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Hyekyung Choo, School of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania, 3701 Locust Walk, philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-840-4167, hchoo@ssw.upenn.edu
Many studies have indicated that second generation (native born) is at significantly higher rates of using illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine, inhalant, other illicit drugs) than first generation (foreign born). Although the studies argue that the higher level of acculturation of second generation can explain the higher level of their illegal drug use, little research has tested whether generational differences in perceived parental support can explain the generational difference in illegal drug use among the youth of immigrants. This study examined generational differences in the mediating effect of perceived parental support on the association between acculturative stressors (parent-child conflict and perceived discrimination) and illegal drug use among 761 youth of immigrants from a nationally representative sample of youth in grades 7-12 from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1994-1995). Three multiple regression analyses for each generation group suggested that generational differences in the level of illegal drug use may stem from generational differences in the role and effect of perceived parental support. For the first generation (n=266), the effect of parent-child conflict on illegal drug use was reduced from b=0.12 to b=0.08 through the significant mediating effect of perceived parental support (b=-0.06; p=0.04). For the second generation (n=495), however, none of the effects of acculturative stressors on illegal drug use has changed through perceived parental support, thus no mediating effect of perceived parental support was detected. The results imply that resolving acculturative stressors may be more effective than enhancing parental support in prevention or treatment of second generation youth’s drug problems.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Drug Use, Immigrants
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.