Abstract
PurposeAdolescents’ perceptions of parental norms may influence their substance use. The relationship between parental norms toward cigarette and alcohol use, and the use of illicit substances among their adolescent children is not sufficiently investigated. The purpose of this study was to analyze this relationship, including gender differences, using longitudinal data from a large population-based study.MethodsThe present study analyzed longitudinal data from 3171 12- to 14-year-old students in 7 European countries allocated to the control arm of the European Drug Addiction Prevention trial. The impact of parental permissiveness toward cigarettes and alcohol use reported by the students at baseline on illicit drug use at 6-month follow-up was analyzed through multilevel logistic regression models, stratified by gender. Whether adolescents’ own use of cigarette and alcohol mediated the association between parental norms and illicit drug use was tested through mediation models.ResultsParental permissive norms toward cigarette smoking and alcohol use at baseline predicted adolescents’ illicit drug use at follow-up. The association was stronger among boys than among girls and was mediated by adolescents’ own cigarette and alcohol use.ConclusionPerceived parental permissiveness toward the use of legal drugs predicted adolescents’ use of illicit drugs, especially among boys. Parents should be made aware of the importance of norm setting, and supported in conveying clear messages of disapproval of all substances.
Highlights
Illicit drug use among European adolescents is a serious public health concern
The prevalence of illicit drug use was much higher among adolescents whose parents were permissive toward cigarettes (21.9% vs. 7.2%) or alcohol (19.4% vs. 6.1%) compared to those whose parents did not permit the use of these substances
We found that adolescents who perceived permissive parental norms toward cigarette smoking or alcohol use had twice the risk of being users of illicit drugs at follow-up compared to adolescents who perceived completely restrictive norms
Summary
According to the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) estimates, the prevalence of lifetime and recent cannabis use among 15-year-old European adolescents is 13% and 7%, respectively [1]. According to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) survey, the prevalence of lifetime illicit drug use among 15- to 16-year-old students is 17% [2]. Some studies reported that parental permissive attitudes toward gambling, delinquency and antisocial behavior, were associated with the risk of cigarette, alcohol and cannabis use [20, 30, 31], suggesting that adolescents’ substance use may be influenced by parental attitudes toward other risk behaviors
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