Family Attention and Tobacco Smoking Among Adolescents in Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic

Abstract

This study examined the association between family attention and tobacco use among 5549 adolescent students in five Central American countries, Panama, and the Dominican Republic who participated in a survey of drug use in 1994. Drug use and other variables were assessed using an adapted version of the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) in Spanish. Students with the highest level of family attention had a lower occurrence of tobacco smoking than students with the lowest level of family attention. Country-specific analyses show similar associations. These findings underscore the need to understand tobacco use in Central America and neighboring countries and to test whether interventions aimed at enhancing parental–child attention, communication, and monitoring reduce the incidence of tobacco use among youths.

• Drug use
• Youths
• Central America
• Survey research
• Epidemiology
• Family attention risk factors

Resource Table
NIDA:	=	National Institute on Drug Abuse http://www.nida.nih.gov/.
OAS-CICAD:	=	Organization of American States—Comisión Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas (In English, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission) http://www.oas.org/.
PAHO:	=	Pan-American Health Organization http://www.paho.org/.

Resumen

Este estudio examinó la relación entre la atención de la familia y el uso del tabaco en 5.549 adolescentes, estudiantes de cinco países de Centroamérica, Panamá y República Dominicana, que participaron en una encuesta sobre el uso de drogas. El uso de drogas y otras variables se obtuvieron a través de una versión adaptada del “Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI)” en español. Los estudiantes con el más alto nivel de atención de la familia, mostraron menos frecuencia en el uso del tabaco, que los estudiantes con el nivel más bajo de atención. Los análisis de cada país tuvieron los mismos resultados que los análisis en conjunto. Estos resultados hacen hincapié en la necesidad de comprender el por qué del uso del tabaco en Centroamérica y países vecinos; también para probar si las acciones destinadas a aumentar la atención que los padres prestan a sus hijos, la comunicación y la supervisión, sirven para reducir la incidencia del tabaco.

Résumé

Cet étude examine la relation entre l'attention de la famille et l'usage du tabac en 5.549 étudiants adolescents, parmi cinq pays de l'Amérique Centrale, Panama et la République Dominicaine qu'ont participés dans une ênquete sur l'usage des drogues. L'usage des drogues et d'autres variables furent évalués avec une version adapteé du “Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI)” en espagnol. Les étudiants avec le plus haut niveau d'attention de leurs familles eurent la plus basse fréquence de l'habitude de fumer, que les étudiants avec le plus bas niveau d'attention de leurs familles. Des résultats similaires furent rencontrés quand ces pays firent les mêmes analyses. Cettes découvertes soulignent le besoin de comprendre l'usage du tabac en Amérique Centrale et les pays voisins. Aussi, mettre à l'épreuve des actions destinées à augmenter l'attention, la communication et la supervision que les parents donnent à leurs enfants pour réduire.

Resumo

Este estudo examinou a associação entre a atenção familiar e o uso de tabaco entre 5549 estudantes adolescentes de cinco países da América Central, Panamá e Republica Dominicana que participaram de uma pesquisa sobre o uso de drogas em 1994, O uso de drogas e outras variáveis foram avaliados utilizando uma versão adaptada do “Drug Use Screening Inventoru (DUSI)” em espanhol. Estudantes com níveis mais altos de atenção familiar tiveram uma acorrência menor de uso de tabaco que estudantes com um nivel inferior de atenção familiar. Análizes específicas em cada país mostraram situações similares. Esses resultados enfatizam a necessidade de entender o uso do tabaco na America Central e países vizinhos e testar se intervensões objetivando um aumento da atenção de pais para com filhos, comunicação e monitoramento reduziriam a influência do tabaco entre jovens.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Guillermo Gosebruch

Guillermo Gosebruch, M.D., is a primary care physician and psychiatrist, and leader in the field of psychiatry in Nicaragua. At the time of this survey, he was chief advisor on problems of drug dependence within the Ministry of Health.

Mauricio Sánchez

Mauricio Sánchez, M.D., is also from Nicaragua, was Dr. Gosebruch's successor, and was responsible for the survey during the periods of analysis and scientific writing.

Jorge Delva

Jorge Delva, Ph.D., was at the time of the survey a NIDA-supported Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in Baltimore. Dr. Delva had responsibilities for setting up human ethics committees in each participating country, and for data analysis and science writing during this project. He now is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Fernando Wagner

Fernando Wagner, Ph.D., was at the time of the survey a NIDA-supported Predoctoral Research Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in Baltimore. Dr. Wangner had responsibilities for data analysis and science writing during this project. He now is Assistant Professor of Public Health at Morgan State University in Baltimore and a Research Fellow at the Mexican Institute of Psychiatry in Xochimilcho, Mexico.

James C. Anthony

James C. Anthony, Ph.D., is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins University, where he has been on the faculty since 1978. He provided technical advice and consultation before, during, and after the survey work in the participating countries, and played a major role in conceptualization, completion, and writing up of the scientific analyses for this article. He has become Principal Investigator for the PACARDO project, a NIDA-supported multisite collaborative study of adolescent drug involvement and behavioral repertoire within the participating countries.