Mechanisms of parenting on adolescent alcohol use: a meta-analytic structural equation modeling study

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism awarded the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee $413,383 on July 16, 2026, under the Alcohol Research Programs (CFDA 93.273) to conduct a meta-analytic structural equation modeling study examining mechanisms of parenting on adolescent alcohol use.

The recipient will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical studies targeting U.S. adolescents aged 10 to 18, synthesizing evidence on the influence of alcohol-specific parenting factors (alcohol provision, attitudes, rules) and general parenting factors (monitoring, support) on adolescent alcohol use. The study will examine alcohol-specific cognitions—including alcohol-related behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs—as mediators between parenting and drinking behavior. The work will employ dominance analysis to rank the relative importance of parenting and cognitive factors in predicting adolescent alcohol use and explore whether these relationships vary by participant and study characteristics. This research addresses a gap in understanding how altering alcohol-specific cognitions may efficiently and effectively influence adolescent alcohol use decision-making within the framework of the reasoned action approach.

The award is classified as a Project Grant, a mechanism under which NIAAA supports research to develop fundamental knowledge applicable to improved treatment methods and prevention strategies for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. Performance will occur in Wisconsin. The period of performance runs from July 16, 2026, to June 30, 2028.

Abstract

Parents play a critical role in their adolescent children's alcohol use decision-making. However, the relative importance and underlying mechanisms of various alcohol-specific parenting (e.g., alcohol provision, attitudes, and rules) and general parenting factors (e.g., monitoring, support) remains unclear. This knowledge GAP continues to impede the advancement of theories and practices in parent-based alcohol prevention programs, reducing their potential to effectively mitigate widespread adolescent drinking and its consequences. Examining alcohol-specific cognitions (e.g., alcohol expectancies, normative beliefs) as mediators between parenting and adolescent drinking is essential for addressing this GAP, as altering these cognitions may be the most efficient and effective way to influence adolescent alcohol use-supported by the empirically validated reasoned action approach. However, prior studies exploring these indirect relationships have yielded inconsistent findings. Indeed, alcohol-specific cognitions comprise diverse constructs with varying levels of importance in alcohol use decision-making, yet their relative importance remain improperly studied. To address these gaps, the proposed study outlines three specific aims based on a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical studies targeting U.S. Adolescents aged 10 to 18. Aim 1 is to conduct a meta-analysis to synthesize evidence on the influence of parenting (including both alcohol-specific and general parenting factors) and alcohol-specific cognitions (alcohol-related behavioral, normative, and control beliefs) on adolescent alcohol use, and to explore whether these relationships vary by participant and study characteristics. Aim 2 is to use dominance analysis (a more advanced method for assessing predictor relative importance) to rank the relative importance of various parenting factors as well as alcohol-specific cognitions in predicting adolescent alcohol use. Aim 3 is to identify the mechanisms through which parenting factors influence adolescent drinking via alcohol-specific cognitions by testing meta-analytic structural equation models (masems). Core research processes will involve developing and registering a review protocol, searching scientific databases and grey literature, screening studies for eligibility, extracting qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., correlations) to produce a meta-analysis database, assessing included studies' risk of bias, performing dominance analysis and masem to test our specific aims, and composing publications adhering to prisma 2020 guidelines. The meta-analytic approach enables US to integrate the massive and disparate empirical evidence, thereby enhancing our findings' generalizability and clarifying subgroup differences. Our novel approach also stands to advance theoretical understandings beyond prior meta-analyses by exploring indirect effects and predictor relative importance. Our findings will offer valuable insights for evaluating and streamlining parenting programs-a foundational step toward overcoming barriers to the effectiveness and expansion of these prevention efforts.