Structural model of substance use tendency in adolescents based on psychological family climate and family history of addiction with mediating peer group

Aim: The study purpose was to determine tendency of substance use in adolescent tobacco users based on psychological family climate and family history of addiction with mediating peer group. Research method was correlation and the statistical population was all 839057 male and female adolescents 13-19 years old in Tehran in the second half of 2016. Using cluster random sampling. Tehran at first was divided into 5 geographical parts of north, south, west, east and center, then from 22 municipal areas, 11 regions were randomly selected. The sample size was determined 150 individuals according to Mishel 1993 and suggesting a ratio of 10 to 20 subjects per observed variable, and considering probable attrition. Data were collected using Addiction Susceptibility Questionnaire-Adolescents Version by Zeinali, (2014); Affective Family Climate Scale by Hillburn, 1964; Adolescent Affiliation with Deviant Peers Scale by Paschal, Ringwalt & Flewelling, (2003), and a researcher-made tool for family history of addiction 2016. After omission of 5 distorted questionnaires and 3 outlier subjects, data analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that Indirect pathway coefficient of the psychological family climate and substance use tendency is negative with mediating peer group (β= -0.164, P= 0.002) and the indirect path coefficient of the family history of addiction and relatives and substance use tendency is positive with mediating peer group (β= 0.153, P= 0.002). It is suggested that parents protect their children from the influence of peers and tendency of tobacco and substance use by providing an appropriate psychological and emotional atmosphere.