title: Drug abuse risk and protective factors among Hispanic adolescents.
abstract: Drug use is a disquieting problem among the growing population of U.S. Hispanic adolescents. This study examined risk and protective factors associated with drug use in a sample of 507 Hispanic adolescents. Data were collected in 2014 and 2015 from youths across the United States. The sample had a mean age of 14.1 years and was 37.3% male. Youths responded to an online questionnaire about their drug use and risk and protective factors associated with drug use. Negative self-image, higher levels of stress, weaker coping skills, peer drug use, lower levels of self-control, goal-setting, problem-solving skills, and self-efficacy, and higher intentions to use drugs in the future were associated with increased odds of past-month drug use. Youths with higher self-images who spoke mostly English at home were less likely to use drugs than youths with higher self-images who spoke mostly Spanish at home.Study results have implications for gaining a better understanding of drug use risk and protective factors among America's growing population of Hispanic adolescents. Efforts to better examine and enhance Hispanic youths' cognitive-behavioral skills seem a wise investment.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schinke
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Traci
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schwinn
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.affiliation: Trial Reach, Inc., New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wahlstrom
keywords: Drug use; Hispanic adolescents; Risk and protective factors