Family environment and adolescent girls' alcohol use: The influence of maternal HIV

Family environment, social influence, and individual characteristics are all factors associated with adolescent alcohol use. This study examined specific family factors associated with alcohol use among racial minority adolescent daughters of HIV-positive mothers living in selected inner cities in the United States. A nonprobability sample of 176 mothers (37% HIV-positive and 63% HIV-negative) and their 14- to 18-year-old daughters completed self-administered surveys. Hierarchical multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine these mother-daughter data. Within the full sample, maternal report of importance of religion was negatively associated with alcohol use among daughters. Further analysis of samples separated by maternal HIV status revealed that daughter's age and depression rate and mother's alcohol use were only associated with higher odds of alcohol use among daughters in households with HIV-positive mothers. These preliminary findings highlight the fragility of racial minority female adolescents living in HIV-positive households. Methodologically, findings indicate the importance of conducting separate analyses within HIV-status to avoid potentially biased results.