Family Communication and Adolescent Alcohol Use in Nicaragua, Central America: A Test of Primary Socialization Theory

ABSTRACT

Applying primary socialization theory to a sample of early adolescents from Nicaragua, this study examines direct and indirect associations between family bonding and adolescent alcohol use via substance specific prevention communication (SSPC) and adolescent efficacy. Early adolescents in 7th and 8th grades completed a self-report, cross-sectional survey. Structural equation modeling revealed that family expressiveness was significantly indirectly related to adolescent lifetime alcohol use through SSPC. Results are discussed in relation to primary socialization theory, family communication, and international substance use prevention efforts. This study provides supportive evidence for the important role of positive family communication as a protective factor for early adolescents in Nicaragua.

Acknowledgments

The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the United States Department of State.

Funding

This research was supported in part by grant number S-INLEC-13-GR-1012 from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs to the University of Tennessee (Jonathan Pettigrew, Principal Investigator).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by grant number S-INLEC-13-GR-1012 from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs to the University of Tennessee (Jonathan Pettigrew, Principal Investigator).