Connections between Family Assets and Positive Youth Development: The Association between Parental Monitoring and Affection with Leisure-Time Activities and Substance Use

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 17; no. 21; p. 8170
• Main Authors: Belintxon, Maider, Osorio, Alfonso, de Irala, Jokin, Van Riper, Marcia, Reparaz, Charo, Vidaurreta, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05.11.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Child; Child development; Chile; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug use; Female; Humans; Leisure; Leisure Activities; Male; Mexico; Monitoring; Parents & parenting; Peru; Prevention; Questionnaires; Spain; Students; Substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Teenagers; Variables; Mexico; Chile; Peru; Spain; substance use; positive youth development; adolescents; constructive leisure activities; lifestyles; health assets
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218170

This study aimed to determine the associations between parental monitoring and affection and three adolescent lifestyle aspects: constructive leisure, non-constructive leisure and substance use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four countries (Chile, Mexico, Spain and Peru). Adolescents aged 12-15 self-completed a multi-purpose questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to analyse the association between the parental monitoring and affection variables and the outcomes in terms of the children's lifestyles. The results indicate that parental monitoring is conducive to more constructive leisure and less non-constructive leisure and seems to be conducive to the prevention of substance use. Furthermore, parental affection is conducive to constructive leisure and the prevention of substance use. The discussion focuses on the fact that the family can be a protective resource associated with positive adolescent development.