Differential susceptibility to parenting among African American youths: testing the DRD4 hypothesis.
To test the differential susceptibility to parenting hypothesis, a 4-wave, randomized prevention design was used to examine the impact of the Strong African American Families program on past-month substance use across 29 months as a function of DRD4 genotype. Youths (N = 337; M age = 11.65 years) were assigned randomly to treatment condition. Those carrying a 7-repeat allele showed greater differential response to intervention vs. control than those with two 4-repeat alleles. Control youths but not treatment youths with a 7-repeat allele reported increases in past-month substance use across the 29-month study period, but this pattern did not emerge for those with the 4-repeat allele. Supporting the differential susceptibility to parenting hypothesis, the results suggest a greater preventive effect for youths carrying a 7-repeat allele, a role for DRD4 in the escalation of substance use during adolescence, and potential for an enhanced understanding of early-onset substance use.
Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. srhbeach@uga.edu
Steven R H
SR
Beach
Gene H
GH
Brody
Man-Kit
MK
Lei
Robert A
RA
Philibert
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology
C493599:DRD4 protein, human; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4