Internalizing, Social Competence, and Substance Initiation: Influence of Gender Moderation and a Preventive Intervention

Abstract

Using latent growth curve modeling, the current study investigated gender moderation of the longitudinal pathways from internalizing to both social competency (i.e., social assertiveness) and the initiation of substance use (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, marijuana), as well as the effect of a preventive intervention on that process. Rural Midwestern adolescents who were participating in a school-based preventive intervention study were an average of 12.3 years old at the pretest assessment conducted in 1998. A latent growth curve comparison analysis found that internalizing was related inversely to initial levels of social assertiveness skill among girls; further, internalizing was related positively to substance use initiation growth trajectories among girls. Girls who participated in the preventive intervention demonstrated a slower increase over time in substance use initiation and a faster increase in social assertiveness. Gender moderation of the impact of internalizing and social assertiveness on substance use initiation and response to the intervention, as well as the utility of latent growth curve modeling in the study of longitudinal change, are discussed.

• Internalizing
• Social assertiveness
• Substance initiation
• Gender moderation

Resumen

Usando un modelaje de curvas de crecimiento latente, el presente estudio investigó la moderación de género de las rutas longitudinales que parten de la internalización hacia la competencia social (per ejemplo, asertividad social) y el inicio en el uso de substancias (por ejemplo, tabaco, alcohol, mariguana), así como el efecto de una intervención preventiva en este proceso. Los adolescentes rurales del Medio Oeste quienes estuvieron participando en un estudio de intervención preventiva basado en la escuela tenían en promedio una edad de 12.3 años en la evaluación del exámen preliminar conducido en 1998 Se encontró que género modera la relación entre las variables de estudio.

Un análisis comparativo de curvas de crecimiento latente encontró que la internalización estaba relacionada inversamente a niveles iniciales de habilidades de asertividad social entre las adolescentes; más adelante, la internalización estuvo relacionada positivamente a trayectorias de crecimiento de iniciación de substancias entre jovencitas. Las jovencitas que participaron en la intervención preventiva demostraron un más lento incremento en el tiempo en la iniciación de substancias y un más rápido incremento en la asertividad social.

Se discute la moderación de género del impacto de la internalización y asertividad social en la iniciación de substancias y la respuesta a la intervención, así como la utilidad del modelaje de curvas de crecimiento latente en el estudio de cambio longitudinal.

Résumé

En utilisant le modèle de la courbe latente de développement, la présente étude examine la mesure des genres des chemins longitudinaux de l’intériorisation à la compétence sociale (c’est-à-dire, l’affirmation sociale) et à l’initiation de l’usage des substances (c’est-à-dire, tabac, alcool, marijuana), aussi bien que l’effet de l’intervention préventive sur ce processus. Les adolescents du milieu rural du Midwest qui ont participé à cette étude (menée par leur école) sur l’intervention préventive avaient une moyenne d’âge de 12.3 ans au moment de la pré-évaluation conduite en 1998. Une analyse comparative de la courbe latente de développement a trouvé que l’intériorisation était inversement apparentée aux niveaux initiaux de la compétence de l’affirmation sociale parmi les filles. De plus, l’intériorisation était positivement apparentée aux trajectoires croissantes de l’initiation aux substances parmi les filles. Les filles qui ont participé à l’intervention préventive ont démontré, avec le temps, une augmentation plus lente quant à l’initiation aux substances et une augmentation plus rapide quant à l’affirmation sociale. Nous parlerons de l’effet de l’intériorisation de la mesure des genres et de l’affiramtion sociale sur l’initiation aux substances et la réponse à l’intervention, aussi bien que de l’utilité du modèle de la courbe latente de développement dans l’étude du changement longitudinal.

Notes

^aA total of 1673 students completed the baseline pretest assessment. However, nine of these students subsequently moved from a school in one condition to a school in another condition. Because these students could not be assigned to one of the experimental conditions, their data were not counted in this sample summary. Years data collected: 1998–2000.

^bInconsistencies in substance initiation reports were corrected. In instances in which a subject reported a substance initiation behavior at one data collection point, but failed to report that behavior at a later data collection point, the later report was corrected to reflect the previously reported initiation of that behavior.

^cBecause the scale was composed of dichotomous items, reliability was also assessed with the Kuder-Richardson (KR20) formula at 0.44 for pretest and 0.55 at posttest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Catherine J. Lillehoj

Catherine (Goldberg) Lillehoj is a Research Scientist at the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University. She is a member of the Youth Policy Institute of Iowa and the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. Dr. Lillehoj has authored and co-authored publications in various prevention journals. In addition, she has made numerous presentations concerning various Project Family studies. Her principal research interest is the prevention of adolescent substance use with school-based intervention programs, specifically with rural populations.

Linda Trudeau

Linda Trudeau is a Research Scientist at the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University. She has worked for many years as a mental health counselor and family therapist. Her intervention interests include child abuse and domestic violence prevention and general stress management strategies. She was active in establishing a domestic violence prevention program and served for many years as member and chairperson of the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science Examiners, where her interest included establishing standards for professional supervision. She currently is a research scientist interested in evaluating the effectiveness of programs designed to prevent adolescent problem behaviors and in exploring mechanisms whereby programs achieve their effects. In addition, she is interested in exploring etiological factors related to problem behaviors, including individual characteristics, such as personality and temperament, and socializing factors, such as family and peer relations. Other research interests include intervention and supervision processes and outcomes. She is a licensed mental health counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Richard Spoth

Richard Spoth is the F. Wendell Miller Senior Prevention Scientist and the Director of the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University. Dr. Spoth directs Project Family, one of ten projects selected and described in the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (1997) Prevention Drug Abuse Among Children and Adolescents: A Research-based Guide. Based upon Project Family research, one of the programs evaluated — the Iowa Strengthening Families Program — has received recognition from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Education (1997–2000). In 1998, Dr. Spoth received a MERIT Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for a large-scale Project Family study evaluating prevention programs for families and youth. He has served on numerous federally sponsored expert and technical review panels addressing issues in prevention research and research-practice integration.

K. A. S. Wickrama

K. A. S. Wickrama is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and a Research Scientist at the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research at Iowa State University. His research interests include the influence of work conditions, marital quality, and social and family relationships on physical health outcomes and health behaviors.