رابطه تأثیر همسالان و جو مدرسه با مصرف مواد در میان نوجوانان آسیایی آمریکایی

Using a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of Asian American late adolescents/young adults (ages 18–26), this article investigates the link between peer effects, school climate, on the one hand, and substance use, which includes tobacco, alcohol, and other illicit mood altering substance. The sample (N = 1585) is drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Waves I and III). The study is set to empirically test premises of generational, social capital and stage-environment fit theories. The exploratory variables include individual-level (immigrant generation status, ethnic origin, co-ethnic and co-generational peers – peers from the same immigrant generation) as well as school-level measures (average school socio-economic status and school climate). Multilevel modeling (logistic and negative binomial regression) was used to estimate substance use. Results indicate that preference for co-generational friends is inversely associated with frequency of cannabis and other illicit drug use and preference for co-ethnic peers is inversely associated with other illicit drug use. We also find that school climate is a strong and negative predictor of frequency of cannabis and other illicit drug use as well as of heavy episodic drinking. In terms of policy, these findings suggest that Asian American students should benefit from co-ethnic and co-generational peer networks in schools and, above all, from improving school climate.

Substance use among adolescents is a serious public health problem in the United States. In the past month, 39 percent of high school seniors reported drinking some alcohol, almost 23 percent reported using cannabis, and 16 percent reported smoking cigarettes (Johnston, O'Malley, Miech, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2014). By the twelfth grade, about half of adolescents have used an illicit drug at least once (Johnston et al., 2014). Whilst there is burgeoning literature on prevalence and risk factors of adolescents' substance use, research on Asian American adolescents has been scarce compared with other race-ethnic groups (Hahm et al., 2003 and Price et al., 2002). Moreover, the existing literature on alcohol, tobacco and illicit substance use among Asian Americans focused on family influences and ethnic resilience, while leaving the role of peer networks and school climate unexamined (Hahm et al., 2003 and Price et al., 2002). This longitudinal study represents the first systematic investigation of both peer generational effects and school climate associated with substance use among Asian American adolescents/young adults.