School connectedness and Guatemalan youth substance use: Does gender matter?

Authors

  • Marcos J. Martinez Florida International University
  • Elisa Kawam Florida International University
  • Flavio F. Marsiglia Arizona State University
  • Christopher Salas-Wright University of Texas at Austin
  • Stephanie L. Ayers Arizona State University
  • Maria Porta Asociación Civil U Yum Cap

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.34.1923

Keywords:

substance use, protective factor, global health, school connectedness, gender, adolescents

Abstract

This study examined if school connectedness was protective for youth and if the effects of school connectedness on alcohol and cigarette/tobacco use varied by gender among a cross-sectional sample of Guatemalan youth (N = 322, Mage = 12.16, 53% male). Using Ordinary Least Squares regression, a significant inverse association was found between school connectedness and past 30-day alcohol use frequency (b = -.11, p < .01), past 30-day alcohol use amount (b = -.12, p < .01), past 30-day cigarette/tobacco use frequency (b = -.06, p < .05), and past 30-day cigarette/tobacco use amount (b = -.05, p < .10). A significant school connectedness by gender interaction effect was also found for all alcohol and cigarette/tobacco use outcomes. Although school connectedness appeared to be protective for youth, females had greater substance use once gender was accounted for. Findings are discussed further in relation to gender, youth prevention efforts and health.

Author Biography

Marcos J. Martinez, Florida International University

Dr. Marcos Martinez is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work. His line of research focuses on minority health disparities, specifically the etiology and prevention of substance use, risky sexual activity and other deleterious health risk behavior among Hispanic and American Indian youth. Dr. Martinez’s work on several NIH funded studies has focused on the development and delivery of culturally sensitive prevention/interventions to minority adolescents and their parents. In this respect, his work targets socio-cultural, familial and developmental risk and protective factors associated with adolescent health behavior. Dr. Martinez’s research has been recognized by the National Hispanic Science Network and he is a former NIDA Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse Fellow.

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Published

2016-04-26

How to Cite

Martinez, M. J., Kawam, E., Marsiglia, F. F., Salas-Wright, C., Ayers, S. L., & Porta, M. (2016). School connectedness and Guatemalan youth substance use: Does gender matter?. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.34.1923

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2016): Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal

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Articles

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