Concordance among biological, interview, and self-report measures of drug use among African American and Hispanic adolescents referred for drug abuse treatment.

This study examined the concordance among urine assays, interview measures, and self-report measures of marijuana and cocaine use among 190 drug-abusing/dependent African American and Hispanic adolescents and their families at 3 assessment points of an 18-month randomized clinical trial study. Results demonstrated concordance among urine assays, a calendar method self-report measure (Timeline Follow Back [TLFB]), and a noncalendar method self-report measure (Adolescent Drug Abuse Diagnosis Scale). Diagnostic criteria of marijuana and cocaine abuse/dependence from a clinical structured interview (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children [DISC]) also converged, albeit weakly, with self-report measures. Adolescent and parent reports on DISC marijuana abuse/dependence diagnostic criteria were related; however, collateral findings for DISC cocaine abuse/dependence diagnostic criteria were equivocal. Differences in concordance among biological and self-report cocaine use measures were found for baseline TLFB assessments among African American participants. Implications for future use and refinement of adolescent drug use assessments are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substance use among Asian American adolescents: Influence of race, ethnicity, and acculturation in the context of key risk and protective factors.

This study examines the relative influence of race/ethnicity, acculturation, peer substance use, and academic achievement on adolescent substance use among different Asian American ethnic groups and U.S. racial/ethnic groups. Data from the Wave 1 in-home sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was used to examine lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana in a full adolescent sample of all racial/ethnic groups (N = 20,745) and a subsample of Asian American adolescents (N = 1,248). Path analysis examined the hypothesized relationships of peer substance use and acculturation as risk factors and academic achievement as a protective factor for racial/ethnic groups. The results indicated that when Asian American adolescents were compared to other major U.S. racial/ethnic groups, peer use and acculturation were both significant mediators of smoking, drinking, and marijuana use, and academic achievement mediated each type of use at a trend level. For Asian American ethnic groups, peer use is a risk factor and, to a lesser extent, academic achievement is a protective factor for substance use. Also, although acculturation is a predictor of substance use, when peer use and academic achievement are taken into account, acculturation—like ethnicity—no longer predicts use. Mediation analyses indicated that peer substance use mediates smoking, drinking, and marijuana use; academic achievement does not; and acculturation mediates substance use for some substances and some Asian American ethnic groups. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding how culturally specific approaches can inform preventive interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in familism values and caregiving outcomes among Korean, Korean American, and White American dementia caregivers.

Recent theories have suggested that burden and distress among dementia caregivers may be higher in American culture, which emphasizes individualism, and lower in cultures with higher levels of familism. However, immigrants may experience higher levels of burden because of acculturation with attendant values, conflicts and stresses. Forty-four Korean caregivers and 32 Korean American caregivers were compared with 54 White American caregivers on sociodemographic variables, familism, burden, anxiety, and depression. Familism was highest in Korean caregivers and lowest in Whites, with Korean Americans in the middle. Koreans and Korean Americans reported higher levels of burden. Koreans showed higher levels of depression and of anxiety than White American caregivers, with Koreans and Korean Americans higher than Whites on anxiety. These results suggest a need for greater specificity in theories about familism values, with attention to the specific meaning of familism in different cultures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Protein kinase C beta modulates thrombin-induced Ca2+ signaling and endothelial permeability increase

Epidemiological research indicates that the prevalence rate of drug use among adolescents has risen steadily during this decade, and although alcohol use has stabilized it is still highly prevalent. Psychosocial etiological models have typically examined main effects of risk and protective factors. This study examined moderating effects of intrapersonal skills on social (peer and parental) risks associated with alcohol and marijuana use among eighth-grade rural adolescents, an understudied population. Results indicated that the relationships of peer and parental attitudes, and peer usage to alcohol and marijuana use, are moderated by adolescents' decision-making and self-reinforcement skills. Social risk factors were strongly associated with increased alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents with poor intrapersonal skills. However, good decision-making and self-reinforcement skills diminished the influence of social risk factors on substance use. Results are discussed in terms of implications for psychosocial models of alcohol and drug use, and for designing effective school-based universal prevention interventions.     

English language use as a risk factor for smoking initiation among Hispanic and Asian American adolescents: Evidence for mediation by tobacco-related beliefs and social norms.

