Exposure to Parental Cigarette Smoking and Child Problem Behaviors: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), a major public health problem. ETS has been found to be associated with an increased risk of adverse health effects in children. This study utilizes data from a community-based, longitudinal investigation examining the relation between children’s exposure to ETS and later internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors. Interviews were administered to a representative community sample of participants from two New York State counties in 1983, with subsequent interviews in 1985–1986, 1992, 1997, and 2002–2003 (when the participants’ mean age was 32). Data was collected on various personality and behavioral characteristics of the participants, and on internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors demonstrated by their children. Results indicated that children’s exposure to ETS was associated with an increased risk for both internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors. This relationship was maintained despite control on a number of parental psychosocial risk factors (e.g., demographic variables, personality and behavioral attributes) that have been found to be associated with both parental cigarette smoking and behavior problems among children. These data, which indicate an association between exposure to ETS and internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors among children, support public health policies to further restrict children’s exposure to ETS.     

A longitudinal investigation of social causation and social selection processes involved in the association between socioeconomic status and psychiatric disorders.

Social causation theory and social selection theory have been put forth to explain the finding that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with risk for psychiatric disorders. The predictions of both theories were investigated using data from a community-based longitudinal study. Psychosocial interviews were administered to 736 families from 2 counties in New York State in 1975, 1983, 1985-1986, and 1991-1993. Results indicated that (a) low family SES was associated with risk for offspring anxiety, depressive, disruptive, and personality disorders after offspring IQ and parental psychopathology were controlled, and (b) offspring disruptive and substance use disorders were associated with risk for poor educational attainment after offspring IQ and parental psychopathology were controlled. These findings indicate that social causation and social selection processes vary in importance among different categories of psychiatric disorders.     

The relationship of personality and behavioral development from adolescence to young adulthood and subsequent parenting behavior

The purpose of the study was to examine the association of parental personality, behavior, and substance use during adolescence and adulthood as related to the later parent-offspring relationship. The sample consisted of 297 parents (M age 32 yr.), who were first interviewed at earlier points in their lives in childhood and early adolescence at six points in time, extending from 1983 to 2002. Multiple regression models showed that parents with certain earlier personality and behavioral attributes, e.g., more rebelliousness and more frequent tobacco use, had a more difficult relationship with their children. Findings indicated an association between the cumulative number of psychosocial risk factors in the parents and difficulties in the parent-child relationship. The findings suggested that interventions designed to decrease youths' substance abuse may increase the likelihood that later when they are parents they will form nurturing relationships with their children.     

Tobacco use in adolescence: longitudinal links to later problem behavior among African American and Puerto Rican urban young adults

In this study, the authors assessed the relationship between adolescent tobacco smoking and measures of inner control, deviant behavior, and associating with deviant peers, which are indicators of problem behavior. African American (N = 333) and Puerto Rican (N = 329) early adolescents completed questionnaires in their classrooms in 1990 at Time 1 (T1) and were individually interviewed thereafter when they were late adolescents in 1995 at Time 2 (T2) and as young adults in 2000 at Time 3 (T3). The authors used ordinary least squares regression analysis to assess the comparative association of adolescent smoking patterns at T1 and T2 and the young adult outcomes at T3; they controlled for demographic variables, level of the outcome measure at T2, and marijuana use at T2. The analyses suggested that experimental tobacco smokers demonstrated more problem behaviors than did nonsmokers, and late and continuous smokers demonstrated more problem behaviors as young adults than did experimental smokers and nonusers. These findings may provide a useful guide to a next step that involves translational research.     

The protective role of ethnic and racial identity and aspects of an Africentric orientation against drug use among African American young adults

In this study, the authors examined (a) the protective potential of multiple components of ethnic and racial identity and (b) the aspects of an Africentric orientation for moderating psychobehavioral risk and protective factors for drug use among a sample of 333 urban low-income African American young adults. Ethnic and racial identity and Africentric variables moderated the relationship between psychobehavioral variables and drug stage in 32.5% of the cases. Ethnic and racial identity and Africentric values for African American young adults seemed to be important as moderators of the association between psychobehavioral factors and young adult drug use. The authors suggested implications for future research and interventions.     

The role of older brothers in younger brothers' drug use viewed in the context of parent and peer influences

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an older brother's drug use on his younger brother's drug use viewed in the context of parent and peer influences. The sample consisted of 278 White, middle-class male college students and their oldest brothers, who were given questionnaires assessing drug behavior. Results indicated that older brother, parental, and peer drug use each had an independent impact on younger brother's use. The degree of influence varied, with drug modeling by peers and older brothers having a stronger association with younger brother drug use than did parental drug modeling. Further, the older brother's advocacy of drugs was associated with his younger brother's use even if the older brother did not serve as a drug model. Similarly, older brother drug modeling was of importance even if he did not advocate use. Finally, interactive results suggested that older brothers who did not use drugs could offset the negative effects of parental drug risks on younger brother use. Also, younger brothers were least likely to use drugs if both older brothers and peers served as models for nonuse.     

Stability of personality during adolescence and its relationship to stage of drug use

The purpose of this study was to examine how stability of personality, measured at two points during adolescence, relates to adolescents' stage of drug use, measured at the second point in time. The subjects were 704 black and white high school freshmen and sophomores who participated again two years later. Results indicated that the earlier measures of personality were significantly associated with the later measures of personality, which in turn were associated with the adolescents' stage of drug use. In addition, the adolescents' personality attributes showed a fair amount of stability over the two-year span of the study.