281895
Effect of cumulative risks and promotive factors on Chinese adolescent delinquency and substance use
Hsing-Fang Hsieh, PhD,
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, ANN ARBOR, MI
Background Youth delinquency, alcohol and tobacco use are global public health issues and have been noted in China. The current study draws on resilience theory and examines the cumulative effects of multiple level risk and promotive factors on adolescent problem behaviors in China. The conceptual model includes factors across individual, peer, family, and community domains to test their effects on internalizing (e.g. psychological distress and self-acceptance) and externalizing outcomes (e.g. delinquency and substance use). Cumulative promotive factors were tested with both their compensatory effects and risk-protective effects. Methods A cross-sectional survey using self-reported questionnaires was conducted in two urban cities in China: Beijing and Xian. Participants in the study include 1356 students in grades 7 to 12 from middle and high schools. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted to test the conceptual models. Results The findings indicated that higher cumulative risk was associated both directly and indirectly with more substance use and delinquency. The cumulative promotive factors provided compensatory effects through decreased likelihood of psychological distress. Promotive factors also provided risk-protective effect on delinquency. Yet, the relationship between cumulative risks and psychological distress is stronger for children with more promotive factors than those with less promotive factors. Conclusions The approach of using cumulative indices to examine the effects of factors related to adolescent problem behaviors and their interactions allows a comprehensive, ecological perspective in ATOD prevention. Overall, the findings support resilience theory that emphasizes the importance of identifying positive factors that may help adolescents to overcome developmental adversity.
Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Assess the effect of cumulative risks and promotive factors on delinquency, alcohol and tobacco use among Chinese adolescents.
Explain the mechanisms how cumulative promotive factors may compensate or buffer the risk effects on adolescent delinquency and substance use.
Evaluate conceptual models based on the resilience perspective under the Chinese contexts.
Develop cumulative indices for factors that are related to adolescent tobacco and alcohol use
Keyword(s): Adolescents, International, Alcohol Use
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working and learning as a PhD student in the University of Michigan with a principal investigator, Marc Zimmerman, of multiple federally funded grants focusing on preventing substance use and violence among adolescents. One of the projects I have been working on is Flint Adolescent Study, funded by National Institute on drug abuse. My dissertation study examined the conceptual models for risk and promotive factors that related to adolescent problem behaviors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
