inter-disciplinary databases namely: SCOPUS, PUBMED, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts were searched. Studies were selected if they used the concept of resilience and if substance use was a key variable under investigation. A total of 77 studies were identified which provided a definition of resilience, or attempted to operationalize (e.g., via scales) the concept of resilience in some manner. Data were charted and sorted using key terms and fundamental aspects of resilience. The majority of studies focus on youth and their resistance to, or engagement in, substance use. There is also a small but growing area of research that examines recovery from substance addiction as a form of resilience. Very few studies were found that thoroughly investigated resilience among PWUD. Consistently throughout the literature drug use is presented as a 'risk factor' jeopardizing one's ability to be resilient, or drug use is seen as a 'maladaptive coping strategy', purporting one's lack of resilience. Currently, substance use research provides a substantial amount of information about the internal strengths that can assist in resisting future drug use; however there is less information about the external resources that play a role, especially for adults. Though popular, outcome-based conceptualizations of resilience are often static, concealing the potential for developing resilience over time or as conditions change. Studies of resilience among PWUD predominantly concentrate on health-related behaviours, recovery-related factors or predefined harm reduction strategies. Indeed, overall, current conceptualizations of resilience are too narrow to recognize all the potential manifestations of resilience practices in the daily lives of individuals who actively use drugs.

Natural mentors and youth drinking: a qualitative study of Mexican youths

Parental influences on youth drinking are well documented but not the influence of extended family members. This article explores extended family influences on alcohol use among Mexican youths and whether extended family members can be considered natural mentors. We conducted a qualitative study using ethnographic open ended interviews with 117 first year university students in Mexico City. The ethnographic interviews revealed six drinking groups: excessive, heavy, regular, occasional, abstainers and non drinkers. Youths reported close relationships with extended family members who provided counsel and acted as representatives of familial norms and values. The alcohol beliefs and behaviors of these family members, including their alcohol misuse, had a positive influence on youths' alcohol attitudes. The naturally occurring mentoring relationships of Mexican extended family members can positively influence moderate youth drinking. Natural mentoring relationships should be encouraged and facilitated in prevention efforts for Mexican youths, Mexican-American youths and potentially other Hispanic/Latino youths.

Perception of Parenting and its Relationship to the Onset of Drug Use in Mexican Adolescents

Contra todo esfuerzo, el inicio del consumo de drogas continúa siendo precoz. Se presumen asociaciones con factores relativos a la crianza, pero la escasa evidencia encontrada indica un vacío en el conocimiento de este fenómeno. Objetivo: identificar la relación entre la percepción de crianza parental y la edad de inicio en el consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en adolescentes. Materiales y método: diseño descriptivo correlacional con muestreo probabilístico. La muestra de adolescentes (n = 416) se estimó para IC 95 %. Se empleó una cédula sobre consumo de drogas y el cuestionario “Mis memorias de crianza” EMBU-I. Resultados: se identificaron correlaciones positivas entre la percepción de crianza parental y la edad de inicio del consumo de tres drogas. Por sexo del progenitor se encontraron ocho correlaciones entre la percepción de crianza paterna (todas las dimensiones de crianza) y la edad de inicio del consumo de cuatro drogas. En las madres, la dimensión de calidez se correlacionó positivamente con la edad de inicio del consumo de tabaco. Conclusiones: posiblemente la crianza parental desempeña un papel importante en el inicio temprano del consumo de sustancias por los adolescentes, por lo que es preciso considerarla en la prevención de las adicciones.

Adversity and resilience: A synthesis of international research

Children and adolescents worldwide experience a variety of adversities that have the potential to disrupt typical development. However, some of these individuals exhibit resilience, evidencing normal development in the face of adversity. Here we review research on these constructs of risk, adversity, and resilience; synthesize international research on factors that may serve to protect children and adolescents from the negative effects of adversity at the individual, family, school, community, and cultural levels; and provide future implications for research on this topic, highlighting the unique contributions of the subsequent articles in this special issue, each of which contributes to an understanding of resilience processes in non-Western populations. Although some general trends in resilience and protection may extend beyond national borders, resilience is also strongly influenced by culture and context; therefore, it is important to advance a research agenda that recognizes the unique protective influences within and across cultural contexts.