An Exploration of Intergenerational Cultural Dissonance and Its Relationship to Adolescent Alcohol Use Among Immigrant Families

Introduction: As the immigrant population grows in the U.S., understanding culturally-based factors on adolescent outcomes such as alcohol use will assume greater relevance. A significant risk factor for adolescent problem behavior among immigrant families is intergenerational cultural dissonance (ICD), or conflict that occurs between parents and children over cultural values due to assimilation by adolescents to mainstream society. Limited research exists on ICD, and the mechanism by which differing rates of assimilation between parent and child or acculturation gaps leads to this type of conflict. We examined ICD on alcohol use among Chinese American adolescents, and investigated acculturation gaps over traditional versus Western-based values on ICD within immigrant families. We also explored acculturation gaps from behaviors on ICD. We hypothesized that ICD would increase risk for adolescent alcohol use, and that this culturally-based factor would result from parent-child clashes over traditional values.

Methods: Students in the 6th through 8th grades and their parents from three elementary schools in the Chicago’s Chinatown were recruited to participate through completing self-administered questionnaires. A total of 187 Chinese American parent-child dyads (140 mother-child dyads and 47 father-child dyads) were included in the final analyses.  In this study, ICD was measured by using the Intergenerational Congruence in Immigrant Families (ICIF) – Parent Scale and ICIF– Child Scale with parents and children respectively. Behavioral acculturation was assessed using the Kviz-Choi Acculturation Scale, which includes two subscales that measure Within Group (Chinese-oriented) behaviors and Outside Group (American-oriented) behaviors. The Measurement of Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism scale determined adherence to individualistic (Western) and collectivistic (Eastern) values. Differences in measurement between parent and child determined the acculturation gaps.

Results: Multiple linear regression were performed to assess four different acculturation gaps (Within Group Behaviors Gap, Outside Group Behaviors Gap, Individualistic Values Orientation Gap, and Collectivistic Values Orientation Gap) and their associations with ICD. Among mother-child dyads, the Within Group Behaviors Gap (β = 0.22, S.E = 0.06, p <0.0001) and Collectivistic Values Orientation Gap (β = 0.26, S.E = 0.06, p < 0.0001) were significant predictors of ICD. This was similar among father-child dyads. The Outside Group Behaviors Gap and Individualistic Values Orientation Gap, however, were insignificant among all dyads. Logistic regression analyses determined that ICD increased the likelihood of alcohol use among Chinese American adolescents (OR: 2.11; 95% C.I.: 1.13, 3.93; p = 0.02).

Conclusions: Results suggest that ICD is a risk factor for adolescent alcohol use, and occurs from the differences between parent and child in Chinese-oriented behaviors and traditional values rather than from the adoption of mainstream behaviors and Western values. The study is significant by highlighting the need to develop and/or cultural adapt family-based prevention programs that address ICD for immigrant families.