Elsevier

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 23, Issue 3, September 1998, Pages 128-138
Journal of Adolescent Health

Original Articles
Structural equation socialization model of substance use among Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic school dropouts

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(98)00068-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose: To test a socialization model of polydrug use among Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic school dropouts.

Methods: A sample of 910 Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic school dropouts were surveyed regarding their use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs, and socialization characteristics that have previously been shown to be predictive of adolescent substance use. A structural equation model based on peer cluster theory was evaluated for goodness of fit and for differences in model characteristics by ethnicity and gender.

Results: Results partially confirmed peer cluster theory among school dropouts in that association with drug-using peers was the most powerful direct predictor of substance use. The effects of a number of other socializing influences were indirect, mediated through association with drug-using peers. Some differences were present between Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic subgroups.

Conclusions: Results were similar to those obtained from previous tests of this model among youth who remain in school, suggesting that social influences on drug use are similar across students and school dropouts. Association with drug-using peers dominates the prediction of substance use among school dropouts. However, family communication of drug use sanctions helps to both limit substance use and strengthen family bonds. Prior school adjustment is likely to be an important protective factor in limiting substance use among Mexican-American dropouts.

Section snippets

Participants

School dropouts were from three school districts from three communities in the southwestern United States, including an urban community (population 350,000), a midsized community (population 90,000), and a small community (population 30,000). Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic dropouts were recruited from each of these communities. These school dropouts are therefore reasonably representative of Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic dropouts who reside in communities across a broad range

Results

The mean age of participants at the time of school dropout across the four subgroups was mean (M) = 16.54, standard deviation (SD) = 1.37 for Mexican-American females; M = 16.68, SD = 1.22 for Mexican American males; M = 16.66, SD = 1.14 for white non-Hispanic females; and M = 16.90, SD = 1.19 for white non-Hispanic males. A 2 × 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) (Ethnicity × Gender) was conducted to determine differences in mean age across groups. There were significant main effects for gender,

Discussion

The primary purposes of this study were to further evaluate a socialization model of adolescent substance use among high school dropouts and to identify similarities and differences in socialization risk factors among Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic dropouts. Consistent with previous research on this model 11, 12, 14, association with drug-using peers accounted for the largest proportion of variance (34–55%) directly related to adolescent substance use. This echoes findings reported in

Conclusions

Adolescent school dropouts are at substantially higher risk for substance use compared to youth who remain in school (16). However, with some limited exceptions, the results of this study indicate that socialization influences associated with drug use do not differ to any great extent between students (based on previous tests of this model) and school dropouts. Even through school dropouts use drugs at much higher levels than students, this does not appear to substantially change the

Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by Grants R01 DA 04777 and P50 DA 07074 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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