Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Examination of veteran fathers' parenting and their adolescent children's substance use in the United States.
Journal Name
Substance Use & Misuse
Journal Volume
52
Issue Number
6
Page Numbers
698-708
DOI
10.1080/10826084.2016.1253748
Summary
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs) data were used to examine the association between Veteran father and non-Veteran father's parental involvement, parent-child communication, and parental beliefs about child substance use on adolescent substance use. Parenting characteristics were associated with adolescent substance use, and some difference between Veteran and non-Veteran fathers were found.
Key Findings
Adolescents of Veteran and non-Veteran fathers reported similar rates of parental involvement and parental involvement was associated with lower odds of adolescent substance use.
A higher proportion of Veteran fathers believed their adolescent had used substances within the last year compared to non-Veteran fathers; adolescents of Veteran fathers self-reported more substance use than non-Veteran adolescents.
Compared to adolescents of non-Veteran fathers, adolescents of Veteran fathers self-reported higher rates of lifetime, past year, and past month substance use, particularly tobacco and prescription drug abuse.
Compared to non-Veteran fathers, Veteran fathers were less likely to have communicated with their adolescent about the dangers of substance use. No association was found between parent-adolescent communication and lifetime or past year substance use, except for past year tobacco use.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide education to military parents about how to talk with their children about the risks associated with substance use
Disseminate information regarding the programs and services available to military families dealing with substance use issues
Educate military families about the association between mental health and substance abuse issues and provide information about healthier ways to cope
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that work with military children and families struggling with substance use issues.
Encourage collaboration among DoD and community-based programs that provide services to military families struggling with substance use issues for more comprehensive and streamlined care.
Recommend education for service providers working with military families regarding the unique risk and protective factors associated with military culture and substance use.
Methods
Paired father-adolescent NSDUHs data from 2004-2013 were used to examine the association between parenting characteristics and adolescent self-reported substance use.
Veterans were those who indicated they had been a member of the U.S. military in their lifetime; those who currently identified as Active Duty were not included in the sample.
Only father-adolescent data were analyzed due to the small number of Veteran women in the sample.
Participants
The sample consisted of 9,200 non-Veteran and 1,500 Veteran father-adolescent pairs.
To be included in the sample, adolescents must have been between the ages of 12-17 years and lived in the same household as their father.
Fathers included in the sample were either a biological, step-, adoptive, or foster parent and were between the ages of 30-62 years.
No other demographic information was provided regarding adolescents race/ethnicity or gender.
Limitations
No data on deployment characteristics, such as length or number of deployments, were available which could have had an influence on parenting characteristics and child substance use outcomes.
This study did not examine parental substance use which may have had an important influence on adolescent substance use.
Self-reported data for adolescent substance use may not accurately capture rates of substance use due to underreporting.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine the association between non-Veteran and Veteran parental substance use and adolescent substance use.
Explore potential protective factors that may mitigate substance use among military and non-military adolescents.
Examine the association between the number and length of parental military deployments and adolescent substance use.
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Abstract
Background: Adolescent children of U.S. military veterans may be at increased risk for engaging in substance use; however, this has yet to be examined using nationally representative data. Parental involvement and communication are potential protective factors to target with prevention efforts, but veterans' parenting has not been studied in general, nonclinical populations. Objectives: This study presents data on parenting characteristics among fathers who are veterans of the U.S. military and the substance use behaviors of their adolescent children. Methods: Data were analyzed from approximately 2,200 veteran fathers, 13,100 nonveteran fathers, and their children aged 12 to 17 who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2004 to 2013. Parenting characteristics and adolescent substance use were compared by fathers' veteran status. Results: Compared with nonveteran fathers, veteran fathers were less likely to have talked with their children about the dangers of substance use, were more likely to believe that their children used substances, and were just as likely to be parentally involved. Higher percentages of adolescent children of veterans than those of nonveterans engaged in tobacco use and nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs. Parental involvement and father-child communication about the dangers of substance use did not explain differences in substance use among adolescents with veteran versus nonveteran fathers. Conclusions/Importance: Adolescent children of veterans appear to be a group in particular need of substance use prevention services. Parental involvement and father-child communication may be appropriate protective factors to address in prevention efforts.
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