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Bo Wang, Bonita Stanton, Xiaoming Li,Bo Wang, Bonita Stanton, Xiaoming Li, Lynette Deveaux, Veronica KociLynette Deveaux, Veronica Koci

Prevention Research CenterPrevention Research Center

Wayne State University School of MedicineWayne State University School of Medicine

The influence of parental monitoring and parent-adolescent communication

on Bahamian adolescent risk involvement: A three-year longitudinal

examination

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Collaborators and Funding Support

Funding: This project is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH069229).

Principal investigator: Bonita Stanton at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Collaboration institutes: the Bahamas Ministries of Health and Education

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Background Numerous studies have documented the consistent link Numerous studies have documented the consistent link

between higher levels of parental monitoring and lower between higher levels of parental monitoring and lower levels of problem behaviors.levels of problem behaviors.

The association between parental monitoring and The association between parental monitoring and problem behavior has been brought into question.problem behavior has been brought into question.

Several studies have observed that the measures of Several studies have observed that the measures of parental monitoring commonly used in the literature parental monitoring commonly used in the literature assess parents’ knowledge about their adolescent’s assess parents’ knowledge about their adolescent’s activities rather than active monitoring efforts by activities rather than active monitoring efforts by parents.parents.

These studies suggest that parental monitoring can best These studies suggest that parental monitoring can best be conceptualized and measured through the domains of be conceptualized and measured through the domains of parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation and parental control.solicitation and parental control.

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Background Several studies have consistently found that youth Several studies have consistently found that youth

disclosure is an important predictor of delinquent disclosure is an important predictor of delinquent behavior (Keijsers et al., 2010; Kerr et al., 2010). behavior (Keijsers et al., 2010; Kerr et al., 2010).

By contrast, findings regarding effects of parental By contrast, findings regarding effects of parental solicitation and control on adolescent risk behavior are solicitation and control on adolescent risk behavior are mixed (Laird et al., 2010). mixed (Laird et al., 2010).

Few studies addressed the facilitating role of the parent-Few studies addressed the facilitating role of the parent-youth communication in effective monitoring and most youth communication in effective monitoring and most focused on delinquent behavior without substance use focused on delinquent behavior without substance use and sexual risk behaviors. and sexual risk behaviors.

A majority of the existing studies focusing on parental A majority of the existing studies focusing on parental monitoring have been cross-sectional and thus lack the monitoring have been cross-sectional and thus lack the perspective afforded through a longitudinal studyperspective afforded through a longitudinal study

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Objective This study uses four waves of data from a three-year This study uses four waves of data from a three-year

longitudinal study to continue the investigation of the longitudinal study to continue the investigation of the components of “parental monitoring” and parent-youth components of “parental monitoring” and parent-youth communication.communication.

We first examine the association of parental knowledge, We first examine the association of parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation and control with risk youth disclosure, parental solicitation and control with risk involvement through early to middle adolescence, before involvement through early to middle adolescence, before and after controlling for parent-youth communication.and after controlling for parent-youth communication.

We then examine longitudinal relationships between the four We then examine longitudinal relationships between the four components of “parental monitoring” in early adolescence, components of “parental monitoring” in early adolescence, parent-adolescent open and problem communication, and parent-adolescent open and problem communication, and adolescent risk involvement in middle adolescence.adolescent risk involvement in middle adolescence.

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Methods Study siteStudy site: :

The island of New Providence, the Bahamas. It houses The island of New Providence, the Bahamas. It houses 65% of the entire population and 86% of HIV infected 65% of the entire population and 86% of HIV infected individuals.individuals.

Participants:Participants: 913 grade-six students from 10 government elementary 913 grade-six students from 10 government elementary

schools in New Providence. schools in New Providence. The mean age of youth at baseline was 10.4 years The mean age of youth at baseline was 10.4 years

(range 10 to14 years) and 55.8% were females. Ninety-(range 10 to14 years) and 55.8% were females. Ninety-nine percent of youth are of African descent.nine percent of youth are of African descent.

The follow-up rate was 89% at 12 months, 86% at 24 The follow-up rate was 89% at 12 months, 86% at 24 months, and 83% at 36 months of post-intervention. months, and 83% at 36 months of post-intervention.

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Delinquency, substance use and sexual risk behaviors. Delinquency, substance use and sexual risk behaviors. Youth’s involvement in problem behaviors was assessed Youth’s involvement in problem behaviors was assessed using the Bahamian Youth Health Risk Behavioral using the Bahamian Youth Health Risk Behavioral Inventory.Inventory. A composite score was computed for A composite score was computed for adolescent adolescent delinquencydelinquency (ranging 0-4), (ranging 0-4), substance use substance use (0-5), (0-5), andand sexual risk (0-4).sexual risk (0-4).