Acculturation increases the risk of smoking among Hispanic and Asian American adolescents, but the underlying mechanisms are not understood. This study examined associations between English language use and smoking among 4,167 Hispanic and 2,836 Asian American adolescents in California. Potential mediators were assessed, including access to cigarettes, perceived consequences, friends' smoking, cigarette offers, refusal self-efficacy, and prevalence estimates of peer smoking. English language use was associated with increased risk of lifetime smoking in both groups. This association became nonsignificant after access, perceived consequences, friends' smoking, and offers were controlled for. The acculturation process (as indicated by English language use) may be associated with smoking-related psychosocial variables, which may lead to an increased risk of experimentation with smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing the Developmental Trajectories of Marijuana Use of African American and Caucasian Adolescents: Patterns, Antecedents, and Consequences.

Adolescent marijuana use has tripled recently, and the once-noted race gap between African American and Caucasian adolescents in marijuana use appears to have disappeared. Yet, relatively little research has examined marijuana use among African American adolescents. In this study, we examined developmental trajectories of marijuana use among Caucasian and African American adolescents to identify whether and when differences in marijuana use appear and whether the precursors and outcomes associated with these developmental trajectories differ by race. Findings indicate that both the developmental patterns and outcomes associated with marijuana use are different for African American and Caucasian adolescents. Early-onset Caucasian and mid-onset African American adolescents experienced the greatest number of negative outcomes later in life associated with their marijuana use, suggesting that groups to target for intervention may vary by race. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral enculturation and acculturation, psychological functioning, and help-seeking attitudes among Asian American adolescents.

The study examined behavioral enculturation to Asian culture and behavioral acculturation to the dominant European American culture and their possible relations to positive psychological functioning among Asian American adolescents. Positive psychological functioning was operationalized using measures of general self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility, collective self-esteem, and attitudes toward seeking help. Based on data from 112 Asian American high school students in Hawaii, the results did not support the hypothesis that both high behavioral enculturation and acculturation would be related to positive psychological functioning. However, post hoc examination of the results revealed that enculturation was positively associated with general self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility, and the collective self-esteem dimensions of membership, private, and importance-to-identity. Also, acculturation was negatively associated with the importance-to-identity dimension. Implications for research and practice with Asian American adolescents are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associations between family structure, family functioning, and substance use among Hispanic/Latino adolescents.

This study examined the role of family structure and functioning in predicting substance use among Hispanic/Latino adolescents, surveyed in 9th and 10th grade. The sample (N = 1433) was half female, mostly of Mexican descent, and the majority was born in the United States. Living with a single father was associated with less parental monitoring and less family cohesion (γ = ?0.07, ?0.06, respectively). Living with a single mother was associated with less parental monitoring (γ = ?0.10). Living with neither parent was associated with less communication (γ = ?0.08), less parental monitoring (γ = ?0.09), more family conflict (γ = 0.06), and less family cohesion (γ = ?0.06). Less monitoring was associated with substance use at follow-up (β = ?0.17). Low rates of parental monitoring appear to mediate the association between parental family structure and substance use. Results suggest that improving basic parenting skills and offering additional social support and resources to assist parents in monitoring adolescents may help prevent substance use. These interventions may be particularly beneficial for single parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biculturalism and perceived competence of Latino immigrant adolescents

The present study investigated acculturation to the Hispanic and American cultures and self-perceptions of competence among 123 Latino immigrant adolescents. The study tested a contextual model of biculturalism by examining whether different acculturation styles predicted perceived competence in life spheres with different cultural demands. Perceived competence was assessed using Harter's (1988). Self-Perceptions of Competence Profile for Adolescents for the life spheres of school, peers (both Latino and non-Latino), and global self-worth. In addition, an analogous scale to assess perceptions of competence in the family was constructed for that sphere. The study found some support for a contextual model of acculturation. Acculturation to American culture predicted positive self-perceptions of competence with American peers, while acculturation to Hispanic culture predicted positive self-perceptions of competence with Latino peers. Perceived family competence, however, was predicted by acculturation to American rather than Hispanic culture. Results with respect to biculturalism are tentative, with a trend relating biculturalism to positive self-perceptions of global self-worth. However, because many of the conditions stipulated by the model were not met, results with respect to biculturalism raise questions about current approaches to operationalizing the construct.     

Cultural strengths as moderators of the relationship between acculturation to the mainstream U.S. Society and eating- and body-related concerns among Mexican American women.

