Monique J. Delforterie

Adaption of pregnancy anxiety questionnaire–revised for all pregnant women regardless of parity: PRAQ-R2

The 10-item Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire–Revised (PRAQ-R) is a widely used instrument to assess and identify pregnancy-specific anxiety in nulliparous women. It has good psychometric values and predictive validity for birth and childhood outcomes. Nonetheless, the PRAQ-R is not designed for use in parous women, as particularly one item of the questionnaire is not relevant for women who gave birth before. We tested the factorial and scalar invariance of a modified PRAQ-R2 across nulliparous and parous women with an adapted item to fit both groups of pregnant women. A longitudinal study among 1144 pregnant women (n = 608 nulliparous and n = 536 parous) with two repeated measures of the PRAQ-R2 was used to test for measurement invariance of the instrument. Results show metric and scalar invariance, indicating that the PRAQ-R2 measures similar constructs on the same scale for all pregnant women at two different times during pregnancy. We conclude that the PRAQ-R2 can be used, compared, or combined in a sample of nulliparous and parous women.

The relationship between cannabis involvement and suicidal thoughts and behaviors

BACKGROUND In the present study, we examined the relationship between cannabis involvement and suicidal ideation (SI), plan and attempt, differentiating the latter into planned and unplanned attempt, taking into account other substance involvement and psychopathology. METHODS We used two community-based twin samples from the Australian Twin Registry, including 9583 individuals (58.5% female, aged between 27 and 40). The Semi-Structured Assessment of the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) was used to assess cannabis involvement which was categorized into: (0) no cannabis use (reference category); (1) cannabis use only; (2) 1-2 cannabis use disorder symptoms; (3) 3 or more symptoms. Separate multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted for SI and suicide attempt with or without a plan. Twin analyses examined the genetic overlap between cannabis involvement and SI. RESULTS All levels of cannabis involvement were related to SI, regardless of duration (odds ratios [ORs]=1.28-2.00, p<0.01). Cannabis use and endorsing ≥3 symptoms were associated with unplanned (SANP; ORs=1.95 and 2.51 respectively, p<0.05), but not planned suicide attempts (p>0.10). Associations persisted even after controlling for other psychiatric disorders and substance involvement. Overlapping genetic (rG=0.45) and environmental (rE=0.21) factors were responsible for the covariance between cannabis involvement and SI. CONCLUSIONS Cannabis involvement is associated, albeit modestly, with SI and unplanned suicide attempts. Such attempts are difficult to prevent and their association with cannabis use and cannabis use disorder symptoms requires further study, including in different samples and with additional attention to confounders.

Functioning of cannabis abuse and dependence criteria across two different countries: the United States and the Netherlands

Background: Cross-national differences could affect the likelihood of endorsement of DSM cannabis abuse and dependence criteria. The present study examines whether cannabis abuse and dependence criteria function differently across U.S. and Dutch cannabis users. Method: Data on lifetime endorsement of DSM-IV cannabis abuse/dependence criteria were utilized from U.S. cannabis users who participated in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) and from Dutch cannabis users who participated in the Zuid-Holland study. In total, 1,568 cannabis users participated in the NESARC sample, and 359 cannabis users participated in the Zuid-Holland sample. The DSM-IV cannabis abuse/dependence criteria as well as cannabis withdrawal were determined using face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews. Results: Using Restricted Factor Analysis with Latent Moderated Structures, the cannabis abuse/dependence criteria legal problems (β = −0.43), failed quit attempts (β = −1.09), use despite problems (β = −0.32), and withdrawal (β = −0.53) showed measurement bias, and were more likely to be endorsed by U.S. than by Dutch cannabis users. Also, men were more likely than women to endorse the criteria hazardous use (β = −0.27), legal problems (β = −0.49) and tolerance (β = −0.20). Findings on failed quit attempts and withdrawal were replicated in matched subsamples, while results on legal problems (country and gender) were partly replicated. Conclusions: Several CUD criteria showed measurement bias across two countries and between males and females. Therefore, differences between countries and gender in prevalence rates of CUD should be regarded with caution.

Recent cannabis use among adolescent and young adult immigrants in the Netherlands – The roles of acculturation strategy and linguistic acculturation

BACKGROUND The present study examined the relation between two different acculturation measures (i.e., linguistic acculturation and the acculturation strategies integration, separation and marginalization) and past year cannabis use. Additionally, we studied the mediating role of affiliation with cannabis-using peers. METHOD Data were utilized from i4culture, a Dutch study on immigrant adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years. Participants belonged to the five largest immigrant populations in the Netherlands, living in or around the four major Dutch cities: Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. In total, 771 adolescents and young adults (mean age 19.29, SD=2.61, 53.8% female) from Surinamese (n=210, 27.2%), Moroccan (n=209, 27.1%), Turkish (n=110, 14.3%), Antillean (n=109, 14.1%), and Asian (n=133, 17.3%) backgrounds participated. With questionnaires, past year cannabis use, acculturation strategy, linguistic acculturation, and affiliation with cannabis-using peers were assessed. RESULTS Using logistic regression analyses, we found no relation between acculturation strategy and past year cannabis use (OR=1.25, p=0.38 for separation vs integration and OR=0.86, p=0.50 for marginalization vs integration). Linguistic acculturation was positively related to cannabis use (OR=2.20, p<0.01). Affiliation with cannabis-using peers partly mediated this relation (OR=1.09, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Non-Western immigrant youngsters who speak the host cultures language at home are more likely to use cannabis than youngsters who speak their native language at home. The former group is more likely to affiliate with cannabis-using peers, which partly explains their increased risk of cannabis use.

