Board 211 Abstract Type: Research-Based.
 
The Unique/Independent Effects of Household Incarceration on Diverse Youths’ Marijuana, Nicotine, and Alcohol Use.
 
Shanazari, Eric; Shahverdi, Abnous; Zhang, Xiao; Rogers, Christopher; Unger, Jennifer; Forster, Myriam.
 
Background: Substance use in adolescence can undermine healthy development and is one of the most robust predictors of problematic use in adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), a set of correlated traumatic stressors experienced before the age of 18, negatively impact health and behavioral outcomes over the life course. Studies assessing the unique effects of household incarceration (HHI), one specific ACE, on adolescent behavioral health have been inconclusive. To address this gap, we examined the association between HHI and marijuana, nicotine, and alcohol use, adjusting for demographic data and other ACEs.
 
Methods: Data are (N=877) baseline survey responses from adolescents enrolled in a longitudinal study investigating the social and environmental risk and protective factors for school and developmental outcomes. Regression models tested the association between HHI and adolescents’ substance use, adjusting for demographic covariates and other ACE.
 
Results: Approximately half (52%) of the sample was female, the average age was 15(SD=0.07) years old, 40% were African American, followed by 26% Non-Hispanic White, 20% Hispanic, 8% Multiethnic, and6% Asian/Pacific Islander. Three out of four(75%) students report experiencing at least one ACE and over one-third (36%) report HHI. Regression results suggest that students who report HHI have higher odds of marijuana (AOR=2.00, CI=1.12, 3.57),nicotine (AOR=2.07, CI=1.16, 3.69), and alcohol (AOR=1.67. CI=1.27, 2.85) use than their peers with no history of HHI, even after adjusting for other ACE.
 
Conclusion: Youth whose family members interact with the justice system experience many challenges and may be more vulnerable to health-compromising behaviors such as substance use. Our results suggest that HHI has a unique association with adolescent substance use over and above other ACEs. Future research may benefit from identifying protective factors, given how many communities are impacted by high incarceration rates that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities.