Cultural Stress, Stress Response, and Substance Use among Hispanic Adolescents

这项拟议中的研究将研究在多大程度上，在西班牙裔青年，文化相关的影响， 酒精/药物使用和行为问题的压力源由生理压力反应介导。之前 工作已经建立了心理社会和生物途径，通过这些途径， 可能导致酒精/毒品使用和行为问题。我们不知道的是文化压力因素， 超过其他压力来源，预测生理压力反应，以及文化压力因素是否 对酒精/毒品的使用产生间接影响，并通过生理应激反应产生行为问题。这 这个问题对预防科学很重要，因为很少有干预措施可以抵消 文化压力的影响，我们的研究结果将提供重要的信息， 需要采取干预措施-以及这种干预措施应侧重的保护机制。 我们提出了一项为期3年的加速纵向队列研究，包括两个队列，一个从第七个开始， 一个从九年级开始，以实现研究目标，并验证研究假设。一个 加速纵向设计包括多个年龄队列，其中每个队列从不同年龄开始， 每一个都跟随相同的时间量。这样的设计让我们审视了五年的发展 通过三年的数据收集。我们将在洛杉矶招募并跟踪300名西班牙裔7年级和9年级学生， 洛杉矶和迈阿密戴德县。青少年将被随访3年，并在两个宏观评估 （每6个月进行一次较长的测量）和微（使用较短测量的每日测量突发 和唾液样品收集用于皮质醇测定）。我们将研究三个证据的调节作用- 保护机制-家庭功能、生活技能、文化资产和种族社会化-基于 文化压力对生理压力反应和酒精/药物使用的直接和间接影响， 行为问题。这些适度和适度调解分析将表明具体的机制 这应该是预防计划的目标。这一信息对于减少 西班牙裔青少年的行为问题和酒精/毒品使用。

The proposed study will examine the extent to which, among Hispanic youth, the effects of culturally related stressors on alcohol/drug use and conduct problems are mediated by physiological stress responses. Prior work has established the psychosocial and biological pathways through which physiological stress responses potentiate alcohol/drug use and conduct problems. What is not known is the extent to which cultural stressors, over and above other sources of stress, predict physiological stress responses, and whether cultural stressors exert an indirect effect on alcohol/drug use and conduct problems through physiological stress responses. This question is important for prevention science because few interventions have been developed to offset the effects of cultural stressors, and our results will provide essential information regarding whether such interventions are needed – as well as the protective mechanisms on which such interventions should focus. We propose a 3-year accelerated longitudinal cohort study with two cohorts, one beginning in the seventh grade and one beginning in the ninth grade, to carry out the study aims and to test the study hypotheses. An accelerated longitudinal design includes multiple age cohorts, where each cohort starts at a different age and each is followed for the same amount of time. Such a design allows us to examine five years of development through only three years of data collection. We will recruit and follow 300 Hispanic 7th and 9th graders in Los Angeles and Miami-Dade counties. Adolescents will be followed for 3 years and assessed at both macro (longer measures administered every 6 months) and micro (daily measurement bursts using shorter measures and saliva sample collection for cortisol assays). We will examine the moderating effects of three evidence- based protective mechanisms – family functioning, life skills, cultural assets, and ethnic socialization – on the direct and mediated effects of cultural stress on physiological stress responses and on alcohol/drug use and conduct problems. These moderation and moderated mediation analyses will indicate the specific mechanisms that should be targeted within prevention programs. This information is critical to decreasing disparities in conduct problems and alcohol/drug use among Hispanic adolescents.