Personality and sociodemographic influences on adolescents'substance use : a path analysis

FRANÇAIS :
507 étudiants de 14 à 16 ans ont répondu à un questionnaire sur l'usage de substances, questionnaire constitué des Echelles d'Evaluation Norwicki-Strickland et Piers-Harris. L'étude analytique a révélé que l'influence des normes et de l'usage de substances des pairs et des parents est associé aux effets de la personnalité, de l'âge, du sexe et du statut social. Les adolescents ayant des problèmes de personnalité sont plus influencés par leurs pairs à fumer. L'emprise des normes parentales est plus importante sur les étudiants les plus jeunes et les filles. Les filles et les adolescents à bas statut social subissent plus la pression de leurs amis fumeurs et buveurs. Les résultats concernant les pairs sont discutés en relation avec les stratégies de prévention.
ENGLISH :
Five hundred and seven students 14 to 16 years-old gave self-report responses to a substance use questionnaire, the Norwicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Path analysis revealed that the influence of peers'and parents'use and norms on adolescents'alcohol and tobacco use is mediated by personality, age, sex, and social status effects. Adolescents with external locus of control or low self-esteem "behavior" were more influenced by their peers to smoke. Younger students and girls were more influenced by parental norms than were older students and boys, but only for alcohol and not for tobacco use. Other findings were that girls were not as strongly influenced by their own norms and that girls and low social status adolescents were more influenced by their friend's smoking and drinking. The peers'findings are discussed in relation to substance prevention strategies. (Author's abstract)