NCJ Number
246668
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 43 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2014 Pages: 729-744
Date Published
May 2014
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study uses Latent Transition Analysis to identify latent patterns of parental knowledge-related behaviors occurring in mother-youth dyads during middle school and to investigate how changes in knowledge-related patterns are associated with youths' substance use in grade six and the initiation of substance use from grade six to eight.
Abstract
Parental knowledge is a key protective factor for youths' risky behavior. Little is known about how longitudinal combinations of knowledge-related behaviors are associated with youths' substance use. This longitudinal study uses Latent Transition Analysis to identify latent patterns of parental knowledge-related behaviors occurring in mother-youth dyads during middle school and to investigate how changes in knowledge-related patterns are associated with youths' substance use in grade six and the initiation of substance use from grade six to eight. Using a sample of 536 rural dyads (53 percent female, 84 percent White), the authors assessed mother and youths' reports of parental knowledge, active parental monitoring efforts, youth disclosure, and parent-youth communication to identify 6 latent patterns of knowledge-related behaviors: High Monitors, Low Monitors, Communication-Focused, Supervision-Focused, Maternal Over-Estimators, and Youth Over-Estimators. Fifty percent or more of dyads in the High Monitors, Communication-Focused and Youth Over-Estimators were in the same status in both sixth and eighth grade: 98 percent of Low Monitors in grade six were also in this status in grade eight. The initiation of alcohol, smoking, and marijuana was associated significantly with transitions between patterns of knowledge-related behaviors. The initiation of alcohol and smoking were associated with increased odds of transitions into the Low Monitors from the Communication-Focused, Supervision-Focused, and Maternal Over-Estimators. However, the initiation of substance use was associated with decreased odds of transitions from the High Monitors to the Low Monitors and with increased odds of transitions from High Monitors to Supervision-Focused. The discussion focuses on the value of using a person-oriented dyadic approach with multiple reporters to study changes in knowledge-related behaviors over the middle school period. Abstract published by arrangement with Springer.