Presenter: Leonardo Andres Blanco

Faculty Sponsor: Kirby Deater-Deckard

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Auditorium, A13

ABSTRACT

Substance use disparities among Latino adolescents are well established, yet limited research has examined how early risk-related attitudes shape substance use vulnerability across cultural contexts. Much of the existing literature relies on cumulative adversity scores and single-site samples, limiting understanding of the mechanisms linking early risk perceptions to substance use behaviors. The present study addresses these gaps using data from two Latino adolescent samples participating in the Parenting Across Cultures study. The analytic sample includes 205 adolescents recruited from two sites: Durham, North Carolina, in the United States, and Medellín, Colombia, with approximately equal representation of males and females. Participants were followed across multiple developmental waves, assessing risk perceptions, sensation seeking, and engagement in substance use behaviors. Descriptive analyses indicated that among participants with available substance use data (N = 140), the mean substance use score at Wave 11 was 0.49 (SD = 0.43), with approximately 74% of adolescents reporting at least some substance use behavior. Correlational and regression analyses will examine associations between sensation seeking, adolescents’ perceptions of risk-related harm, and substance use outcomes across sites. Structural equation modeling (SEM) will then test pathways linking early risk-related attitudes to later substance use, both directly and indirectly through adolescents’ perceptions of substance-related harm. This research aims to clarify mechanisms contributing to substance use vulnerability among Latino adolescents and inform culturally responsive prevention strategies across diverse Latino contexts.