Citation

Ramírez García JI, Manongdo JA, Cruz-Santiago M. Cultur. Divers. Ethnic Minor. Psychol. 2010; 16(3): 404-412.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues; American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0019725

PMID

20658884

Abstract

Youth substance use was investigated in a sample of Mexican-origin mothers and youth (93 dyads totaling 186 individuals). We tested the hypotheses that both acculturation and inner-city risk factors impact substance use largely because they undermine family relationships. Mothers and youth completed self-report measures of acculturation and enculturation. Youth completed questionnaires of family relationships, inner-city risk factors, and substance use. Youth substance use was measured with an index of lifetime alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use based on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. As predicted, mother-youth (dyadic) acculturation/enculturation, as well as exposure to violence, were significantly associated with substance use. Family cohesion mediated the impact of violence exposure on substance use. However, both cohesion and violence had unique and significant associations with substance use. Furthermore, family relationships did not mediate the link between substance use and mother-youth acculturation or mother-youth enculturation. Results underscore the need to develop and test hypotheses that link Latino youth substance use with both acculturation and inner-city contexts that do not solely rely on family relationships as mediators.

Language: en