FAMILY FUNCTIONALITY AS PREDICTOR OF ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN ADOLESCENTS IN ECUADOR

This study aimed to examine the relationship between family functionality and alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents in Ecuador. The study used a descriptive, correlational, and explanatory methodology using structural modeling (SEM) techniques. The sample comprised 416 adolescents. Females constituted 61.2% of the sample, with their age ranging from 12 to 18 years (M = 16.33; SD = 0.95) from Ecuador. The findings revealed that the participants exhibited a moderate degree of family functionality, paralleled by a low level of alcohol consumption and substance misuse. Structural equation modeling revealed a relationship between family functionality and both alcohol and substance use. The data indicated that family functionality explained 13% of the observed variability in alcohol use and 22% of the variability in substance misuse. Overall, family functionality proved to be a significant predictor of alcohol consumption and drug misuse among adolescents, but caution should be drawn to the interpretation of the findings as the sample comprised adolescents who did not have major problem with either alcohol or drug abuse.