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Association Between Socio-Ecological Risk Factor Clustering and Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems in Hispanic Adolescents

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Abstract

Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic adolescents in the U.S. report higher rates of several mental, emotional, and behavioral problems such as substance use, sexual risk behaviors, and internalizing and externalizing problems. There is evidence of common pathways in the development of mental, emotional, and behavioral problems with certain subgroups of Hispanic adolescents being at greater risk. In the present article, we report analysis of baseline data for 959 Hispanic adolescents who participated in one of two randomized controlled trials evaluating a family-based preventive intervention. Utilizing latent class analysis, we identified subgroups of Hispanic adolescents based on socio-ecological risk and protective factors (e.g., parent–adolescent communication, parental involvement in school). Three distinct socio-ecological risk subgroups (high, medium, and low risk) were identified and exhibited significant differences from each other across a majority of socio-ecological risk and protective factors. Adolescents in higher socio-ecological risk subgroups reported greater mental, emotional, and behavioral problems across all outcomes. Individual comparisons revealed significant differences between the low socio-ecological risk group and both the medium and high socio-ecological risk group in lifetime alcohol use, smoking, and sex, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems. Implications for intervention include focusing on specific risk subgroups and targeting shared risk and protective factors rather than specific mental, emotional, and behavioral outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leonard M. Miller Division of Prevention Science and Community Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1120 N.W. 14th St., Suite 1010, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Lila Asfour, Shi Huang, Manuel A. Ocasio, Tatiana Perrino, Seth J. Schwartz, Daniel J. Feaster, Mildred Maldonado-Molina, Hilda Pantin & Guillermo Prado

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  1. Lila Asfour
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  2. Shi Huang
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  3. Manuel A. Ocasio
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  4. Tatiana Perrino
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  5. Seth J. Schwartz
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  6. Daniel J. Feaster
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  7. Mildred Maldonado-Molina
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  8. Hilda Pantin
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  9. Guillermo Prado
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Correspondence to Guillermo Prado.

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Asfour, L., Huang, S., Ocasio, M.A. et al. Association Between Socio-Ecological Risk Factor Clustering and Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems in Hispanic Adolescents. J Child Fam Stud 26, 1266–1273 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0641-0

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