The Role of Culture in Thriving and Risk Behavior in Hispanic Adolescents

描述(由申请者提供)：理论假设，西班牙裔青少年和他们的父母在适应文化方面的差异与行为问题、吸毒/酗酒和性风险有关。这些差异也可能与积极发展的折衷水平有关。这些影响被认为是通过不良的家庭功能而发生的。然而，对差异文化适应假说的实证检验却得出了不一致的结果。这项拟议的研究将使用文化适应的多维模型--包括行为、价值观和认同感--并将使用最先进的潜在变量方法来检验父母-青少年在文化适应方面的差异及其通过家庭功能对行为结果的影响。300名拉美裔青少年及其小学家长将从迈阿密的六所公立高中和洛杉矶的六所公立高中中随机抽取。青少年和家长将在9年级到12年级之间每年接受两次评估。家长和青少年将完成对西班牙裔和美国人的文化行为、价值观和认同感、家庭功能和青少年行为的测量。青少年将报告他们的药物使用、性行为和健康指数(亲社会行为、学校成绩、积极的态度和特征)。这些结果将为关于文化适应差异在多大程度上导致拉美裔家庭家庭功能受损的理论提供参考，以及这些家庭功能问题在多大程度上与行为问题、药物/酒精使用、性风险和发育障碍有关。在需要将文化关切纳入预防问题和促进拉美裔青少年和家庭积极发展的努力方面，结果也将是重要的。公共卫生相关性：这项拟议的研究将调查新移民的拉美裔家庭适应美国文化的方式。具体地说，我们将研究西班牙裔移民父母和青少年之间文化差异的发展如何与行为问题、吸毒和酗酒、性风险-以及通过家庭问题与积极发展水平降低(成绩、积极行为、关爱等)相关联。如果我们的假设得到支持，这将表明，加强家庭干预对拉美裔移民家庭可能很重要--拉美裔移民家庭在美国人口中占相当大的比例，而且增长迅速。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Theory has posited that discrepancies in acculturation between Hispanic adolescents and their parents are associated with conduct problems, drug/alcohol use, and sexual risk taking. These discrepancies may also be associated with compromised levels of positive development. These effects are assumed to occur via poor family functioning. However, empirical tests of the differential acculturation hypothesis have yielded inconsistent results. The proposed study will use a multidimensional model of acculturation - including behaviors, values, and identifications - and will use state-of-the-art latent variable methods to examine parent-adolescent discrepancies in acculturation and their effects on behavioral outcomes through family functioning. 300 Hispanic adolescents and their primary parents will be randomly selected from six public high schools in Miami and from six public high schools in Los Angeles. Adolescents and parents will be assessed twice per year between 9th and 12th grade. Parents and adolescents will complete measures of Hispanic and American cultural behaviors, values, and identifications; family functioning; and adolescent behavior. Adolescents will report on their drug use, sexual behavior, and indices of thriving (prosocial behavior, school grades, and positive attitudes and traits). The results will inform theory regarding the extent to which discrepancies in acculturation lead to compromised family functioning in Hispanic families, and the extent to which these problems in family functioning are associated with conduct problems, drug/alcohol use, sexual risk taking, and impaired thriving. The results will also be important regarding the need to incorporate cultural concerns into efforts to prevent problems and to promote positive development in Hispanic adolescents and families. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study will examine the ways in which recent-immigrant Hispanic families acculturate to the United States. Specifically, we will examine how the development of cultural differences between Hispanic immigrant parents and adolescents are associated with behavior problems, drug and alcohol use, and sexual risk taking - and with lowered levels of positive development (grades, positive behavior, caring, et cetera) - through family problems. Provided that our hypotheses are supported, this will suggest that family strengthening interventions may be important for Hispanic immigrant families - a sizeable and rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population.