Purpose: To examine the roles of cognitive social maturity and life change events in a structural equation model (SEM) to explain adolescents' use of marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol. Methods: Data were derived from 1322 9th and 10th graders in a HIV prevention study. Students completed a survey of their cognitive social maturity, recent life events and substance use habits. A model from a study on the metabolic control of adolescents with diabetes was modified to apply to health risk behaviors. Results: A SEM was tested and fit the data well. Lower cognitive social maturity and greater life change events significantly predicted health risk behaviors. Life events partially mediated the relationship between cognitive social maturity and health risk behaviors. Conclusions: Adolescents' social thought processes are related to their recent life events, which in turn are related to their substance use behaviors. Suggestions are made for interventions to improve adolescents' cognitive social maturity.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (RO1 HD38456). The authors wish to acknowledge Loren Lovegreen, Erika Trapl, Maurice Cole, Tanya Scharpf, and Carolyn Tung for their significant roles in collecting the data for this study.
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Ievers-Landis, C.E., Greenley, R.N., Burant, C. et al. Cognitive Social Maturity, Life Change Events, and Health Risk Behaviors among Adolescents: Development of a Structural Equation Model. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 13, 107–116 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-006-9016-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-006-9016-9