Does proximity to retailers influence alcohol and tobacco use among Latino adolescents?
Despite decades of research surrounding determinants of alcohol and tobacco (A&T) use among adolescents, built environment influences have only recently been explored. This study used ordinal regression on 205 Latino adolescents to explore the influence of the built environment (proximity to A&T retailers) on A&T use, while controlling for recognized social predictors. The sample was 45% foreign-born. A&T use was associated with distance from respondents' home to the nearest A&T retailer (-), acculturation (+), parents' consistent use of contingency management (-), peer use of A&T (+), skipping school (+), attending school in immediate proximity to the US/Mexico border (+), and the interaction between the distance to the nearest retailer and parents' consistent use of contingency management (+). The association between decreasing distance to the nearest A&T retailer and increased A&T use in Latino adolescents reveals an additional risk behavior determinant in the US-Mexico border region.
West
Joshua H
JH
Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, 229-L Richards Building, Provo, UT 84602, USA. josh.west@byu.edu
Blumberg
Elaine J
EJ
Kelley
Norma J
NJ
Hill
Linda
L
Sipan
Carol L
CL
Schmitz
Katherine E
KE
Ryan
Sherry
S
Clapp
John D
JD
Hovell
Melbourne F
MF
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology*; D002140:California; D003132:Commerce; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D012924:Social Conditions; D055815:Young Adult