Acculturation and substance use among Hispanic early adolescents: investigating the mediating roles of acculturative stress and self-esteem.
We examined the extent to which Hispanic orientation and American orientation are associated with substance use (cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana) both directly and indirectly through acculturative stress and self-esteem. Participants were 347 Hispanic early adolescents (50.7% male; mean age = 12.57, SD = 0.92, range 11-15) from two middle schools in western Michigan. Findings showed that self-esteem emerged as the most consistent predictor of likelihood and extent of substance use. Ethnic identity was positively related to risk for substance use, and acculturative stress and self-esteem mediated the relationships of Hispanic cultural orientation to alcohol use. Self-esteem was the most important protective factor against substance use, and as such, we conclude that prevention programs designed to address precocious substance use that incorporate a self-esteem building component could prove useful among Hispanic early adolescents residing in monocultural contexts within the United States.
Zamboanga
Byron L
BL
Department of Psychology, Smith College, 44 College Lane, Northampton, MA 01063, USA. bzamboan@smith.edu
Schwartz
Seth J
SJ
Jarvis
Lorna Hernandez
LH
Van Tyne
Kathryne
K
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*