This study explores the association of family process and peer influences with risk behaviors of adolescents. A total of 805 students were recruited from secondary schools. The results showed that adolescents who have parents who are “authoritarian” (OR = 1.856) were more likely to smoke. Adolescents who have conflicts with their parents (OR = 1.423) were more likely to drink. Those who have parents who are “permissive” were less likely to drink (OR = 0.885). Having friends who smoked (OR = 5.446) or drank (OR = 1.894), and friends’ invitation to smoke (OR = 10.455) or drink (OR = 11.825) were the dominant contributors to adolescent smoking and drinking. Interventions are needed that recognize the strength of the parent-child relationship, as well as strengthen family functioning through improved interpersonal, parenting, and monitoring skills.
References
[1]
Reyna, V.F.; Farley, F. Risk and rationality in adolescent decision making: Implications for theory, practice, and public policy. Psychol. Sci. Public Interes. 2006, 7, 1–44.
[2]
Centre for Health Protection. Child Health Survey: 2005–2006. Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch, Department of Health, HKSAR. 2009. Available online: http://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/chs_0506_eng.pdf (accessed on 20 January 2010).
[3]
Pergamit, M.R.; Huang, L.; Lane, J. The Long Term Impact of Adolescent Risky Behaviors and Family Environment; ASPE, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Washington, DC, USA, 2001. Available online: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/riskybehav01 (accessed on 6 September 2012).
[4]
Swain, C.R.; Ackerman, L.K.; Ackerman, M.A. The influence of individual characteristics and contraceptive beliefs on parent-teen sexual communications: A structural model. J. Adolesc. Health 2006, 38, 753.e9–753.e18, doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.08.015.
[5]
Hynie, M.; Lalond, R.N.; Lee, N.S. Parent-child value transmission among Chinese immigrants to North American: The case of traditional mate preferences. Cult. Divers. Ethnic Minor. Psychol. 2006, 12, 230–244, doi:10.1037/1099-9809.12.2.230.
[6]
Amato, P.R. Children and divorce in the 1990s: An update of the Amato and Keith (1991) meta-analysis. J. Family Psychol. 2001, 15, 355–370, doi:10.1037/0893-3200.15.3.355.
[7]
Schucksmith, J.; Glendinning, A.; Hendry, L. Adolescent drinking behaviour and the role of family process: A Scottish perspective. J. Adolesc. 1997, 20, 85–101, doi:10.1006/jado.1996.0066.
[8]
Glendinning, A.; Schucksmith, J.; Hendry, L. Family life and smoking in adolescence. Soc. Sci. Med. 1997, 44, 93–101, doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(96)00238-9.
[9]
Resnick, M.; Haris, L.J.; Blum, R.W. The impact of caring and connectedness on adolescent health and well-being. J. Paediatr. Child Health 1993, 29, 1–9, doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.1993.tb00426.x.
[10]
Shek, D.T.L. Family environment and adolescent psychological well-being, school adjustment, and problem behavior: A pioneer study in a Chinese contex. J. Genet. Psychol. 1997, 158, 113–128, doi:10.1080/00221329709596656.
[11]
Shek, D.T.L. The relation of parental qualities to psychological well-being, school adjustment, and problem behavior in Chinese adolescents with economic disadvantage. Am. J. Family Therapy 2002, 30, 215–230, doi:10.1080/019261802753577548.
[12]
Yoshikawa, H. Prevention as cumulative protection: Effects of early family support and education on chronic delinquency and its risks. Psychol. Bull. 1994, 115, 28–54, doi:10.1037/0033-2909.115.1.28.
[13]
Shek, D.T.L. A longitudinal study of parenting and adolescent adjustment in Chinese adolescents with economic disadvantage. Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health 2003, 15, 39–49.
[14]
Foxcroft, D.R.; Lowe, G. Adolescent drinking, smoking and other substance use involvement: Links with perceived family process. J. Adolesc. 1995, 18, 159–177, doi:10.1006/jado.1995.1011.
[15]
Borawski, E.A.; Ievers-lands, C.E.; Lovergreen, L.D.; Trapl, E.S. Parental monitoring, negotiated unsupervised time, and parental trust: The role of perceived parenting practices in adolescent health risk behaviors. J. Adolesc. Health 2003, 33, 60–70, doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(03)00100-9.
[16]
Adalbjarnardottir, S.; Hafsteinsson, L.G. Adolescents’ perceived parenting styles and their substance use: Concurrent and longitudinal analyses. J. Res. Adolesc. 2001, 1194, 401–423.
[17]
Barnes, G.M.; Farrell, M.P. Parental support and control as predictors of adolescent drinking, delinquency, and related problem behaviors. J. Marriage Family 1992, 54, 763–776, doi:10.2307/353159.
[18]
Jaccard, J.; Blanton, H.; Dodge, T. Peer influences on risk behavior: An analysis of the effects of a close friend. Dev. Psychol. 2005, 41, 135–147, doi:10.1037/0012-1649.41.1.135.
[19]
Cauffman, E.; Steinberg, L. Researching Adolescents’ Judgement and Culpability. In Youth on Trial: A Development Perspective on Juvenile Justice; Grisso, T., Schwartz, R.G., Eds.; The University of Chicago: Chicago, IL, USA, 2000; pp. 325–343.
[20]
Steinberg, L.; Cauffman, E. (Im)maturity of judgment in adolescence: Psychological factors in adolescent decision making. Law Hum. Behav. 1996, 20, 249–272, doi:10.1007/BF01499023.
[21]
Gardner, M.; Steinberg, L. Peer influence on risk taking, risk preference, and risky decision making in adolescence and adulthood: An experimental study. Dev. Psychol. 2005, 41, 625–635, doi:10.1037/0012-1649.41.4.625.
