Mothers' Substance Use Was a Stronger Predictor of Children's Early Alcohol Use Than Fathers' Use | Research

The takeaway

A longitudinal study found that mothers' tobacco use and the combination of fathers' marijuana and alcohol use predicted earlier alcohol onset in children, suggesting maternal substance use is an underappreciated risk factor.

Parents interested in how their substance use might influence their children's behavior.

Mothers' substance use was a stronger predictor of children's alcohol onset than fathers' use

What the researchers found

Researchers studied 146 children of 93 parents to determine whether parental tobacco and marijuana use predicted children's age of first alcohol use, beyond the known effects of parental alcohol use.

Mothers' alcohol use was significantly associated with children's earlier alcohol onset, while fathers' alcohol use alone was not. Children's age at onset was also predicted by mothers' tobacco use and by the interaction of fathers' marijuana and alcohol use together.

These effects held after controlling for parental education, child gender, and children's antisocial behavior. The authors highlighted that maternal substance use has received less research attention as a risk factor for children's substance use compared to paternal use.

Why it matters

Understanding which parental factors predict early alcohol use in children can improve prevention efforts. The finding that mothers' substance use plays a larger role than previously recognized suggests that prevention programs targeting maternal substance use could help delay children's drinking onset.

The numbers in context

146 children of 93 parents (90 fathers, 85 mothers). Mothers' but not fathers' alcohol use predicted children's alcohol onset. Mothers' tobacco use independently predicted earlier onset. Fathers' marijuana use interacted with alcohol use to predict earlier onset.

How the study worked

Longitudinal study following children of participants in the Oregon Youth Study, a long-running study of risk factors for delinquency. The sample included 146 children of 93 parents (90 fathers, 85 mothers). Parent substance use and child alcohol onset were assessed prospectively.

What this study cannot tell us

The sample size was relatively small (146 children). The Oregon Youth Study participants may not represent all families. Only alcohol onset was studied, not cannabis or other substance initiation. The mechanisms by which parental substance use influences children (modeling, availability, genetics, prenatal exposure) were not disentangled.

How to read the evidence

This is a prospective longitudinal study from a well-established cohort, providing moderate evidence on intergenerational substance use patterns.

When this study was published

Published in 2016. Research on intergenerational substance use patterns continues.

The bigger picture

This study shifts attention from the traditionally emphasized role of paternal substance use to the underappreciated influence of maternal substance use on children's drinking behavior. It also identifies polysubstance-using parents as a particularly important group for targeted prevention.

Questions still open

Through what mechanisms does maternal substance use influence children's alcohol onset? Would interventions targeting parental substance use delay children's drinking?

Common questions

Does a parent's substance use mean their children will drink early?

Parental substance use is one risk factor among many for early alcohol onset. Not all children of substance-using parents will drink early, and many other factors (peer influences, school environment, genetics) also play important roles. However, this study found maternal substance use was a significant predictor.

Why does maternal substance use matter more than paternal?

The study found mothers' substance use was a stronger predictor, possibly because mothers typically spend more time with children, serve as more salient behavioral models, or because maternal substance use during pregnancy can affect neurodevelopment. The specific mechanisms were not tested.

Read the original research

The Relationships of Parental Alcohol Versus Tobacco and Marijuana Use With Early Adolescent Onset of Alcohol Use.

Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 77(1), 95-103

View on PubMed ↗

Citation

Capaldi, Deborah M; Tiberio, Stacey S; Kerr, David C R; Pears, Katherine C. (2016). The Relationships of Parental Alcohol Versus Tobacco and Marijuana Use With Early Adolescent Onset of Alcohol Use.. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 77(1), 95-103.