The Predictive Value of Parental Family Structure on Attitudes Regarding Premarital Pregnancy and the Consumption of Marijuana

Abstract

Over the last twenty-five years, researchers have become greatly interested in the predictive value of parental family structure on the subsequent behavior and attitudes of adolescents years later. Social scientists are increasingly interested on the predictive value of family structure on the attitudes of adolescents towards premarital pregnancy and their consumption of marijuana. The vast majority of these studies have focused on the effects of divorce and remarriage in their analysis. This study focuses on the effects of other family structures that are becoming increasingly common in our society. Using the NELS data set from the 1988-1992 periodamines the effects of having a never-married single-parent, cohabitation, widowhood and parental separation (not divorce) on the attitudes of adolescents towards premarital pregnancy and their likelihood of consuming marijuana. The results indicate that the family struct, this study exure an adolescent abide in does impact their attitudes and behavior four years later. Adolescents in the four family structures studied in 1988 were more likely to consume marijuana and consider becoming pregnant before marriage in 1992. The significance of these results is discussed.

Key Words:

• Family structure
• attitudes
• premarital
• pregnancy
• marijuana
• drugs