Pathways to marijuana use among adolescents: Cultural/ecological, family, peer, and personality influences

Objective: To examine the linkages, cultural/ecological factors, and major psychosocial risk factors as they relate to drug use in a sample from Colombia, South America. Method: The participants were 1,687 adolescents living in mixed urban-rural communities in Colombia, South America. An individual interview was administered to youths in their homes by Colombian interviewers. The scales used were based on item intercorrelations grouped into the following risk categories: (1) adolescent personality, (2) family traits, (3) peer factors, and (4) cultural/ecological variables. Results: Pearson correlations were computed for each variable and the frequency of marijuana use. Results show that each of the domains was related to adolescent marijuana use, with some notable gender differences. As regards the interrelation of domains, a mediational model was operative. Conclusions: Findings support a family interactional theory. The domains of family, personality, and peer factors had a direct effect on the adolescents' marijuana use. Implications for prevention are also addressed.