Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109851

Kate E. Fothergill, PhD, Dept. of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, #707, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-614-3720, kfotherg@jhsph.edu and Margaret E. Ensminger, PhD, Dept. of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, 7th floor, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Although much has been learned about the antecedents of substance use, less is understood about the etiology of substance abuse and dependence. We hypothesize that specific individual and social factors in childhood and adolescence increase the risk for substance abuse problems in adulthood (age 32). The data are from the Woodlawn study, which followed for more than 25 years an African American population (n=1242) in Chicago. In 1966-67, when the children were in the first grade, mothers and teachers were interviewed. Mothers and children were interviewed during adolescence. The “children” were again interviewed at age 32-34 (n=952). Using structural equation modeling, we examine the impact of classroom adaptability and socioeconomic disadvantage in first grade; school bonds, parental supervision, and drug use in adolescence; and educational attainment by age 32 on drug and alcohol abuse and dependence in adulthood. For both males and females, educational attainment directly reduced the risk for substance use disorders. For males, first grade shyness directly reduced the risk, and adolescent substance use directly increased the risk. For females, childhood socioeconomic status (SES) had a marginal direct effect. First grade aggression, low family SES, and low school bonds indirectly increased the risk for substance use disorders for both males and females. For males, first grade underachievement indirectly increased the risk for substance use disorders in adulthood. For females, first grade shyness and strong parental supervision indirectly reduced the risk of later substance use disorders. The results indicate multiple points of intervention along the life course.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to
• identify childhood and adolescent risk factors for substance abuse in adulthood;
• distinguish gender differences in the trajectories to drug and alcohol abuse and dependence; and
• identify points along the life course for prevention interventions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.