This study explored whether 3 culturally relevant variables (i.e., ethnic identity, familism, and enculturation) operated as sources of strength for 209 Mexican American women by buffering the relationship between their acculturation to the mainstream U.S. society and eating- and body-related concerns. In an effort to capture the underlying dimensions of women’s eating- and body-related concerns, the authors used principal components analysis to identify 3 components: control concerns, restricted eating, and body dissatisfaction. As hypothesized, results from a series of hierarchical regressions suggested familism significantly buffered the links between acculturation to the mainstream U.S. society and all 3 eating- and body-related variables. However, enculturation did not moderate the associations, and ethnic identity moderated only the link between acculturation and restricted eating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparable efficacy of contingency management for cocaine dependence among African American, Hispanic, and White methadone maintenance clients.

Cocaine use is a significant problem among methadone maintenance clients. Contingency management (CM) is a reinforcement-based approach with demonstrated efficacy for reducing cocaine use. This study examines whether the efficacy of CM treatment for cocaine-dependent individuals receiving methadone maintenance for opioid dependence differs by ethnicity. Participants were 191 African American, Hispanic, and White cocaine-dependent methadone maintenance clients, randomly assigned to standard methadone treatment or standard methadone treatment plus CM for 12 weeks. Hispanic participants were younger, less educated, and reported fewer years of cocaine use than did African American and White participants and reported fewer years of heroin use than did African American participants. African American participants were less likely to report a history of psychiatric symptoms or treatment in comparison with Hispanic and White participants. While CM was associated with longer duration of continuous cocaine abstinence and a greater proportion of submitted urine samples negative for cocaine, ethnicity was not related to treatment outcomes, and there was no significant interaction between treatment and ethnicity. CM appears to be an efficacious treatment for cocaine dependence among methadone maintenance clients, regardless of ethnicity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increased use of mammography among Hispanic women: baseline results from the NCI Cooperative Group on Cancer Prevention in Hispanic Communities

BACKGROUND: The Healthy People 2000 report set the objective of increasing the percentage of women 40 or older who had ever received a mammogram and clinical breast examination to 80% by the year 2000. The report used a baseline of 36% for all American women and 20% for Hispanic women. The purpose of this study was to compare baseline estimates with data obtained in five Hispanic communities. METHODS: Common survey measures were administered in five studies participating in a National Cancer Institute Cooperative agreement. The surveys evaluated history of mammography in five Hispanic communities in the southwestern Unites States. RESULTS: Across the five communities, the rates of mammography use were significantly higher than the national baseline. Among women 40-49 years of age, 55% had completed mammography (95% confidence interval [CI] = 52%, 57%). Among women 50 years of age or older, 64% had received a mammogram (95% CI = 62%, 66%). Older women (above age 50) were significantly more likely to have completed the test than younger women (younger than age 50), and mammography was obtained less often among women who were uninsured and those who had lower levels of acculturation. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the rate of mammography use among Hispanic women has increased significantly over the last few years and that we are on track to reach the goal of 80% mammography compliance for Hispanic women 40 years and older by the year 2000.     

Thrombin regulates PDGF expression in bovine glomerular endothelial cells

BACKGROUND: Hispanic populations have been shown to be at high risk for smoking. The complex psychological process of adaptation to a different culture (acculturation) has been linked to smoking among Hispanic adults and adolescents. Although a positive association between acculturation and smoking appears to depend on gender among adults, research with Hispanic adolescents has ignored the moderating effect of gender. METHODS: Students in 22 New York City schools completed self-report questionnaires and provided carbon monoxide breath samples at two annual assessments. Sixth and seventh graders who identified themselves as Hispanics participated in the study (N = 1,295 at baseline; N = 1,034 at 1-year follow-up). The questionnaire included items related to smoking, acculturation, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Analyses were conducted to determine the effects of linguistic acculturation and gender on smoking. Girls smoked more frequently than boys at both time points. Being more acculturated was also associated with more smoking at the two survey assessments. As predicted, adolescent smoking depended on both gender and linguistic acculturation. For girls, but not boys, the highly acculturated adolescents smoked more frequently than either the bilingual or the less acculturated. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, smoking prevention programs designed for Hispanic youth may benefit from an emphasis on Hispanic culture.     

The role of familism in stress and coping processes among African American and White dementia caregivers: Effects on mental and physical health.

Objective: To explore how familism, burden, and coping styles mediate the relationships between ethnicity and the mental and physical health of caregivers. Design: A probability sample of 65 White and 95 African Americans respondents caring for an older family member with dementia was used to test hypotheses from a sociocultural stress and coping model using path analysis. Main outcome measures: Measures of caregivers' health included subjective health, self-reported diseases, blood pressure, and heart rate. Mental health measures included self-reported depression and psychological symptoms. Results: Contrary to the hypothesis, familism had an adverse effect on outcomes and was related to low education levels rather than to African American ethnicity. A buffering effect of active coping between being African American and diastolic blood pressure was found even after controlling for levels of education. Conclusions: Findings supported a core stress and coping model in which more behavior problems of care recipients were associated with poorer mental health of caregivers via greater burden and more use of avoidant coping. Results also demonstrate that this core model can be extended to physical health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Race and self-esteem: Meta-analyses comparing Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians and comment on Gray-Little and Hafdahl (2000).

