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ABSTRACT: Introduction
Sexual minority girls (SMGs) may be at high risk for substance use partially due to anti-gay discrimination. Low levels of parent-child communication and parental knowledge may contribute to this risk. This study seeks to identify parent-child communication and parental knowledge trajectories, determine the likelihood of SMGs following these trajectories, and describe the relationships between these trajectories, sexual orientation, and substance use.Methods
This is a secondary data analysis of the Pittsburgh Girls Study (N = 2450), a longitudinal study on the changes in behaviors among girls throughout childhood. We generated group trajectory models of parentchild communication and parental knowledge starting from age 12 to age 17 years. We then tested the likelihood of SMGs belonging to these group trajectories and the association between group trajectory membership and substance use at age 18 years.Results
SMGs were more likely than were heterosexual girls to follow the infrequent decreasing parent-child communication trajectory and the slowly decreasing parental knowledge trajectory and were more likely than were heterosexual girls to engage in substance use at age 18 years. Parent-child communication and parental knowledge trajectories were statistically significant mediators between sexual orientation and substance use.Conclusion
Frequency of parent-child communication and levels of parental knowledge may be determinants of substance use among SMGs. These results have implications for developing substance use prevention programs among sexual minority youth targeting parent-child relationships.
SUBMITTER: Montano GT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6289794 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Montano Gerald T GT Marshal Michael P MP McCauley Heather L HL Miller Elizabeth E Chung Tammy T Hipwell Alison E AE
Journal of adolescence 20181012
<h4>Introduction</h4>Sexual minority girls (SMGs) may be at high risk for substance use partially due to anti-gay discrimination. Low levels of parent-child communication and parental knowledge may contribute to this risk. This study seeks to identify parent-child communication and parental knowledge trajectories, determine the likelihood of SMGs following these trajectories, and describe the relationships between these trajectories, sexual orientation, and substance use.<h4>Methods</h4>This is ...[more]