Multivariate family factors in lifetime and current marijuana use among American Indian and white adolescents residing on or near reservations.
Rates of marijuana use are consistently high among reservation-based American Indian adolescents. The roles of family are unique in this ethnic group and can serve as sources of both risk and protection for substance use.



To assess the relationships between distal and proximal family factors and lifetime and current marijuana use among American Indian and white middle and high school students who attend the same schools on or near reservations.



In-school surveys were administered to 3380 American Indian and 1562 white students from 35 middle schools and 17 high schools regarding levels of marijuana use and family characteristics. Three logistic regression models (Control, Control+Distal; Control+Distral+Proximal) estimated effects of multiple family variables on lifetime and current marijuana use.



Strong effects were found for family structure, parental monitoring, family conflict, and family sanctions against marijuana use. Weaker effects were found for family participation in school events, and no relationship was found for family communication about marijuana. Anumber of similar results were found across ethnicity and middle and high school students.



Family variables exert strong and largely consistent effects across reservation-based American Indian and white youth on lifetime and current marijuana use. Interventions that include a broad range of targeted family components may serve to both limit uptake and forestall increases in adolescent marijuana use in these two groups.
Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Electronic address: randall.swaim@colostate.edu.
Randall C
RC
Swaim
Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Electronic address: linda.stanley@colostate.edu.
Linda R
LR
Stanley
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools / Q000639:trends; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology
American Indian; Family; Marijuana