title: Decreasing Substance use Risk among African American Youth: Parent-based Mechanisms of Change.
abstract: African American couples (N = 139; 67.7 % married; with children between the ages of 9 and 14) were randomly assigned to (a) a culturally sensitive, couple- and parenting-focused program designed to prevent stress-spillover (n = 70) or (b) an information-only control condition in which couples received self-help materials (n = 69). Eight months after baseline, youth whose parents participated in the program, compared with control youth, reported increased parental monitoring, positive racial socialization, and positive self-concept, as well as decreased conduct problems and self-reported substance use. Changes in youth-reported parenting behavior partially mediated the effect of the intervention on conduct problems and fully mediated its impact on positive self-concept, but did not mediate effects on lifetime substance use initiation. Results suggest the potential for a culturally sensitive family-based intervention targeting adults' couple and parenting processes to enhance multiple parenting behaviors as well as decrease youths' substance use onset and vulnerability.
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. srhbeach@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Steven R H
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Beach
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Allen W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Man Kit
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jelani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mandara
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research and Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kogan
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Gene H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Brody
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Adolescence; African American; Couples; Parenting; Prevention; Substance use