Person-Environment Interactions and Adolescent Substance Use: The Role of Sensation Seeking and Perceived Neighborhood Risk

Abstract

Aims: This longitudinal study investigated person-environment interactions and adolescent substance use by examining whether, and if so how, early temperamental quality of sensation seeking interacted with current neighborhood characteristics to shape underage smoking, drinking, and marijuana use. Sample: Participants consisted of a community-representative sample of 352 adolescents. Methods: Early temperament was assessed when adolescents were between seven and 13 years of age, and current neighborhood characteristics (as perceived by participants and their mothers) and current adolescent substance use (self-reported smoking, drinking, and marijuana use in the past 30 days) were assessed approximately three years later. Results: The results from a zeroinflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression revealed a potent negative effect of the perceived neighborhood risk, such that riskier neighborhoods were associated with both a greater probability for any substance use among adolescents, and a greater frequency of substance use among those who were engaging in these behaviors. High sensation seeking was a risk factor only for frequency of substance use among adolescent extant users, but not for the likelihood of any use. In addition, a significant interaction between sensation seeking and neighborhood risk revealed that adolescent sensation seekers engaged in smoking, drinking, and marijuana use primarily under conditions of elevated neighborhood risk and increased opportunity for such behaviors. Conclusion: Underage substance use was affected by synergistic effects between personal and community risk factors.

Contributions of an Internalizing Symptoms Polygenic Risk Score and Contextual Factors to Alcohol-Related Disorders in African American Young Adults

“…No research to our knowledge has examined whether the interaction between community disadvantage and an internalizing symptoms PRS is associated with the development of alcohol-related disorders. However, our results are consistent with limited research linking temperamental inhibition (a potential phenotype of internalizing symptoms) and community disadvantage to alcohol use (Andreas & Watson, 2016). Findings from this study indicated that greater exposure to neighborhood problems was associated with heavier alcohol consumption among individuals lower in temperamental inhibition (Andreas & Watson, 2016).…”

Interplay Between Sensation Seeking and Parental Rules in the Emergence of Heavy Episodic Drinking

“…Parental behaviors may promote the maturation of reward sensitivity, sensation seeking, and risk‐taking behaviors by possibly denying access to risk‐taking opportunities at a young age, or by potentially channeling sensation seeking toward more pro‐social rewards. Recent studies have found that neighborhood disadvantage moderates the relationship between sensation seeking and substance use largely via the provision of additional risk‐taking opportunities (Burdzovic Andreas & Watson, ; Jensen, Chassin, & Gonzales, ). In contrast to this research, it should be noted that most studies that have examined the relationship between sensation seeking and parental behaviors have failed to find a significant interaction (e.g., Janssen et al., ; Kaynak et al., ).…”