Protective and risk factors for drug use among African American adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine empirically the relative contribution of select protective and risk factors (i.e. ethnic identity, spirituality, stress, family communication, peer drug use, peer risky behavior, and neighborhood cohesion) on drug use among African American adolescents. One hundred forty-seven African American adolescents (ages 11 to 18) completed a self-report questionnaire. At risk youth were recruited to participate in a substance abuse and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention intervention. Data collected prior to intervention exposure was used in this study.

Twenty percent of youth reported 30-day cigarette use, twenty-seven percent reported that they consumed alcoholic beverages during the past 30 days, and twenty-one percent reported 30-day marijuana use. Participants' level of drug use were higher than African American youth in other national surveys and participants scored less favorably on several attributes when compared to other African American youth. These were significant correlations between reported peer risky behavior and cigarette use (p < .05), alcohol use (p < .001), and marijuana use (p < .05). Also, peer drug use was associated with cigarette use (p < .001), alcohol use (p < .001), and marijuana use (p < .001). Regression findings were similar and indicated that peer risky behavior and peer drug use were the only variables that significantly predicted cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use. Our findings support peer cluster theory, which posits that peer behaviors are the primary predictors of adolescent drug use. Additionally, peer influence may be especially important to consider among high-risk youth.