Parenting practices, acculturation and access to substance abuse services among immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean

This study examines the relationship between parenting practices, acculturation and access to and utilization of ATOD services among immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean living in New Jersey. Project aims are: 1) to identify the most salient parental concerns regarding drug and alcohol abuse and other major problems; 2) using regression models, to examine associations between parenting concerns and social psychological variables such as cultural values, religious orientation and degree of acculturation; 3) examine barriers to access and use of ATOD programs and, 4) identify core values that can be integrated into ATOD programs to enhance their cultural relevance and acceptability. Using a mixed-methods design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 58 Latino and 38 Caribbean immigrant parents in New Jersey. Interviews included five open-ended questions examining areas such as parental concerns, cultural traditions, and access to health services. Initial results for parental concerns indicated that the most salient concern involve drug and alcohol abuse and quality of education. By contrast, few parents were engaged in ATOD programs, although a significant majority expressed a strong likelihood of using such services, access permitting. Barriers to access included racism and a lack of awareness of services. Furthermore, three dominant cross-cultural values were identified including the importance of: respect, religion and family union. These initial findings suggest that despite parental concerns about ATOD, and parental interest in utilizing ATOD services, few parents actually use these services. Dominant cross-cultural values identified represent cultural themes that can be integrated into ATOD strategies targeting immigrants.