Post-Separation Coparenting: A Predictor of Substance Use Among Native American Emerging Adults Who Were Raised in a Stepfamily

Background and Purpose: Stepfamily formation is associated with a decrease in the quality of post-divorce coparenting relationships. This is important to consider because about 30% of children in the U.S. are likely to spend time in a stepfamily. Among the general population, cooperative coparenting is associated with less child behavior problems and closer ties to fathers. In contrast, conflicted coparenting is associated with poor emotional wellbeing and increased antisocial behavior among children. Research on coparenting among Native Americans, however, is scarce.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of positive and poor post-separation coparenting practices on substance use of Native American emerging adults who were raised in a stepfamily. It was hypothesized positive coparenting would significantly decrease risk behaviors associated with substance use and poor coparenting would significantly increase risk behaviors associated with substance use.

Methods: The retrospective data analyzed came from Stepfamily Experiences Project (STEP), a nationally based quota sample of 1,593 emerging adults, ages 18 to 30, who lived in a stepfamily between the ages 8 to 18. STEP used best practices for online surveys. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, individuals who were Native American only (n=140) and multi-racial Native American (n=147) were combined (n=287).

Independent latent variables included positive coparenting and poor coparenting. The dependent latent variable consisted of risk behaviors associated with substance use. Control variables included level of education, yearly gross income, income of the stepfamily, and level of depression. The first set of analyses included descriptive statistics. Next, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess whether the coparenting questionnaire measured one or two constructs. Last, structural equation modeling was utilized to examine positive coparenting and poor coparenting as predictors of risk behaviors associated with substance use.

Results: CFA on the coparenting questionnaire indicated two constructs were being measured. Results from structural equation modeling show a one standard deviation increase in positive coparenting is associated with a .148 standard deviation increase in risk behaviors associated with substance use (β=0.148, p<0.05). Further, a one standard deviation increase in poor coparenting is associated with a .154 standard deviation increase in risk behaviors associated with substance use (β=0.154, p<0.05). In addition, a one standard deviation increase in CES-D score is associated with a .264 standard deviation decrease in risk behaviors associated with substance use (β=-0.264, p<.001). Therefore, positive coparenting, poor coparenting, and depression have a weak effect on risk behaviors associated with substance use.

Conclusions and Implications: Regardless of whether positive or poor coparenting practices were used by biological parents of Native American emerging adults who were raised in a stepfamily, this population appears to be at increased risk for substance use. Therefore, clinicians should assess for substance use problems when working with Native American emerging adults who were raised in a stepfamily, regardless of whether biological parents exhibited poor or positive coparenting practices. These findings help raise awareness to the importance of clinicians assessing for substance use problems and utilizing a strengths perspective when working with individuals among this population.