Parental solicitation, parental control, child disclosure, and substance use: native and immigrant Dutch adolescents

ABSTRACT Objectives. The present study examined whether the relation of parental solicitation, parental control, and child disclosure with adolescent alcohol and cannabis use is similar for native and non-Western immigrant Dutch adolescents. Design. Questionnaire data from two study-samples were used with a combined sample of 705 adolescents (mean age 16.2 years; 47.2% female; 25.2% non-Western immigrant background). Results. Native Dutch adolescents reported more weekly alcohol use than immigrant adolescents, while rates of cannabis use by native and immigrant adolescents were similar. Immigrant females reported lower levels of parental solicitation and child disclosure, but higher levels of parental control than native females. There were no differences in the sources of parental knowledge between native and immigrant males. Regression analyses showed no significant interaction effects of parental solicitation, parental control, or child disclosure with ethnic background for both alcohol and cannabis use (all p values > .05). Conclusion. Despite mean level differences in various factors, we did not find evidence of an interaction effect of the sources of parental knowledge with ethnic background on alcohol and cannabis use. This suggests that theories and prevention strategies focusing on these sources of parental knowledge in relation to substance use can be applicable to both native and immigrant Dutch adolescents.

The influence of age and gender on the likelihood of endorsing cannabis abuse/dependence criteria

INTRODUCTION Higher prevalence rates of cannabis abuse/dependence and abuse/dependence criteria in 18-24year old versus older cannabis users and in males versus females might reflect true differences in the prevalence of these disorders across age and gender or, alternatively, they could arise from age- and gender-related measurement bias. To understand differences in endorsement across important subgroups, we examined the influence of age and gender simultaneously on the likelihood of endorsement of the various abuse/dependence criteria. METHOD The sample consisted of 1603 adult past year cannabis users participating in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a U.S. population study (39.6% aged 18-24; 62.1% male). Past year DSM-IV cannabis abuse/dependence criteria and withdrawal were assessed with the AUDADIS-IV. A restricted factor analysis with latent moderated structures was used to detect measurement bias. RESULTS Although cannabis abuse and dependence diagnoses and various individual abuse/dependence criteria showed different prevalence rates across younger and older male and female cannabis users, none of the items showed uniform or non-uniform measurement bias with respect to age or gender. CONCLUSION The results indicate that, although prevalence rates of cannabis abuse/dependence criteria differ across age and gender, past year abuse/dependence criteria function similarly across these groups. It can thus be concluded that the criteria are applicable to younger and older, as well as male and female, adult cannabis users.

Alcohol use of immigrant youths in The Netherlands: The roles of parents and peers across different ethnic backgrounds

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS The aims of this study were to examine the roles of parental permissiveness toward alcohol use and affiliation with alcohol-using peers in alcohol use in youths from various ethnic backgrounds, and whether the role of peers was moderated by parental permissiveness. In addition, differences in these associations between native Dutch and non-Western immigrant youths were examined. DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional data of 578 youths with Surinamese, Moroccan, Turkish, Antillean and Asian backgrounds and 81 native Dutch were used, all aged 15-24. Alcohol use, affiliation with alcohol-using peers and parental permissiveness were measured using self-report questionnaires. Regression models controlled for age, religiousness, education level and parental alcohol use. Because of very low levels of alcohol use, data from Turkish and Moroccan immigrants were aggregated, and logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS Parental permissiveness and affiliation with alcohol-using peers were positively related to level of alcohol use in youths with Surinamese, Antillean and Asian backgrounds and played an equally strong role in native Dutch youths with one exception. In Surinamese youths, parental permissiveness was more strongly related to alcohol use than in native Dutch youths. In youths with a Turkish/Moroccan background, parental permissiveness and affiliation with alcohol-using peers were strongly associated with any (versus no) alcohol use. Only parental permissiveness was, equally strong, associated with any alcohol use in native Dutch youths. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Irrespective of ethnic background and differences in level of alcohol use, parental permissiveness and affiliation with alcohol-using peers are related to youth alcohol use. [Creemers HE, Spanakis P, Delforterie MJ, Huizink AC. Alcohol use of immigrant youths in The Netherlands: The roles of parents and peers across different ethnic backgrounds.