A protective factors model for alcohol abuse and suicide prevention among Alaska Native youth

Abstract

This study provides an empirical test of a culturally grounded theoretical model for prevention of alcohol abuse and suicide risk with Alaska Native youth, using a promising set of culturally appropriate measures for the study of the process of change and outcome. This model is derived from qualitative work that generated an heuristic model of protective factors from alcohol (Allen et al. in J Prev Interv Commun 32:41-59, 2006; Mohatt et al. in Am J Commun Psychol 33:263-273, 2004a; Harm Reduct 1, 2004b). Participants included 413 rural Alaska Native youth ages 12-18 who assisted in testing a predictive model of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes about alcohol abuse consequences as co-occurring outcomes. Specific individual, family, peer, and community level protective factor variables predicted these outcomes. Results suggest prominent roles for these predictor variables as intermediate prevention strategy target variables in a theoretical model for a multilevel intervention. The model guides understanding of underlying change processes in an intervention to increase the ultimate outcome variables of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes regarding the consequences of alcohol abuse.

Figure 1

Hypothesized Relations based on the PA Heuristic Model of Protective Factors for Alaska Native Youth (Allen at al., 2006).

Figure 2

Protective Factors Path Model for Alaska Native Youth (n = 413). χ²(108, N = 413) = 256.8, p < .01; GFI = .93; CFI = .93; RMSEA = .06 All values displayed are significant at a minimum p < .05 level Note. Correlated errors between the Support and Mastery-Friends subscales and between the Mastery-Self and Efficacy subscales are not shown and described in Results.