Teens living in households where both parents are college educated are less likely to use alcohol and marijuana, a new study finds.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington who analyzed data of 14,268 teenagers to determine the impact of family structure and parental education on adolescents' substance use. The first finding revealed that the presence of both parents in a household acts as a strong protective factor for African-American adolescents. They found that white teenagers are 69 percent more likely to engage in substance abuse than black teens. They also found that teens living in households where both parents are college educated are less likely to use alcohol and marijuana.
"We know from previous research that early drinking and drug use is linked to social, economic, emotional and behavioral problems including violence, depression and precarious sexual activity," said Eusebius Small, an assistant professor in the UT Arlington School of Social Work, whose work focuses on reducing incidents of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents. "Addressing these environmental concerns in concert with related individual problems could reduce substance use occurrences among our young people."
These findings are important because they help researchers understand teen substance abuse and how it can be prevented.
"Addressing high-risk behaviors means understanding the underlying mechanisms and contextual factors that influence our youths," Scott Ryan, dean of the UT Arlington School of Social Work, said in a press statement. "Dr. Small's research accomplishes that goal and contributes greatly to ongoing efforts to help families make healthier choices.
Previous studies have found a strong link between teen substance abuse and poor family structure, lower parental education and ethnic minority families.
"Our study should re-emphasize the direction for practice and policy, for example, examining the elements in the family structure that are deemed protective and can enhance the well-being of children," Small said.
The current study was published online in the journal Social Work in Public Health.
