The study examined the relationship between ethnic identity and risky health behaviors in 1,892 Mexican-American students (M age= 14.6, SD= 1.35; 50.3% male) in South Texas. The Ethnic Identity Scale assessed ethnic identity and questions from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey measured risky health behaviors (mixed use of alcohol and drugs, heavy drinking, driving under the influence, regular marijuana use, regular cigarette smoking, lack of regular exercise, not eating breakfast regularly, and carrying a gun or knife to school). Logistic regression tested the relationships between ethnic identity and report of risky health behaviors controlling for potential confounders (sex, free school lunch status, grade, and self-reported school grade). Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and confidence intervals were calculated. Results indicated that being associated with Mexican-American cultural identity was significantly associated with a decreased mixed use of alcohol and drugs (AOR= .97), heavy drinking (AOR= .98), and regular marijuana use (AOR= .97). A stronger ethnic identity was protective against engaging in risky health behaviors among these Mexican-American adolescents.

This study reexamines the relationship between acculturation and illicit drug use among a sample of 186). Logistic regression was used to test the relationship between marijuana and cocaine use and two acculturation scales while controlling for structural properties and social dynamics characterizing use environment. Findings suggest that acculturation correlates with increased use of both substances when operationalized by language but not when measurement is based in social interaction. Gang membership was found to be a more explanative indicator of drug use than acculturation, suggesting that Mexican-American drug use is better understood through utilization of models factoring delinquent peer effects.

This article describes a study designed to examine the association of demographic, psychological, and environmental characteristics of a sample of low socioeconomic status, Mexican American students in elementary and middle school and their reported use of nine substances. Students in grades four, five, and six (N = 2295; males 52% and females 48%) located in a metropolitan school district in South Texas were surveyed in order to ascertain information pertaining to the initiation and/or ongoing use of substances. Regression analyses were employed to determine the relative contribution of variables measured to lifetime use of both minor and major substances. Results indicate that a specific combination of variables were predictive of both minor and major substance use for the subjects surveyed. Implications for future research and substance intervention are included.

Juvenile delinquency and substance use among American youth have become major concerns in today’s society. The various paths that adolescents may take into lives of delinquency are varied and complex. One potentially fruitful avenue for researchers to explore is adolescent use of free time and its relationship to delinquency. This study was designed to develop and validate a typology of leisure time activities using a scale developed for this study called the Adolescent Leisure Time Activity Scale (ALTAS). An additional purpose of the study was to examine the association between participation in the type of leisure activity and delinquent behavior among low socioeconomic status middle and senior high school Mexican American adolescents. The sample for the study consisted of 2,651 Mexican American adolescents. Results indicate that a higher level of involvement in delinquency was significantly associated with increased participation in unsupervised socialization with friends and less frequent participation in organized leisure and sport activities and in activities at home. Different associations of leisure activities and delinquent acts also were observed between male and female participants.

This survey study was designed to (a) investigate the prevalence of minor and major substance use among low socioeconomic status elementary and middle school Mexican American students identified with learning disabilities (LD; n = 150) and without LD (n = 150), and (b) identify psychosocial and environmental risk factors that may lead to the use of various substances among both non-learning disabled (non-LD) students and students with LD in an all-Mexican American sample. No differences were found in the use of substances between the two groups. Risk factors that were found to influence the use of minor substances for students identified as learning disabled, as opposed to the non-LD students, included use of substances by close friends and susceptibility to peer influence. Risk factors that were found to affect the use of major substances for students identified as learning disabled, as opposed to the non-LD students, included the number of minor substances used and stressful life events. Findings are discussed in the context of differing pathways leading to the use of substances for non-LD students and students with LD within an intraethnic group study.