Engaging Rural Parents in Family-Focused Programs to Prevent Youth Substance Abuse

Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2000

We tested the relationships and predictive power of family factors on rural, suburban, and urban adolescent substance use. A representative statewide survey of 11th grade students for gender, place of residence, and ethnicity was conducted. No significant differences were found between rural, suburban, and urban adolescents for substance use. For family sanction variables across all locations, adolescent substance involvement was

Journal of Substance Abuse, 2001

Purpose: We examined rural -urban differences in cumulative risk for youth substance use. A recent report [National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) 2000] found that the ruralurban distribution of substance use and known risk factors for substance use differed; in many cases rural youth showed higher levels of use, as well as higher levels of risk factors. The current investigation, while not directly examining substance use, further examined rural -urban differences in the distribution of risk factors for youth substance use, based on information from parent reports. Method: Study 1 data were collected from a random sample of Midwestern parents (n = 339) with a young adolescent between the ages of 11 and 13 years. Study 2 data were collected from a second sample of Midwestern parents (n = 593). Results: Analyses of rural -urban comparisons demonstrated higher levels of cumulative risk among rural youth. An evaluation of the sensitivity of the analysis to rural -urban classification schemes indicated that the findings were robust, but that there was some minor variation in rural -urban differences by classification scheme. Implications: Results contribute to an explanation of findings from earlier reports of rural -urban differences in substance use, and suggest directions for future research on rural -urban distributions of youth risk factors. D 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

PsycEXTRA Dataset

This paper describes strategies for developing drug abuse prevention programs in rural communities, based on available evidence about factors contributing to drug abuse. Comprehensive interventions to prevent drug abuse and other youth problems are needed because drug abuse is entwined with other problem behaviors and stems from a complex set of social context factors. Community interventions must supplement the prevention efforts of schools and families. The most proximal influence on adolescent substance abuse appears to be association with substance-using peers. Parenting practices also influence adolescent drug use, most notably parental monitoring and limit setting. A-longitudinal study in six small Oregon towns confirmed the importance of peer and family relations and led to development of a model of these influences on adolescent problem behaviors. An obvious implication is that communities could reduce substance abuse through parent training in effective parenting practices. Three successful programs are described. Schools can influence drug abuse by providing specifically designed prevention programs; preventing academic failure, which is associated with substance abuse; and identifying high-risk students. Other community strategies include youth programs that act in loco parentis; social, material, and informational support for families; school reform efforts; and organizing for improved childrearing practices. The potential of the media in prevention efforts is also discussed. (Contains 112 references.)

The Journal of Early Adolescence, 2010

The study explores how differences in rural community contexts relate to early adolescent alcohol use. Data were gathered from 1,424 adolescents in the sixth through eighth grades in 22 rural Northern Plains communities, as well as 790 adults, parents, teachers, and community leaders. Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that community supportiveness, as perceived by adolescents, but not adults, was associated with less lifetime and past month alcohol use, and for past month use, this relationship was stronger than perceived peer drinking or parental closeness. Perceived peer drinking and parental closeness were not associated with past month use. Adolescents experiencing family economic strain did not report greater lifetime or past month use, but living in a disadvantaged community was associated with greater past month use. Relatively affluent adolescents reported greater past month use when living in a poor community than did poorer adolescents, highlighting relationship complexity between economic disadvantage and alcohol use.

Journal of Community Psychology, 2016

This study examined differences in adolescent risky behaviors between rural communities and urban communities and identified specific factors predicting these differences from a family social capital perspective. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2012 statewide representative youth survey (N = 61,321) in Arizona, United States. The results mostly confirmed the already documented differences between rural-urban youth and related health disparities. The rates of cigarette use, alcohol use and driving after drinking were higher in rural respondents than those in urban respondents. However, the rate of drug use such as marijuana and methamphetamines was lower in rural respondents. The findings highlighted the importance of family structure, family relationships, and socioeconomic status as contributor to these rural/urban differences. These results were discussed from family capital perspective and practice and policy recommendations were provided for the United States and other societies like China that face similar rural-urban disparities in youth behavioral health.

Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 2012

American Journal of Community Psychology, 2009

Considerable research has demonstrated that substance use and delinquency during early adolescence can have long-term negative health consequences. As the correlates of these behaviors cross levels and contexts, it is likely that a socioecological approach will provide insight to inform community prevention. This approach informs the present study, which focuses on developing a multiple-method measurement strategy to examine associations among community risks, resources, and rates of early adolescent substance use and delinquency in 28 rural and small town communities. Measures include five domains of community risk, four domains of community resources, and population rates of early adolescent substance use and delinquency. Results demonstrated that several measures of context were significantly associated with community rates of adolescent substance use and delinquency, and different risks and resources appear important for different outcomes. Multiple associations were curvilinear, and interactions may also be important. Findings suggest that it may be worthwhile to create and test new intervention strategies that target community factors in the pursuit of prevention.

Addictive Behaviors, 1998

Epidemiological research indicates that the prevalence rate of drug use among adolescents has risen steadily during this decade, and although alcohol use has stabilized it is still highly prevalent. Psychosocial etiological models have typically examined main effects of risk and protective factors. This study examined moderating effects of intrapersonal skills on social (peer and parental) risks associated with alcohol and marijuana use among eighth-grade rural adolescents, an understudied population. Results indicated that the relationships of peer and parental attitudes, and peer usage to alcohol and marijuana use, are moderated by adolescents' decision-making and self-reinforcement skills. Social risk factors were strongly associated with increased alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents with poor intrapersonal skills. However, good decision-making and self-reinforcement skills diminished the influence of social risk factors on substance use. Results are discussed in terms of implications for psychosocial models of alcohol and drug use, and for designing effective school-based universal prevention interventions.

Health Education Research, 2012

Mothers were allowed to choose between two different family-based adolescent alcohol-drug prevention strategies and the choice was examined in relation to parent and teen characteristics. Under real world conditions, parents are making choices regarding health promotion strategies for their adolescents and little is known about how parent and teen characteristics interact with programs chosen. The two programs were: Family Matters (FM) (Bauman KE, Foshee VA, Ennett ST et al. Family Matters: a family-directed program designed to prevent adolescent tobacco and alcohol use. Health Promot Pract 2001; 2: 81-96) and Strengthening Families Program (SFP) 10-14 (Spoth R, Redmond C, Lepper H. Alcohol initiation outcomes of universal family-focused preventive interventions: one-and two-year follow-ups of a controlled study. J Stud Alcohol Suppl 1999; 13: 103-11). A total of 272 families with an 11-12 years old enrolled in health care centers were in the choice condition of the larger study. SFP requires group meetings at specified times and thus demanded more specific time commitments from families. In contrast, FM is self-directed through booklets and is delivered in the home at a time chosen by the families. Mothers were significantly more likely to choose SFP when the adolescent had more problem behaviors. Mothers with greater education were more likely to choose FM. Findings may provide more realworld understanding of how some families are more likely to engage in one type of intervention over another. This understanding offers practical information for developing health promotion systems to service the diversity of families in the community.

Substance Use & Misuse, 2009

Data from the 2004 Monitoring the Future survey examined a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 8th to 12th grade adolescents in rural and urban schools from across the United States (N= 37,507). Results found that drug use among daughters living with single fathers significantly exceeded that of daughters living with single mothers, while gender of parent was not associated with sons' usage. This distinction in adolescent drug use between mother-only versus father-only households is largely overlooked in contemporary studies. Factors responsible for variations in sons' and daughters' usage in single-parent families have important implications for future drug prevention efforts.