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. 2020 May;32(2):719-734.
doi: 10.1017/S0954579419000713.

Why now? Examining antecedents for substance use initiation among African American adolescents

Tamika C B Zapolski  1 , Tianyi Yu  2 , Gene H Brody  2 , Devin E Banks  1 , Allen W Barton  2
Affiliations

Why now? Examining antecedents for substance use initiation among African American adolescents

Tamika C B Zapolski et al. Dev Psychopathol. 2020 May.

Abstract

Current adolescent substance use risk models have inadequately predicted use for African Americans, offering limited knowledge about differential predictability as a function of developmental period. Among a sample of 500 African American youth (ages 11-21), four risk indices (i.e., social risk, attitudinal risk, intrapersonal risk, and racial discrimination risk) were examined in the prediction of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette initiation during early (ages 11-13), mid (ages 16-18), and late (ages 19-21) adolescence. Results showed that when developmental periods were combined, racial discrimination was the only index that predicted initiation for all three substances. However, when risk models were stratified based on developmental period, variation was found within and across substance types. Results highlight the importance of racial discrimination in understanding substance use initiation among African American youth and the need for tailored interventions based on developmental stage.

Keywords: African Americans; adolescence; alcohol; initiation; marijuana; tobacco.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Substance use initiation groups, stratified by gender
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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