The influence of linguistic and psychological acculturation on recent cannabis use in adolescent and young adult immigrants in the Netherlands.

According to the cultural values paradigm, acculturation to a culture with more positive values regarding substance use may be a risk factor for cannabis use. More acculturated youths could be more likely to affiliate with cannabis-using peers, mediating the relationship between acculturation and cannabis use.
We examined data from 725 Dutch immigrants aged 15-24 (mean age 19.4, SD=2.5, 55.7% female) from Surinamese (29%), Moroccan (28%), Turkish (15%), Antillean (12%), and Asian (16%) backgrounds. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess past year cannabis use (yes=1, no=0), linguistic acculturation (speaking Dutch at home, yes=1, no=0), psychological acculturation (e.g. “I understand Dutch people”), and affiliation with cannabis-using peers.
Results indicated that 23% of the sample had used cannabis in the past year. Latent Class Analyses identified three patterns of psychological acculturation: 1) a strong bond with the culture of origin and a weak bond with the Dutch culture (27.0% of the participants), 2) strong bonds with both cultures (33.2%), and 3) weak bonds with both cultures (39.8%). Correcting for age, gender, alcohol/tobacco use and religiosity, psychological acculturation was not related to cannabis use. Linguistic acculturation was associated with a higher likelihood of cannabis use (OR=1.66, 95%CI=1.30-2.12, p<0.01). Affiliation with cannabis-using peers mediated this relation (OR=1.10, 95%CI=1.03-1.17, p<0.01), leaving the direct association significant (OR=1.51, 95%CI=1.20-1.90, p<0.01).
In conclusion, Dutch adolescent and young adult immigrants who are linguistically acculturated are more likely to use cannabis, and to affiliate with cannabis-using peers. Future research might further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the increased risk among these youngsters.