Acculturation Status and Substance Use Prevention with Mexican and Mexican-American Youth

Abstract

This study examined whether language preference, as an indicator of acculturation, moderated the effects of a culturally grounded substance use prevention intervention for Mexican and Mexican American middle school students (N = 2,146) in Phoenix, Arizona. The main hypothesis was that levels of program effectiveness would vary based on the language preference of the students and the specific culturally grounded version of the intervention they were assigned. Findings show that matching language preference to particular versions of the intervention did not influence substance use related program outcomes, but that overall program effects (intervention versus control) did vary by language preference. English-language dominant participants, the most at risk sub-group, responded more positively to the intervention, while Spanish dominant, who had low substance use rates at baseline, and bilingual participants did not demonstrate significant differences between the intervention and control groups. Implications for school social work prevention interventions and prevention science in general, are discussed.

In Pursuit of Belonging: Acculturation, Perceived Discrimination, and Ethnic–Racial Identity among Latino Youths

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that language is a comparable measure of acculturation to multidimensional measures (Marsiglia, Nagoshi, Parsai, & Castro, 2012). Also, there is currently a lack of valid and reliable developmentally appropriate measures that address the cognitive-behavioral domains of acculturation for youths and adolescents (Marsiglia, Kulis, Wagstaff, Elek, & Dran, 2005). Based on findings from prior work (that is, Cuéllar et al, 1997;Phinney, Horenczyk, et al, 2001), we hypothesized that higher acculturation would be associated with lower ERI searching and affirmation.…”

The Effects of Parental Acculturation and Parenting Practices on the Substance Use of Mexican-Heritage Adolescents from Southwestern Mexican Neighborhoods

“…During the acculturation process, there is typically socialization into the host dominant culture and a desire to become a part of the new culture. At the same time, there are pressures and desires to retain one’s identity from one’s culture of origin (Berry et al, 2006; Marsiglia, Kulis, Wagstaff, Elek, & Dran, 2005). In addition to cultural changes, this process typically involves changes in attitudes and behaviors resulting from continuous first hand contact with elements of the new cultural environment (Berry, 2006; Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936).…”

Do Family and Parenting Factors in Adolescence Influence Condom Use in Early Adulthood in a Multiethnic Sample of Young Adults?

“…Family members are expected to be interdependent, respectful of one another, and have warm, close, supportive relationships in which the needs of the family take precedence over those of the individual (Marsiglia et al 2005; Updegraff et al 2005). These strong family bonds have been shown to protect Latino adolescents from substance use and engagement in deviant behaviors (Gil et al 1994; Ramirez et al 2004), and the literature reviewed in the prior section suggests that they also protect Latinos from engaging in sexual risk taking.…”