1. Acculturation Status and Substance Use among Ethnic Youth: The Role of Peer and Family Jaewon Janet Baek Northwestern University Summer Undergraduate Research Program at University of Virginia

2. Background Health risk behaviors, such as substance use and sexual risk- taking, are significant contributors to mortality during adolescence and later in adulthood (CDC, 2007) Foreign-born adolescents report lower rates of substance use than U.S.-born adolescents However, acculturation is associated with increased substance use for both Latinos and Asians (Hussey et al., 2006) Limitations of prior findings Most studies only measure length of residence and language proficiency These acculturation measures do not explain the why or how

3. Research Question What social and cultural factors mediate the relations between acculturation and marijuana use? Are the effects similar across different ethnic groups? Acculturation Peer norm Marijuana use Familial values

4. Methodology UCSF Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2008) 30-minute online survey 603 subjects aged 18-24 White (n=203), Asian (n=206), Latino (n=194) Measures IV: Acculturation Length of residence, language use, AHIMSA DV: Marijuana use MV: Familial value, peer norm

5. Acculturation Level by Ethnicity

6. Marijuana Use by Ethnicity

7. Structural Model for Asians Peer Norm Marijuana Use e4 1 e6 1 -.21*** Familism -.19** e5 1 LOR Language Use AHIMSA e1 1 e2 1 e3 1 Acculturation 1 -.29*** -.24**.18** *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001

8. Structural Model for Latinos Peer Norm Marijuana Use e4 1 e6 1 -.26*** Familism.065 e5 1 LOR Language Use AHIMSA e1 1 e2 1 e3 1 Acculturation 1 -.16* -.17.25*** *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001

9. Findings and Implications The mechanisms through which acculturation increases risk for marijuana use are not the same across ethnic groups Peer norms emerged as the strongest predictor of marijuana use for all ethnic groups Prevention/intervention programs should be culturally responsive Researchers should incorporate social and cultural factors when studying the effects of acculturation

10. Future Directions Moderators (i.e. neighborhood context) Different risk behaviors (i.e. binge drinking) Gender differences Longitudinal study

11. Acknowledgement Joanna Lee, Ph.D. (University of Virginia) Ryan Brown, Ph.D. (Northwestern)