Gender differences in the mediated relationship between alcohol use and academic motivation among late adolescents.

This study utilized structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between alcohol use and academic motivation controlling for potentially mediating variables of deviant behavior, depressive cognitions, family communication, and peer relations. The study also examined the manner in which these relationships were moderated by gender. Results indicated that alcohol use was directly related to deviance for both males and females, but was not associated with depressive cognitions for either males or females. Deviant behavior was directly associated with depressive cognitions for both males and females, but this effect was significantly stronger for females. Deviance was significantly, inversely related to family communication among males, but not females. Depressive cognitions were significantly, inversely related to family communication for both males and females. Family communication and peer relations were directly related to academic motivation for both males and females, and the relationship between family communication and academic motivation was also mediated through peer relations. The necessity of providing information that focuses on minimizing involvement in deviant behaviors for females and the differential importance of family and peer relations is discussed.

Predicting heavy alcohol use among adolescents.

A prospective, school-based study of alcohol use in a multiethnic sample of 3,675 adolescents found that family factors, other drug use, psychosocial-behavioral factors, and ethnic status are important discriminators of adolescents who are heavy alcohol users when compared with those who are experimental or moderate users. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Individuation, peers, and adolescent alcohol use: a latent growth analysis.

The study used latent growth modeling to investigate longitudinal relationships between individuation, peer alcohol use, and adolescent alcohol use among African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White adolescents (N = 6,048) from 7th, 8th, and 9th grades over a 3-year period. Initial levels of peer alcohol use were significantly related to changes in adolescents' alcohol use, whereas initial adolescent alcohol use also significantly related to changes in peers' alcohol use, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. Higher levels of intergenerational individuation were related to smaller increases in adolescent alcohol use and higher levels of separation were related to larger increases in youth drinking. The findings were similar across ethnic groups. Implications for development of prevention and intervention programs are discussed.

Gender, perceived parental monitoring, and behavioral adjustment: influences on adolescent alcohol use.

This study examined relationships among gender, perceived parental monitoring, externalizing behaviors, and adolescent alcohol use in a 2-wave longitudinal study. Females reported more perceived parental monitoring and less alcohol use than males. Perceived maternal and paternal monitoring were related to less alcohol use over time. Increases in alcohol use were associated with increases in externalizing behaviors over time. Perceived maternal monitoring mediated the relationship between gender and youth drinking and was also a significant predictor of changes in adolescent drinking over time. Perceived paternal monitoring was not a predictor of adolescent drinking in the context of perceived maternal monitoring and externalizing behaviors. The importance of gender in implementation of prevention programs is discussed.

Acculturation, substance use, and deviant behavior: examining separation and family conflict as mediators.

This longitudinal study examined how separation and family conflict mediated the effects of two acculturation variables (English language use and generational status) on substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use) and deviant behavior outcomes in a Mexican American high school age sample. Structural equation modeling indicated that separation was a significant mediator of the relationship between acculturation and alcohol use, tobacco use, and deviant behavior. Family conflict mediated the effects of acculturation on marijuana use and deviant behavior. Model comparisons across gender groups suggested that generational status was an influential acculturation measure for females but not males. Additionally, English language use maintained a direct effect on marijuana use among females, whereas this relationship was mediated by separation for males.

Global positive expectancies of the self and adolescents' substance use avoidance: testing a social influence mediational model.

Grounded in theories of global positive expectancies and social influences of behavior, this investigation posited a model in which global positive expectancies are related to substance use as mediated by attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and intentions. Using a cohort sample (n = 525), structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized predictions of future substance use. The findings suggest that, relative to adolescents with lower global positive expectancies, adolescents with higher global positive expectancies use substances less frequently over time because of their protective attitudinal and control-oriented perceptions towards that behavior. Additionally, results from the current investigation also extend prior findings on the factor structure of global positive expectancies, suggesting these expectancies can be viewed as a second-order factor representing optimism and two components of hope-agency and pathways.