Research Abstract No.63  Determinants of use and addiction to inhalants among                                           youths     in Bangkok metropolis and Yasothorn province in                                        Thailand                                              by                                  DUSADEE YOELAO                              LADDAWAN KASEMNET                                CHIWAT WONG-ARSA                      The purposes of this research are to addictive behavior of the inhalers studied, and toidentify variables which determine initial use and addiction to inhalants among youths. Conceptualframework from the theory of problem behavior was used.                     The sample comprised 298 inhalers and 298 non-inhalers, 56 parents of inhalers, and 46community leaders. Data was collected using an interview technique. Independent variables consisted ofattachment to friends, number of friends using addictive substances, attachment to the family,self-esteem, coping styles, contranormative belief, sensation seeking personality, family cohesion, amountof addictive substance used in the family, level of parental control in the family, level of control in theschool, and emotional support in the family. The dependent variable were : use and non-use of inhalants,positive attitude towards using inhalants, and self efficacy of not using inhalants. Additional informationabout : how parents of the addicts reward and punish their children, aspects of the community in theaddicts lived, and suggestions from the community leaders for prevention of the problems were gatheredusing structured interviews. The data was analyzed using content analysis, MANOVA, stepwiseDiscriminant Analysis, and Canonical Correlation Analysis as well as basic descriptive analysis.                     The important findings are as follows:                     1.The inhalers prefer the canned glue inhalants. They report that the reasons for initialinhalants use are need for excitement, and peers pressure. They reports the increase of time use for eachconsumption. They also report the addictive substance use.                     2.The important indicators of initial use of inhalants among youths in Bangkok are numberof friends using addictive substance, family related self-esteem, and sensation seeking personality.Additional information from the interview with the parent indicates that they usually reward the goodbehaviors by money and material things, In addition, when the children exhibit bad behaviors parent usephysical punishment.                     3.The important indicators of initial use of inhalants among youths in Yasothorn provinceare number of friends using addictive substance, amount of addictive substances used in the family,family cohesion, sensation seeking personality, and contranormative beliefs.                     4.The important correlates of positive attitude towards using inhalants are attachment tofriends, contranormative beliefs, sensation seeking personality, and family related self-esteem. Theimportant correlates of self-efficacy of not using inhalants are : problem-oriented stress coping style,family cohesion, level of control in the school, and number of friends using addictive substances.                     5.According to the community leaders, activities for prevention of the drug problems are :providing knowledge about drug, facilitating activities such as sports and games in the community, helpseeking employment, and set rules against drug dealers in the community.                     The findings from the present investigation regarding roles of the family suggest thefollowings :                     1.The family should help create and preserve the self-esteem of children.                     2.The family should avoid using addictive substances.                     3.The family should have appropriate control to shape and guide the children about how touse their free time with friends.                     4.The family should try to understand and help the adolescent to control and cope with theirsensation seeking personality.                     5.schools should have rules and regulations for good and behaviors as well monitor them.                     The findings from this study regarding the addicts suggest the following implementations :To help lesson the addiction to inhalants, we should decrease their positive attitude towards usinginhalants and increase self-efficacy of not using inhalants. In addition, we should be aware of theircorrelates such as attachment to friends, contranomative beliefs, sensation seeking personality, familyrelated self-esteem, and emotional oriented coping style. This variables may be used as an mediator ormoderator when researchers design an intervention. ‚6                            SWUHOMEPAGE  Back to Behavioral Science Research Institute