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01-12-2014

Investigating the Potential Causal Relationship Between Parental Knowledge and Youth Risky Behavior: a Propensity Score Analysis

Authors: Melissa A. Lippold, Donna L. Coffman, Mark T. Greenberg

Published in: Prevention Science | Issue 6/2014

Abstract

This longitudinal study aims to explore the potential causal relationship between parental knowledge and youth risky behavior among a sample of rural, early adolescents (84 % White, 47 % male). Using inverse propensity weighting, the sample was adjusted by controlling for 33 potential confounding variables. Confounding variables include other aspects of the parent–child relationship, parental monitoring, demographic variables, and earlier levels of problem behavior. The effect of parental knowledge was significant for youth substance and polysubstance use initiation, alcohol and cigarette use, attitudes towards substance use, and delinquency. Our results suggest that parental knowledge may be causally related to substance use during middle school, as the relationship between knowledge and youth outcomes remained after controlling for 33 different confounding variables. The discussion focuses on understanding issues of causality in parenting and intervention implications.

Model results presented are from one imputed dataset. Models were run on five different imputed datasets and the same general pattern was found across datasets. Model estimates were not averaged across imputed datasets because studies suggest that Rubin’s rules do not apply to propensity score models (Qu and Lipkovich 2009).

Results of the regression analysis used to obtain propensity scores are available from the first author upon request. The squared multiple correlation for the regression model is 0.37.

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Title: Investigating the Potential Causal Relationship Between Parental Knowledge and Youth Risky Behavior: a Propensity Score Analysis
Authors: Melissa A. Lippold
Donna L. Coffman
Mark T. Greenberg
Publication date: 01-12-2014
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Prevention Science / Issue 6/2014
Print ISSN: 1389-4986
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6695
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-013-0443-1

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Investigating the Potential Causal Relationship Between Parental Knowledge and Youth Risky Behavior: a Propensity Score Analysis

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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