182914 Educational success and adult behavioral health in the Chicago Longitudinal Study: Implications for the prevention of substance and tobacco use and other related outcomes

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 12:30 PM

James W. Topitzes, PhD , Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
Joshua P. Mersky, PhD , Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
Olga Godes, MS , Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Arthur J. Reynolds, PhD , Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
     
Growing evidence indicates that education is associated with behavioral health, yet we lack knowledge about the specific educational experiences that influence health outcomes, particularly among disadvantaged groups. This study examines the role of school experiences in predicting behavioral health outcomes in a low-income, minority sample. Research questions include: (1) What are the school-based predictors of substance misuse, daily tobacco use, depression, and health insurance coverage among young adults in the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS); and (2) Do school measures mediate the relation between early experiences and later health-related outcomes?

The CLS investigates a cohort of 1,539 individuals who were born in 1979 or 1980 and attended kindergarten programs in the Chicago Public Schools. Participants have been followed prospectively from early childhood through age 24. Data for this study were collected in multiple waves from various sources, including participant themselves, parents, and teachers along with administrative records from several public databases.

Findings from probit regressions indicated that classroom behavioral adjustment in elementary school and graduation from high school were negatively associated with substance misuse and daily tobacco use. Participation in the Chicago Child Parent Center (CPC) preschool program, a well-known early childhood intervention, predicted lower rates of depression and higher rates of health insurance coverage. Additionally, path analyses revealed that graduation mediated the link between CPC participation and depression. These results suggest that quality preschool programming and strategies to promote classroom behavioral adjustment and educational attainment in low-income, urban contexts may enhance the behavioral health of young adults.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify at least three common school-related predictors of such behavioral health outcomes as substance misuse, tobacco use, and depression among a low-income, minority sample. 2. Articulate at least two school-related experiences that mediate the relationship between early risk or protective factors and young adult behaviorial health outcomes in this important sample. 3. Develop an understanding of school-based intervention features that potentially enhance young adult behavioral health, e.g., prevent substance misuse, tobacco use, and depression.

Keywords: Education, Drug Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I, along with current colleagues, past researchers on the Chicago Longitudinal Study, and director Arthur J. Reynolds, collected the data analyzed for this particular study. Furthermore, I conducted all statistical analyses reported in this study abstract and am in the process of writing-up findings for publication, along with the help of the listed co-authors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Substance Abuse Prevention Strategies for Adolescents
See more of: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs