Transactions Between Substance Use Intervention, the Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Gene, and Peer Substance Use Predicting Youth Alcohol Use.
This study investigated the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene's moderation of associations between exposure to a substance misuse intervention, average peer substance use, and adolescents' own alcohol use during the 9th-grade. OXTR genetic risk was measured using five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and peer substance use was based on youths' nominated closest friends' own reports of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, based on data from the PROSPER project. Regression models revealed several findings. First, low OXTR risk was linked to affiliating with friends who reported less substance use in the intervention condition but not the control condition. Second, affiliating with high substance-using friends predicted youth alcohol risk regardless of OXTR risk or intervention condition. Third, although high OXTR risk youth in the intervention condition who associated with low substance-using friends reported somewhat higher alcohol use than comparable youth in the control group, the absolute level of alcohol use among these youth was still among the lowest in the sample.
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State, 119 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA. hhc10@psu.edu.|Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Penn State, 316 Biobehavioral Health, University Park, PA, USA. hhc10@psu.edu.
H Harrington
HH
Cleveland
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State, 119 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA.|Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Penn State, 316 Biobehavioral Health, University Park, PA, USA.
Amanda M
AM
Griffin
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State, 119 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA.|Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Penn State, 316 Biobehavioral Health, University Park, PA, USA.|, 147 Central Ave, Salinas, CA, 93901, USA.
Pedro S A
PSA
Wolf
Behavioral Sciences, Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, USA.
Richard P
RP
Wiebe
Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY, USA.
Gabriel L
GL
Schlomer
Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Penn State, 316 Biobehavioral Health, University Park, PA, USA.
Mark E
ME
Feinberg
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State, 119 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA.|Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Penn State, 316 Biobehavioral Health, University Park, PA, USA.
Mark T
MT
Greenberg
Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, Iowa University, 2625 N. Loop Drive, Suite 2400, Ames, IA, USA.
Richard L
RL
Spoth
Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute, Iowa University, 2625 N. Loop Drive, Suite 2400, Ames, IA, USA.
Cleve
C
Redmond
Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State, 258A Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA.|Neuroscience Program, Penn State, University Park, PA, USA.|Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences Program, Penn State, University Park, PA, USA.
David J
DJ
Vandenbergh
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010379:Peer Group; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
C569600:OXTR protein, human; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin
Alcohol research; Gene x intervention research; Intervention; Oxytocin receptor gene