FAMILY TIES: EXAMINING FAMILY FUNCTIONING AND ALCOHOL USE AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH

Abstract

Objective: American Indian (AI) adolescents report earlier initiation and higher frequencies of alcohol use than their non-AI peers. Early initiation and higher frequency alcohol use are associated with worse health outcomes. Researchers have been called to identify factors which protect AI youth from harmful alcohol use behaviors and other risk factors such as peer use. Method: This study is a secondary data analysis of an ongoing epidemiological research survey with AI youth. Data was collected in the Fall of 2021 and Spring of 2022. Participants were 4,373 AI adolescents from grades 6-12 across seven regions of the contiguous United States. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test a second-order latent variable of family functioning built from measures of family cohesion, family norms against adolescent alcohol use (FN), and parental monitoring. Structural paths and interaction terms between peer use and family functioning were added to the SEM to explore direct effects and moderations Results: Family cohesion, FN, and parental monitoring were best represented by a second-order latent variable of family functioning. Family functioning was related a later initiation of alcohol use and lower alcohol use frequency. Family functioning moderated the relationship between peer use and alcohol outcomes. Conclusions: The latent variable of family functioning and its component measures are appropriate for use in AI samples. Additionally, family functioning, which is an inherent resilience factor in AI communities, was shown to be protective against harmful alcohol use behaviors. Results have implications for prevention/intervention research.