title: Substance use and its relationship to family functioning and self-image in adolescents.
abstract: This study examined associations between substance use, family functioning, and self-image among four ethnic adolescent groups. Three thousand three hundred and fifteen 8th and 9th grade students were recruited from 10 schools in Los Angeles County. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey regarding their alcohol and marijuana use, along with their perceived family functioning and self-image and other demographic variables. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to examine associations. Results indicated that both family functioning and self-image were significantly associated with alcohol and marijuana use. Those who scored lower on family functioning and self-image were at increased risk for substance use. Furthermore, students who scored low in both family functioning and self-image were about twice as likely to report using alcohol.
authors.affiliation: California State University, Fullerton, Department of Health Science, CA 92834, USA. jweiss@fullerton.edu
authors.forename: Jie Wu
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akagha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012649:Self Concept; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology