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Article
The Influence of Perceived Parenting on Substance Initiation Among Mexican Children
Addictive Behaviors
  • Alejandro L. Vázquez, Utah State University
  • Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Utah State University
  • Nancy G. Amador Buenabad, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz
  • Marycarmen N. Bustos Gamiño, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz
  • María de Lourdes Gutierrez López, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz
  • Jorge A. Villatoro Velázquez, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Pergamon Press
Publication Date
5-27-2019
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
Abstract

Parents shape their children's behaviors and impact their developmental trajectories. Despite this, few studies have examined the potential relationship between child reported parenting factors and lifetime substance use and use intentions. The current study examined the potential impact of parenting factors (i.e., positive parenting, supervision, parental illicit substance use, substance-specific communication) on early substance use and intentions among Latinx children. Data for the present study utilized a representative sample of Mexican children (n = 52,171; 5th and 6th grades) who participated in a national survey on substance use. Children reported their demographics, lifetime substance use/intentions, and perceived parenting characteristic and practices. Child reported parental (i.e., individual or both parents) illicit substance use was associated with the largest increases in risk for reporting lifetime use of all substances examined. Higher levels of positive parenting were consistently associated with reductions in risk for reporting intentions for and use of all substances examined. Parent-child substance specific communication was not significantly related to child reported lifetime use or use intentions, with the exception of a minor decrease in the odds of reporting lifetime inhalant use. Supervision was associated with small to modest increase in risk. Substance use prevention efforts targeting Latinx populations may benefit from promoting positive parenting and direct supervision during childhood. Targeted prevention efforts may be needed for Latinx children exposed to parental illicit substance use, as they may be especially at risk for early substance initiation.

Citation Information
Vázquez, A. L., Domenech Rodríguez, M. M., Amador Buenabad, N. G., Bustos, M., Gutierrez, M., & Villatoro Velazquez J. A. (2019) The influence of perceived parenting on substance initiation among Mexican children. Addictive Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.05.026