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A progressive and hierarchical sequence of drug use suggests that a sequence of stages of drug use can describe the order by which adolescents try drugs. We propose an operational definition to test gateway relations by providing a framework with the aim of describing a set of conditions to guide the evaluation of whether a drug serves as a gateway for another drug. We used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to demonstrate how using latent transition analysis we can estimate the odds of using a drug at a later time conditional on having used a gateway drug at an earlier time. We provide three empirical demonstrations for testing the gateway relations using a national and longitudinal data of adolescents (e.g., gateway relation between cigarettes and marijuana, alcohol and marijuana, and alcohol and cigarettes).

Purpose. To examine the relation between dieting and smoking initiation among adolescents. Design. Prospective data from a nationally representative study were used. Setting. Two waves (1994 to 1996) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Subjects. The sample included 7795 non-Latino Caucasian and non-Latino African-American adolescents. Measures. Dieting status was the independent variable and trying smoking and initiation of regular smoking were the dependent variables. Covariates included age, ethnicity, overweight status, false self-perception about being overweight, and availability of cigarettes at home. Analysis. Logistic regression and latent transition analyses were used. Results. Females had a higher prevalence of dieting (55%) when compared with males (25%). Dieting initiation was a significant predictor for initiation of regular smoking among females (OR = 1.94, p = .010), but not among males. Inactive dieting was a significant predictor among males (OR = 1.74, p = .031), but not among females. Compared to nondieters, initiating and consistent female dieters reported a higher probability of trans itioning to having tried regular smoking, although results from logistic regression suggested that the association between consistent dieting and initiation of regular smoking was not significant. Conclusions. There is a positive relation between initiating dieting and initiating regular smoking among females, but among males it is the inactive dieters who show a positive relationship. Results illustrate the importance of examining the association between dieting and the initiation of regular smoking.

Abstract: This article reviews cultural and methodological considerations when developing effective preventive interventions among Latino families. A prevention approach guides the discussion of five key issues in prevention science, including (a) the role of risk and protective factors, (b) fidelity and adaptation strategies, (c) program effectiveness, (d) methodological consideration, and (e) bridging prevention research and practice. An annotated bibliography complements our discussion of conceptual and methodological considerations and prevention and intervention practices when working with Latinos.

Objective: The purpose of this study is (a) to evaluate the predictors of serious physical violence among Hispanics using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of adolescents, and (b) to evaluate the effects of multiple levels of influence (generational differences, individual-level characteristics, and contextual variables) on serious violence during adolescence. Method: Data were derived from 4,786 Hispanic adolescents surveyed for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Survey logistic regression procedures were used to examine the independent effect of generation, including multilevel risk and protective factors, on serious physical violence. Results: 3rd generation U.S.-born adolescents were 75% more likely to be violent 1 year later ( OR = 1.75; p < .05), independent of various risk and protective factors contextual effects (parental involvement, parental alcohol use, neighborhood safety), demographics (age, gender), individual-level risk and protective factors (alcohol use, marijuana use), and baseline violence. Conclusions: Generational differences exist in serious physical violence, and 3rd generation and beyond adolescents are at greater risk of violent behavior. Violence prevention strategies should focus on the retention of family bonds and cultural values of the host country in prevention programming, and generational status should be taken into account to reduce participation in violence among Hispanic youth.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the state of drug abuse research among Hispanic adolescents in the areas of prevalence, etiology, prevention, and treatment from a cultural perspective. Cultural and acculturation-related processes are central to the understanding of the epidemiology, etiology, prevention, and treatment of drug use among Hispanic adolescents. Culture is also embedded within each of the efficacious interventions for Hispanic adolescents, suggesting that integrating Hispanic cultural symbols and values is an important element in preventing and treating drug use and related problem behaviors in this population. The recommendations presented in this article, along with existing work in the fields of epidemiology, risk protection, prevention, and treatment, will help to reduce the health disparities in drug use and related problem behaviors in this vulnerable and rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population.

Abstract
As climate change continues to displace greater numbers of people, transnational ties are important sources of social protection for climate migrants. Migrants assemble unique configurations of formal and informal social protections depending on the resources available within their sending and receiving communities. However, the specific constellations of social protections that climate migrants use following disaster and displacement remain underexamined. Authors conducted semistructured interviews with Puerto Ricans who migrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (N = 41) and used qualitative content analysis to trace the assemblages of formal and informal social protections used to navigate the resettlement process. Results suggest that informal support from migrants' transnational ties was instrumental in successfully making use of formal sources of support, including federal emergency relief programs, to leave the island and resettle on the U.S. mainland. This reliance on informal social protections often strained participants' informal networks and raised questions of equity for people internally displaced by climate change. These findings highlight the need for a more equitable and effective linkage of climate migrants with public resources.