Parental Monitoring, Latine Emerging Adult Marijuana and Alcohol Initiation, and the Relationship it has with Marianismo and Machismo

The study aimed to expand the research on Latine adolescent alcohol and marijuana initiation in regard to their parent’s monitoring habits. The study investigated if parental monitoring affects the initiation of alcohol and marijuana for their adolescents. It also investigated if traditional gender roles in Latine households such as marianismo and machismo moderated the relationship. This study examined parental monitoring through asking participants about their parents monitoring habits and parents control habits during their adolescence. It also investigated Latine young adults’ substance use initiation. This study was conducted through a Qualtrics survey administered through Prolific with multiple subsections that pertain to each measure. Participants were also offered a financial incentive for participation in the study. The first hypothesis was that participants' parental monitoring would positively and significantly predict age of initiation of alcohol use and age of initiation of marijuana use. The second hypothesis was that marianismo would positively and significantly predict parental monitoring. The third hypothesis was that machismo would negatively and significantly predict parental monitoring. The fourth hypothesis was that machismo and marianismo would moderate the relationship between parental monitoring and age of initiation of alcohol as well as age of initiation of marijuana. There was a total of 150 participants. The sample was composed of 44% men, and 47.2% women. The average age of initiation for both alcohol and marijuana was 17 years old. Partial support was provided for the fourth hypothesis, and the rest of the hypothesis was not supported by results. There is scant literature pertaining to how marianismo and machismo and parental monitoring affect Latine youth outcomes, especially pertaining to alcohol and marijuana initiation. Hopefully as the study information is disseminated, it will be useful for parents reflecting on their parenting practices and encourage them to think about their adolescents' outcomes from their parenting habits. As well as reflecting on Latine cultural legacies that stem from colonial eras.