He Loves Me, She Loves Me Not: Does the Love of a Parent Really Matter? The Effects of Parental Warmth On the Risk Behavior of Adolescents Living In Poverty

Positive adolescent outcomes have been associated with parental warmth. Adolescents who experience positive relationships with their father have positive behavioral outcomes and a mother's warmth has positively impacted adolescent females' sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parental warmth on the behaviors of adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods This study will capitalize on the Mobile Youth Survey (MYS), a 12-year study being conducted in youth who live in social disadvantaged areas in Mobile and Prichard Alabama, with 99% of MYS participants identifying as African-American or biracial (N=~8,000). The MYS is a community-based, multiple cohort longitudinal study that includes annual data collection. The survey is administered to youth ages 10-18 years of age. The MYS has been conducted yearly since 1998 and attempts to follow every participant until they turn 19 years old. Using data from 1998-2006, hierarchial linear modeling showed that maternal warmth was positively related to condom use (p=0.0206), adult expectations (p<0.0001), positive marital expectations (p<0.0001), and self-worth (p=0.0014); and negatively related to substance abuse (i.e. marijuana use: p=0.0079), violent behaviors (i.e. gang involvement: p=0.0097), and hopelessness (p<0.0001). Paternal warmth was positively related positive marital expectations (p=0.0063) and self worth (p<0.0001); and negatively related to alcohol use (p=0.0014), crack use (p=0.0367), unwanted sexual intercourse (p=0.0364), hopelessness (p=0.0193), and knife carrying (p=0.0311). The analysis shows that paternal and maternal warmth has a positive impact on reducing adolescent risk behavior. Therefore, future interventions targeting adolescent risk behaviors should also target healthy adolescent and parental interaction.