[22]
Maxwell, K.A. Friends: The role of peer influence across adolescent risk behaviors. J. Youth Adolesc. 2002, 32, 267–277, doi:10.1023/A:1015493316865.
[23]
Simons-Morton, B.; Farhat, T. Recent findings on peer group influences on adolescent substance use. J. Prim. Prev. 2010, 31, 191–208, doi:10.1007/s10935-010-0220-x.
[24]
Alexander, C.; Piazza, M.; Mekos, D.; Valente, T. Peers, schools, and adolescent cigarette smoking. J. Adolesc. Health 2001, 29, 22–30, doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(01)00210-5.
[25]
Andrews, J.A.; Tildesley, E.; Hops, H.; Li, F. The influence of peers on young adult substance use. Health Psychol. 2002, 21, 349–357, doi:10.1037/0278-6133.21.4.349.
[26]
Simons-Morton, B. Social influences adolescent substance use. Am. J. Health Behav. 2007, 31, 672–684, doi:10.5993/AJHB.31.6.13.
[27]
Loke, A.Y.; Wong, Y.P.I. Smoking among young children in Hong Kong: Influence of parental smoking. J. Adv. Nurs. 2010, 66, 2659–2670, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05419.x.
[28]
Kirke, D.M. Chain reactions in adolescents’ cigarette, alcohol, and drug use: Similarity through peer influence or the patterning of ties in peer networks. Soc. Netw. 2004, 26, 3–28, doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2003.12.001.
[29]
Tang, S.M.; Loke, A.Y. Smoking initiation and personal characteristics of secondary students in Hong Kong. J. Adv. Nurs. 2012, 69, 1595–1606, doi:10.1111/jan.12019.
[30]
Lenciauskiene, I.; Zaborskis, A. The effects of family structure, parent-child relationship and parental monitoring on early sexual behavior among adolescents in nine European countries. Scand. J. Public Health 2012, 36, 607–618, doi:10.1177/1403494807088460.
[31]
Sweeting, H.; West, P.; Richards, M. Teenage family life, lifestyles and life changes: Association with family structure, conflict with parents and joint family activity. Int. J. Law Policy Family 1998, 12, 15–46.
[32]
Mak, Y.W.; Loke, A.Y.; Lam, T.H.; Abdullah, A.S.M. Validity of self reports and reliability of spousal proxy reports on the smoking behavior of Chinese parents with young children. Addict. Behav. 2005, 30, 841–845, doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.08.008.
[33]
Kolbe, L.J.; Kann, L.; Collins, J.L. Overview of the youth risk behavior surveillance system. Public Health Rep. 1999, 108 (Suppl. 1), 2–10.
[34]
Lee, A.; Tsang, C.K. Youth risk behavior in a Chinese population: A territory-wide youth risk behavioral surveillance in Hong Kong. Public Health 2004, 118, 88–95, doi:10.1016/S0033-3506(03)00174-4.
[35]
Tobacco Control Office. Latest Findings of Census and Statistics Department Survey: Smoking Rate Hits 30 Year Low; Department of Health: Hong Kong, China, 2011.
[36]
Moreno, D.; Houston, L. Smoking in Low Socioeconomic Status Populations: Prevalence, Health Impact, Challenges and Recommendations; Health Education Council: California, CA, USA, 2012.
[37]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surgeon General’s Report—Preventing Tobacco Use among Youth and Young Adults. 2012. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2012/ (accessed on 22 May 2013).
[38]
Health and Social care Information Centre. The Smoking, Drinking and Drug use among Young People in England in 2011, Annual Report and Accounts 2010/11; National Health Services: London, England, 2012. Available online: http://www.officialdocuments.gov.uk/document/hc1213/hc03/0332/0332.pdf (accessed on 2 August 2013).
Brown, S.L.; Rinelli, L.N. Family structure, family processes, and adolescent smoking and drinking. J. Res. Adolesc. 2010, 20, 259–273, doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00636.x.
[41]
Parker, J.; Benson, M. Parent-adolescent relations and adolescent functioning: Self-esteem, substance abuse, and delinquency. Adolescence 2004, 39, 519–530.
West, P.; Sweeting, H.; Ecob, R. Family and friends’ influences on the uptake of regular smoking from mid-adolescence to early adulthood. Addiction 1999, 94, 1397–1411, doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.1999.949139711.x.
[44]
Amato, P.R.; Keith, B. Parental divorce and the well-being of children: A meta-analysis. Psychol. Bull. 1991, 110, 26–46, doi:10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.26.
[45]
Carlson, M.J.; Corcoran, M.E. Family structure and children’s behavioral and cognitive outcomes. J. Marriage Family 2001, 63, 779–792, doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2001.00779.x.
[46]
Wu, Z.; Hou, F.; Schimmele, C.M. Family structure and children’s psychosocial outcomes. J. Family Issues 2008, 29, 1600–1624, doi:10.1177/0192513X08322818.
[47]
Henricson, C.; Roker, D. Support for the parents of adolescents: A review. J. Adolesc. 2000, 23, 763–783, doi:10.1006/jado.2000.0358.
[48]
Bares, C.; Delva, J.; Grogan-Kaylor, A.; Andrade, F. Family and parenting characteristics associated with marijuana use by Chilean adolescents. Subst. Abuse Rehabil. 2011, 2, 1–11.
[49]
Wells, E.; Rankin, J.H. Direct parental controls and delinquency. Criminology 1988, 26, 263–285, doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.1988.tb00841.x.
[50]
Mogro-Wilson, C. The influence of parental warmth and control on latino adolescent alcohol use. Hisp. J. Behav. Sci. 2007, 30, 89–105, doi:10.1177/0739986307310881.