Addiction In Adulthood Research Articles

Community Perspectives of Childhood Behavioral Problems and ADHD Among African American Parents

To explore parents' perceptions of childhood behavior problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among a sample of African American (AA) parents. Five focus groups were conducted in inner-city Baltimore and the Washington, DC, metropolitan region with 5 to 7 AA parents per group. Adults with children under the age of 17 years were recruited from pediatric practices. One investigator moderated each focus group, and a second took notes. Sessions averaged 1.5 hours long, were recorded on audiotape, and were transcribed verbatim. The narrative data were coded for recurring themes. Five major themes emerged from the analysis: causes of behavioral problems in children, the legitimacy of ADHD as a diagnosis, attitudes about doctors, opinions of medication, and perceptions of the school environment. Many participants felt that behavior issues, including those accompanying ADHD, were caused by inappropriate parenting and disciplinary practices. Some viewed the diagnosis as a label applied with racial inequality to exert social control over AAs. Several expressed distrust in physicians who were quick to make a diagnosis of ADHD and recommend medications. Others worried that medication would lead to drug addiction in adulthood. Some perceived that children were labeled with ADHD because of poor educational environments that were unresponsive to the needs of AA children. These focus groups identified important community perceptions about ADHD and its medical treatment. Understanding how these perceptions contribute to racial disparities in ADHD diagnosis and treatment can help inform culturally sensitive interventions to improve the management of ADHD among AA children.

Smoking in Early Adolescence: Evidence from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study

Purpose To evaluate the prevalence of tobacco use, and factors associated with it, in early adolescent (aged 10–12 years) participants of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. Methods Children born in 1993 in Pelotas, Brazil were included in a prospective health study. In 2004–2005, all cohort members were sought. Adolescents and mothers were interviewed. A confidential questionnaire was applied to adolescents, including a section on smoking. Smoking experience was defined as having tried at least one cigarette in life. Results Follow-up rate was 87.5%; 4452 adolescents were interviewed. Mean age was 11.3 years. Only 58 adolescents did not answer the question on smoking experience. Out of the 4394 respondents, 162 (3.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1–4.2) had tried smoking. Of these, approximately half smoked the first cigarette before 10 years of age. Seventy-three cohort members reported smoking daily. In multivariable analysis, variables positively associated with smoking experience were: male gender, maternal smoking during pregnancy, living without the biological father, poor relationship with the mother, being beaten by the parents, family conflict, maternal smoking in 2004–2005, bad influences on the adolescent, participation in fights, history of attempting to run away from home, and experience with alcoholic beverages. The association was negative for socioeconomic level. Conclusion Family-related variables and habits of the adolescent were strongly associated with smoking in early adolescence. Because experimentation with tobacco in adolescence is related to a marked increase in the risk of tobacco addiction in adulthood, early interventions are warranted.

Periadolescent nicotine administration produces enduring changes in dendritic morphology of medium spiny neurons from nucleus accumbens

The objective of the current study was to examine how periadolescent nicotine exposure affects dendritic morphology of medium spiny neurons from the nucleus accumbens shell. Male Long–Evans hooded rats were chronically administered nicotine or saline for a period extending from postnatal day 22 (p22) to p69. Nicotine and saline administration was via subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps. At p144, 75 days after conclusion of nicotine administration, brains were processed for Golgi–Cox staining. Medium spiny neurons from the nucleus accumbens shell were digitally reconstructed. It was found that neurons from nicotine-treated animals possessed significantly longer dendrites and a greater number of dendritic segments than control animals. A branch order analysis indicated that differences in dendritic length and segment number were most pronounced in third and fourth order segments. A subsequent behavioral experiment suggests that the observed anatomical changes are associated with enduring psychomotor differences. These findings indicate that periadolescent exposure to nicotine can result in long-lasting structural changes in the nucleus accumbens shell and are consistent with behavioral data suggesting that adolescent nicotine exposure may result in vulnerability to nicotine addiction in adulthood.

The role of social networks and media receptivity in predicting age of smoking initiation: A proportional hazards model of risk and protective factors

The increasing prevalence of adolescent smoking demonstrates the need to identify factors associated with early smoking initiation. Previous studies have shown that smoking by social network members and receptivity to pro-tobacco marketing are associated with smoking among adolescents. It is not clear, however, whether these variables also are associated with the age of smoking initiation. Using data from 10,030 California adolescents, this study identified significant correlates of age of smoking initiation using bivariate methods and a multivariate proportional hazards model. Age of smoking initiation was earlier among those adolescents whose friends, siblings, or parents were smokers, and among those adolescents who had a favorite tobacco advertisement, had received tobacco promotional items, or would be willing to use tobacco promotional items. Results suggest that the smoking behavior of social network members and pro-tobacco media influences are important determinants of age of smoking initiation. Because early smoking initiation is associated with higher levels of addiction in adulthood, tobacco control programs should attempt to counter these influences.