Tobacco Use Patterns From Adolescence to Young Adulthood Among Latinx Youth From Rural Communities

PURPOSE

To examine patterns in adolescent and young adult tobacco use, comparing Latinx foreign-born children and children of foreign-born parents (i.e., children of immigrants(COI)) to Latinx US-born children of US-born parents (i.e., children of nonimmigrants,(CONI)) and to CONI White youth who grew up in small and rural towns.

METHODS

Data were from youth who lived in control communities that participated in a community-randomized trial of the Communities That Care prevention system. We compared Latinx CONI (n = 154) with Latinx COI (n = 316) and with non-Latinx White CONI (n = 918). We examined tobacco use in adolescence (any adolescent use, early onset, and chronic use) and young adulthood (any past-year tobacco use, any daily smoking, any nicotine dependence symptoms) with mixed-effects logistic regressions.

RESULTS

In adolescence, Latinx CONI had a higher prevalence of any and chronic tobacco use relative to Latinx COI, and of any and early onset tobacco use relative to non-Latinx White CONI. In young adulthood, Latinx CONI were more likely to report tobacco use in the past year, any symptoms of nicotine dependence, and daily smoking relative to Latinx COI; and more likely to report daily smoking relative to non-Latinx White CONI. Generation differences in young adult tobacco use were explained by chronic tobacco use in adolescence.

DISCUSSION

The study suggests targeting chronic tobacco use in adolescence to prevent disparities in tobacco outcomes among Latinx young adults from rural communities.

Maternal engagement, relational closeness, and adolescent internalizing symptoms: The association of engaged mothering with adolescent depression and anxiety

Prevalence rates of anxiety and depression have increased among adolescents in recent years. The etiology of these internalizing symptoms is complex, but mothers can play a role in the mental health of their adolescent children. Using data from Year 15 of the fragile families and child well-being study, we analyzed associations between adolescent-reported maternal engagement, mother-adolescent relationship closeness, and adolescent depression and anxiety in a sample of 3146 mother-adolescent dyads. Using structural equation modeling, the four areas of engagement, closeness, anxiety, and depression were all modeled as latent variables to test the associations between these constructs. Higher levels of maternal engagement were significantly associated with higher levels of closeness between mother and adolescent, and higher levels of closeness were significantly associated with adolescents' lower levels of both depression and anxiety. Bootstrapped indirect effects were identified. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Parenting and Healthy Teenage Lifestyles

How can one promote adolescent adjustment toward a healthy lifestyle? The first step is to locate the healthy habit configuration within the family environment. The hypothesis is that, if adolescent lifestyles are assumed autonomously during adolescence, then it is very likely that they will last throughout life. How does this relate to parenting styles? After reviewing the literature of the last four decades on adolescent behavioral autonomy and scientific articles that link healthy lifestyles with parenting, several conclusions have been reached, such as the relevance of recovering the biopsychosocial richness of healthy lifestyles, the need to use a dialogue strategy to resolve discrepancies between adolescents and their parents, and the adequacy of the personalistic parenting style to promote adjusted adolescent behavioral autonomy, and with it maintain healthy lifestyles in the long term.