Parent-youth communications. Parent-youth communications. It was measured by the It was measured by the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale.Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale. Open communication. Open communication. 10 items measure the degree of 10 items measure the degree of

openness in parent-youth communication. openness in parent-youth communication. problem communicationproblem communication. 10 items measure the extent 10 items measure the extent

of problems in parent-youth communication. of problems in parent-youth communication.

Measures

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Parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation Parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation and parental control. and parental control. A validated eight-item parental A validated eight-item parental monitoring scale was employed to assess parental monitoring scale was employed to assess parental knowledge and monitoring activities. The seven items knowledge and monitoring activities. The seven items were assigned to four domains (one item deleted)were assigned to four domains (one item deleted) Parental knowledge Parental knowledge (2 items). “My parents/guardian (2 items). “My parents/guardian

know where I am after school.” know where I am after school.” Youth disclosure Youth disclosure (3 items). “I tell my parents/guardian (3 items). “I tell my parents/guardian

whom I’m going to be with before I go out.”whom I’m going to be with before I go out.” Parental solicitation Parental solicitation (1 item). “when I go out, my (1 item). “when I go out, my

parents/guardian ask me where I’m going.”parents/guardian ask me where I’m going.” Parental control Parental control (1 items). “when I go out, my parents/ (1 items). “when I go out, my parents/

guardian tell me what time I’m going to return.”guardian tell me what time I’m going to return.”

Measures

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Mixed-effects model. Mixed-effects model. Given the hierarchical nature of our Given the hierarchical nature of our data (students clustered within classes in 10 schools), data (students clustered within classes in 10 schools), mixed effects regression analysis was conducted to mixed effects regression analysis was conducted to identify predictive factors for delinquency, substance use identify predictive factors for delinquency, substance use and sexual risk behaviors. and sexual risk behaviors.

Path analysisPath analysis was conducted on longitudinal data to was conducted on longitudinal data to investigate long-term effects of parental knowledge, youth investigate long-term effects of parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation and control in early disclosure, parental solicitation and control in early adolescence (grade six/seven) on adolescent risk adolescence (grade six/seven) on adolescent risk involvement in middle adolescence (grade nine). involvement in middle adolescence (grade nine).

Analysis

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Results

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Results from mixed-effects models showed that parental Results from mixed-effects models showed that parental knowledge, youth disclosure, and parental control were knowledge, youth disclosure, and parental control were negatively associated with both delinquency and negatively associated with both delinquency and substance use; parent-adolescent open and problem substance use; parent-adolescent open and problem communication (rather than parental knowledge, youth communication (rather than parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation or parental control) were disclosure, parental solicitation or parental control) were associated with sexual risk behaviors. associated with sexual risk behaviors.

Results from path models further indicated that youth Results from path models further indicated that youth disclosure was a significant longitudinal predictor of disclosure was a significant longitudinal predictor of reduced adolescent delinquency whereas parental control reduced adolescent delinquency whereas parental control during early adolescence predicted reduced substance use during early adolescence predicted reduced substance use in middle adolescence. in middle adolescence.

Summary of results

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Conclusion Parental knowledge, youth disclosure and parental Parental knowledge, youth disclosure and parental

control differ in their impacts on substance use, control differ in their impacts on substance use, delinquency and sexual risk behaviors. delinquency and sexual risk behaviors.

Parent-adolescent problem communication has consistent Parent-adolescent problem communication has consistent influence on all three types of adolescent risk behaviors.influence on all three types of adolescent risk behaviors.

Future parental monitoring interventions should focus on Future parental monitoring interventions should focus on enhancing parents’ interpersonal communication skills enhancing parents’ interpersonal communication skills and emphasize the differences and importance of the and emphasize the differences and importance of the unique components of parental monitoring unique components of parental monitoring

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Adolescent problem behaviors relied on self-report. It is Adolescent problem behaviors relied on self-report. It is possible that adolescents misreported or underreported possible that adolescents misreported or underreported their risk behaviors (self-reporting bias).their risk behaviors (self-reporting bias).

The measures of parental knowledge, youth disclosure, The measures of parental knowledge, youth disclosure, parental solicitation and control were extracted from a parental solicitation and control were extracted from a previous commonly used construct of “parental previous commonly used construct of “parental monitoring”.monitoring”.

Although these measures are not as comprehensive as the Although these measures are not as comprehensive as the measures used in several recent studies, the items used in measures used in several recent studies, the items used in the present study are identical to some items used by Kerr the present study are identical to some items used by Kerr et al. (2010) and are considered as core items of the et al. (2010) and are considered as core items of the constructs.constructs.

Limitations

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Thank you!