Risk and Protective Processes Predicting Rural African American Young Men's Substance Abuse

Abstract

Informed by a life course perspective, this study tested a cascade model linking harsh, unresponsive parenting during childhood to young African American men's substance abuse via precocious transitions, economic instability, and future orientation. The moderating influence of community disadvantage and romantic partner support on the hypothesized pathways was also examined. At the baseline, the sample included 505 African American men between ages 19 and 22 years from high-poverty rural communities. Follow-up data were collected 18 months after baseline. Using structural equation modeling, we identified harsh, unresponsive parenting influenced precocious transitions in adolescence, which in turn increased economic instability during young adulthood. Economic instability was associated with a reduction in future orientation, a proximal influence on increases in substance abuse. Also, residence in a disadvantaged community amplified the influence of precocious transitions on economic instability and the influence of economic instability on future orientation. Involvement with supportive romantic partnership evinced a protective effect, attenuating the influence of precocious transitions on economic instability and the influence of economic instability on a future orientation. This study expands understanding of young adults' substance abuse by demonstrating the risk and protective processes linking substance abuse to developmental factors across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

The Role of Cognitive Stimulation in the Home and Maternal Responses to Low Grades in Low-Income African American Adolescents’ Academic Achievement

“…Further research is needed to understand links between harsh or punitive parenting and academic achievement. Although harsh parenting has been linked to a host of youth mental and physical health conditions (Brody et al 2003;Cho and Kogan 2016;Kazak et al 2014), it has been studied to a lesser extent in the context of involvement in education and in relation to adolescent academic achievement among African American families (see Caughy et al 2017 for an exception).…”

Association of Reported Concern About Increasing Societal Discrimination With Adverse Behavioral Health Outcomes in Late Adolescence

“…35 Consequently, youth concerned about the social climate may become discouraged about future opportunities for social advancement, less apt to successfully progress toward an adult identity, and more inclined to engage in risky behaviors they otherwise would not have, including substance use. 8,9 In the overall sample, youth who became more concerned over societal discrimination during this period accelerated their cigarette and marijuana use frequency by followup. The reason why this association was specific to these 2 substances and did not extend to alcohol or to depression or ADHD symptoms is unknown and warrants further inquiry.…”

Pathways linking adverse environments to emerging adults’ substance abuse and depressive symptoms: A prospective analysis of rural African American men

“…Example items included, “Have you been ignored, overlooked, or not given service because of your race?” and “Have you been treated rudely or disrespectfully because of your race?” Cronbach's alpha was .83. Economic distress was assessed with a 5-item scale that indicates whether respondents had enough money in the past 3 months for shelter, food, leisure, healthcare, and clothing (Cho & Kogan, 2016). Responses ranged from 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 4 ( strongly agree ); Cronbach's alpha was .79.…”

“…Applied to the current study, ACEs are hypothesized to carry forward to affect the exposure of rural African American men to contextual stressors during emerging adulthood. These stressors include exposure to racial discrimination (Williams & Mohammed, 2009), economic distress (Brody et al, 2010), residence in low-resource and high-crime neighborhoods (Estrada-Martinez et al, 2012), residential instability (Cho & Kogan, 2016), and incarceration (Johnson, 2010). During emerging adulthood, the accumulation of stressors is linked to escalating risk for substance abuse (Stone, Becker, Huber, & Catalano, 2012) and depression (Riggs & Han, 2009).…”