Children's Inattention and Hyperactivity, Mother's Parenting, and Risk Behaviors in Adolescence: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Chilean Children

Objective: To examine how mothers' nurturant and, separately, hostile parenting mediate the effects of young children's inattentiveness and hyperactivity on risk behaviors in adolescence. Method: Data were analyzed from 920 healthy Chilean children, studied at 5.5, 10 years, and adolescence. Children's hyperactivity and inattentiveness at 5.5 years were assessed by mother ratings on the Children's Adaptive Behavior Inventory. Mothers' nurturance and hostility toward the child at 10 years were assessed by maternal interview on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment. Youth's delinquent and aggressive behaviors in adolescence were compiled from the Youth Self-Report questionnaire, and youth's substance use in adolescence was assessed by an extensive self-report substance use inventory. Structural equation modeling was used to identify direct and indirect effects. Results: Findings supported a mediating effect, with more severe child hyperactivity at 5.5 years leading to mothers' greater hostility toward her child at age 10, which, in turn, led to greater delinquency and aggression in adolescence. Marginal mediating effects were also found from child hyperactivity and inattention at 5.5 years to mothers' lower nurturance at 10 years to youth substance use in adolescence. Conclusion: Mothers' hostile treatment of children with hyperactive or inattentive behaviors contributed to adolescent risk behaviors and is an area of intervention.