These meta-analyses examine race differences in self-esteem among 712 datapoints. Blacks scored higher than Whites on self-esteem measures (d=0.19), but Whites scored higher than other racial minority groups, including Hispanics (d=-0.09), Asians (d=-0.30), and American Indians (d=-0.21). Most of these differences were smallest in childhood and grew larger with age. Blacks' self-esteem increased over time relative to Whites', with the Black advantage not appearing until the 1980s. Black and Hispanic samples scored higher on measures without an academic self-esteem subscale. Relative to Whites, minority males had lower self-esteem than did minority females, and Black and Hispanic self-esteem was higher in groups with high socioeconomic status. The results are most consistent with a cultural interpretation of racial differences in self-esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acculturation, alcohol consumption and AIDS-related risky sexual behavior among African American women

The present study examined the relationship between acculturation, alcohol consumption and AIDS-related risky sexual behavior in a national probability sample of 533 African American women. Results indicated that women who were the heaviest drinkers were also the least acculturated. However, women most likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, including having multiple partners, being nonmonogamous or in a nonmonogamous relationship, and being nonmonogamous or in a nonmonogamous relationship and not using a condom consistently, were high in acculturation rather than low. Alcohol use proved related to risky sexual behavior when considered in conjunction with respondents' level of acculturation. Women at risk for contracting AIDS were not low acculturated African American women who drank heavily, but high acculturated African American women. Findings from this study extend our understanding of risk and contain implications for research and prevention efforts in the area of alcohol use and AIDS-related sexual behavior among African American women.     

Involving parents in cancer risk reduction: A program for Hispanic American families.

The authors explored changes in dietary behavior, nutrition knowledge, and parental support among inner-city, low-income, Hispanic American families. Thirty-eight families were randomly assigned to receive a 12-week, culture-specific dietary intervention or be in a control group. Results showed that parental support was related to changes in diet, nutrition knowledge, and attendance for both mothers and children. Dietary behavior changes (e.g., reduction in dietary fat) were seen only in the treatment group. Distribution of health-related pamphlets to the control group may have promoted cognitive changes (e.g., increased nutrition knowledge) seen in this low-literacy sample. Further research is needed to document behavioral changes after ethnic-specific interventions and the maintenance of those changes over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol and AIDS-related sexual behavior among Hispanics: acculturation and gender differences

We examined the relationship of acculturation to alcohol use and risky sexual behavior among Hispanic men (N = 269) and women (N = 294). Data were obtained from a 1991/1992 general population survey on alcohol that included questions on sexual behavior. Guided by a conceptual/theoretical framework, we focused on gender and acculturation differences as we examined the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, perception of AIDS-related risk, drinking and AIDS-related sexual behavior. Logistic regression analyses were performed separately for men and women to evaluate the predictive strength of acculturation, demographic factors, and alcohol consumption on risky sexual behavior. Results indicated that less acculturated Hispanic men drank more heavily and were more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than those who were more acculturated. Although acculturated Hispanic women drank more than those who were less acculturated, less acculturated Hispanic women engaged in more risky sexual behavior. The data indicate the need for culturally sensitive AIDS-prevention programs that are linked with alcohol treatment services for men and that are targeted to different acculturation levels for men and women.     

Cultural Differences in Young Children's Vulnerability to Injuries: A Risk and Protection Perspective.

Interview data from 100 lower income Hispanic and 50 White mothers from a nutritional service clinic extended prior research on cultural differences in the risk for unintentional pediatric injuries. Group differences were expected in reported injury incidence and in the prevalence and impact of contributing factors. As predicted, White mothers reported more injuries for a young child, and among Hispanic mothers, English language preference and use were associated with more reported injuries. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that risky behaviors, mother's judgment about child compliance, and stressful life events were better predictors of injuries than housing quality, but among Hispanics, the impact of certain factors (e.g.. child temperament) was qualified by mother's acculturation level. Stress and child temperament explained injury differences between more- and less-acculturated Hispanic families but only partially accounted for differences between White mothers and less-acculturated Hispanics. Pediatric injury risk and protective factors seemed to operate in concert with cultural processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)