The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65991

Gilbert Saint-Jean, MD, MPH and Lee Crandall, PhD. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, 1801 NW 9th Avenue, Room # 324, Locator D-93, Miami, FL 33136, 305-243-6571, gsaint@med.miami.edu

Purpose. To distinguish risk and protective factors that predict adolescent alcohol and marijuana use across all ethnic backgrounds from those that predict use for particular ethnic groups.

Methods. Secondary analysis of data from the 2000 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey was conducted. A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select and interview 62,146 grades 6-12 public school students from 64 Florida counties. Analysis was conducted separately for the three major ethnic groups – whites, blacks, and Hispanics. The outcome measures were 30-day use of alcohol and marijuana. Twenty-eight risk and protective factors originally developed for the Communities That Care Youth Survey were considered for inclusion into two logistic regression models to identify the factors that are associated with alcohol and marijuana use for all three ethnic groups, and those associated with specific group’s use.

Results. Six variables were found significantly and independently associated with all three ethnic groups alcohol use, two with whites and blacks, one with whites and Hispanics, four with whites only, and one with Hispanics’ use only. For marijuana, five variables were significant for all three ethnic groups, one for whites and blacks, one for whites and Hispanics, and three for whites only.

Conclusions. The findings showed that while some risk and protective factors affect all major ethnic groups, others affect specific groups. These findings can be used to tailor adolescent drug preventive programs to specific groups, which should increase their impact.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• 1.Distinguish risk and protective factors that predict drug use for youth of all ethnic backgrounds from those that are associated with drug use for specific groups only.
• 2.Describe the methods and procedures used to identify ethnic group associated risk and protective factors.
• 3.Apply the knowledge acquired to design drug prevention programs that are tailored to youth from particular ethnic backgrounds.

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.