Perceiving the Risk of Substance Use: The Roles of Nativity, Acculturation, and Family Support Among Hispanic Children

• NCJ Number: 222686
• Journal: Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: Winter 2008 Pages: 119-148
• Author(s): Tara D. Warner; Christopher P. Krebs; Diana H. Fishbein
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 30 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01 DA15935
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study used longitudinal data on 553 Hispanic children in the Cicero Youth Development (CYD) Project (Illinois) in order to identify individual and environmental factors associated with their perceived risk of substance use, with attention to the variables of immigrant children being born in a Latin country and the acculturation of Hispanic children born in the United States.

Abstract

The findings show a positive link between immigrant status and perceived risk of substance use at followup. Immigrant Hispanics (i.e., Hispanic children not born in the United States) perceived illicit substances (marijuana, cocaine, or heroin) and inhalants as more risky to use compared to perceptions by U.S.-born Hispanic children. This finding held even after controlling for the effects of gender, age, acculturation, behavioral dysregulation, family and peer influences, and exposure to antidrug messages. Contrary to expectations, parent-child communication, perceived peer substance use, and exposure to antidrug messages at baseline did not influence the perceived risk of either type of substance use at followup. These findings parallel the findings of previous researchers who have identified higher rates of substance use among U.S.-born Hispanics than immigrant Hispanics. Acculturation did not have strong effects on the perceived risk of using substances; however, this may be due to the low variation within this classification. The CYD study involved interviews with 553 parent-child dyads from a predominately Hispanic neighborhood. Only data collected from the children were used in the analyses. Data were collected on demographics, alcohol and drug use, risk perception for substance use, parent-child communication, social support, acculturation, neighborhood factors, delinquency, parenting, psychological traits, and cognitive functioning. By interviewing children ages 10-12, researchers were able to identify the factors associated with their risk perception prior to the typical age of onset of substance use. 6 tables, 6 notes, and 45 references