Parental support and monitoring influences on adolescent alcohol use: A peer selection mediation model.

Abstract

Previous studies on parental support have consistently shown it predicts lower adolescent alcohol use. Yet findings regarding the influence of parental monitoring have been mixed. The current study aims to resolve this concern while examining peer selection as a mediator of both parenting factors. The current study used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping mediation analysis on data from 3,027 youth across three waves of the Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial to examine these factors. We tested a latent path model where the effect of parental support and monitoring in 7^th grade on adolescent alcohol use in 9^th grade was hypothesized to be mediated by best friends' alcohol use in 8^th grade. Results: Higher parental support in seventh grade predicted lower adolescent alcohol use in 9^th grade, mediated by lower best friends' use in eighth grade (ab = -0.025, CI = [-0.152, -0.003]). Yet parental monitoring in seventh grade did not predict alcohol use in 9^th grade when parental support was included as a co-predictor in the model (ab = 0.018, CI = -0.135 - 0.025). There was also no significant mediation effect for the monitoring to youth drinking path. Adolescent's closeness with their parents may direct them to choose non-drinking friends, which leads to lower alcohol use in high school. Previously suggested effects of parental monitoring may be accounted for by support from parents.