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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Jan A. Markowitz, PhD, Dorothy C. Browne, DrPH, Patricia Ann Clubb, PhD, and Denicia Fowler. Drug Abuse Research Program, Morgan State University, Montebello Complex, Room 103 D, Baltimore, MD 21251, 443-885-4030, jmarkowitz@moac.morgan.edu
Previous research indicates that at risk youth often engage in multiple high-risk behaviors and that these behaviors have shared personal and environmental antecedents (e.g., Dryfoos, 1991; Barnes et al., 1999, Welte, et al., 1999; Welte et. al., 2001). A further understanding of co-morbidity is crucial to the development of interventions since engaging in multiple problem behaviors increases the likelihood of negative social and health consequences.This research examines whether the behaviors of substance use, violence and early sexual behavior reflect a single underlying dimension of problem behaviors. In addition, analyses address whether there is a developmental or progressive sequence of these three risk behaviors. The sample is composed of African-American students who participated in a school-based longitudinal study of health risk behaviors. Approximately 1,018 students were recruited from four middle schools in a Southeastern city school district in which 65% of the children in the school system were eligible for a “free” or “reduced” lunch program. Students completed six student health surveys over a period of four years. The data presented here are from 621 students who participated in three waves of data collection. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analyses to determine if the behaviors fit a single factor or a three factor model. Guttman scaling is used to determine the progressive sequence of drug use and other behaviors and finally structural equation modeling is used. In response to the baseline survey, Thirty-two percent of the adolescents participated in one of the high risk behaviors and over 28 percent reported involvement in two or more of the three behaviors.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adolescent Health, African American
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.