Relationship Between Select Community Characteristics and Youth Behaviors: Focus On An Eastern European Setting

Background and Purpose: Great progress has been made in identifying risk and protective factors for various youth behaviors. These factors serve as important targets for preventing problem behaviors and promoting positive youth development. However, majority of extant research in this area has focused on American youth. The question remains to what extent are risk and protective factors identified in one geographic region generalizable across countries. The primary purpose of this study is to examine how perceived community characteristics relate to engagement in select problem and positive behaviors in Estonian youth. In addition, the study examines whether the influence of risk and protective factors varies depending on how the dependent variable, i.e., frequency of engagement in various behaviors, is operationalized. Methods : Using a cross-sectional survey design, a convenience sample of 486 students (average age 15.1 years) from 20 urban and rural public schools in Estonia completed a modified version of the Communities That Care Youth Survey. Four dichotomous dependent variables were created focusing on youth engagement in two problem behaviors (alcohol use and drunkenness), and two positive behaviors (volunteering and participation in extracurricular activities) in the past year. Independent variables included six presumed risk factors (low neighborhood attachment, community disorganization, transitions and mobility, community norms favoring substance use, poor law enforcement, availability of drugs), and two protective factors (perceived opportunities for prosocial community involvement, and rewards for such involvement). Data was analyzed using logistic regression. The first set of analyses focused on youth who had engaged in any of the four behaviors at least once in the past year vs. not at all. Additional analyses were conducted comparing youth who had engaged in these behaviors at least three times in the past year vs. less; and those who had engaged in these activities 20+ times vs. less. Results: The findings confirmed that community norms favoring substance use, poor law enforcement, and availability of drugs are associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in alcohol use and drunkenness in Estonian youth. Not surprisingly, more perceived opportunities for prosocial community involvement and rewards for such involvement were associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in extracurricular activities and volunteering. However, these two factors did not exert a direct protective influence against alcohol use or drunkenness. Two community characteristics, low neighborhood attachment and community disorganization, were not related to any of the four behaviors. Frequent transitions and mobility was only associated with a higher likelihood of being drunk. With a few exceptions, these trends were similar regardless of how the dependent variables were operationalized.

Conclusions and Implications: This study found that only some, but not all, community level risk and protective factors were associated with two problem and two positive behaviors in Estonian youth. These findings point to the continued need to examine presumed risk and protective factors in diverse settings rather than assume that such factors are universal and generalizable across countries. Potential reasons behind these findings will be addressed. Also, more specific implications for practice and future research will be offered.